Only Fools And Horses musical plunged into chaos as show is evacuated and emergency services rush to theatre

Daily Mail​

29-04-2025

The opening night of the Only Fools And Horses: The Musical was forced to a halt on Monday after a 'medical emergency' took place at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Theatergoers were evacuated during the interval and the second act of the show was postponed after a member of the audience fell ill, with paramedics instantly called to the scene.
Only Fools And Horses: The Musical, featuring Paul Whitehouse as Grandad, is currently touring the UK following a four-year sold-out run-in London's West End.
The Winter Gardens issued a statement about the incident on Tuesday as they revealed all those affected would be able to transfer their tickets to another night or request a refund.
Attendees were quick to praise the theatre - which hosts the musical until May 3 - for the staff's quick reaction and calm response to the incident.
A statement from The Winter Gardens read: 'During last night's performance of Only Fools and Horses The Musical, a medical emergency involving a member of the audience occurred during the interval in the front stalls area of the auditorium.'
It continued: 'Due to the nature of the incident and in accordance with venue protocols, the decision was taken to evacuate the theatre and postpone the remainder of the show.
'All affected ticket holders will receive an email today with full details on how to transfer their tickets to another performance this week, or how to request a refund if they are unable to attend an alternative date.
'We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our staff, the visiting company, and the emergency services for their swift and professional response.
'Our thoughts and well wishes are with the individual involved and their family at this time.
'We thank everyone for their patience and understanding during these exceptional circumstances.'
Commenting on the post, theatregoers shared: 'We were there and commend your staff for the professional way they dealt with this medical emergency.
'I've worked in a theatre and evacuating everyone is not a straightforward process. Sending our best wishes to the patient who we hope has a swift and full recovery.
'To the woman standing next to us outside complaining and saying she was going to demand a full refund for all their expenses; perhaps you could occasionally think of someone else rather than yourself. Maybe the patient and their loved ones..??'
Attendees were quick to praise the theatre - which hosts the musical until May 3 - for the staff's quick reaction and calm response to the incident
Others added: 'Well done on handling this difficult situation so well. Particular mention to a girl on your team who cleared the auditorium and the road outside to allow access.';
'The evacuation procedure seemed to work very well. Every credit to your staff who reacted very professionally, especially the young lady who was guiding everyone outside and allowed emergency services to quickly make their way to the scene.
'A shame this incident happened, especially on opening night. The show from what we saw was excellent. Hopefully we'll get another chance to see it.
'My thoughts are for the unfortunate person/ casualty involved. Well done to the Winter Gardens staff and emergency services.';
'A very unfortunate scenario. The staff did an excellent job in evacuating the theatre and more so attending the casualty.
'My thoughts are with the family and friends of the person involved. Nothing else matters……'
Only Fools And Horses: The Musical will finish its tour on July 5 in Dublin at Bord Gais Energy Theatre.
In December, Sir David Jason praised the 'hysterical and moving' musical after it's gala performance.
The actor, 85, who portrayed Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter on the beloved BBC sitcom, said the stage show 'brought a tear to my eye' as memories of his time on the series came flooding back.
Speaking to The Sun at London's Eventim Apollo, David said it was 'hysterical' and added: 'What I did like about it was that so much of the original script was used and they did it so well that sometimes it even took me by surprise and I was laughing.
'So the whole show was a memory for me of the whole thing: the script, the characters - it was lovely to see them all.
'Some of the good characters and actors that are no longer with us as well, so it nearly brought a tear to my eye.'
The beloved BBC sitcom ran from 1981 to 1991 followed by several Christmas specials that ended in 2003.
In January 2022, Only Fools And Horses topped a BBC poll of the best 20 TV programmes the corporation has ever made.