What happened at Passion?

There's a thread on WOS

http://www.whatsonstage.com/board/index.php?showtopic=27544

..it seems to have been an accident with a gun

Updated On: 10/3/10 at 07:22 AM

Basically one of my friends was at the matinee performance of passion and he said(he didnt go into detail as i have not seen it yet and he didnt want to spoil it for me) that by the looks of things a safety cap or something on one of the guns hit said actor in the eye and it properly cut his eye open and there was blood and everything...the show did continue but said actor was taken straight offstage and sorted out before an ambulance was called. My friend said it was really bad to see,although you didnt see everything as the moment it happened people knew it was serious and took him straight off but according to my friend the looks on the other actors faces was total horror

I just hope said actor is ok.

They don't have understudy's at the Donmar.
GOD this takes me back to that awful afternoon when Ann Crumb nearly lost her foot on the set of 'Aspects Of Love' at the Prince Of Wales!
Nightmare!

Hope David B is ok. He was a terrific Sweeney Todd in Dundee recently.

I also had a ticket for Wednesdays matinee and cannot attend any other performance.

GUTTED.

i do feel for the cast memeber involved though... but then one must pose the question - what sort of guns were they using to cause such asn accident??

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1317539/Actor-David-Birrell-injured-shot-eye-stage-duel.html

Oh good, the Daily Mail has an opinion. I was so hoping some quality journalism would arise out of Mr Birrell's misfortune.

Out of interest, does anyone here know why the Donmar doesn't do understudies? I assume it's for financial reasons, but that is only an assumption, so I'd be happy to hear the actual reason. :)

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Hope David recovers quickly. I as due to go this evening but its been cancelled and chances of getting new tickets are slim as the run is sold out

The set of 'Aspects' for the original production had moving platforms at the front of the set (travelators). In the very last minutes of a Saturday matinee her foot caught in the machinery. It took her with it for about 3 or 4 feet and then the stage management stopped the show -this all happened in a very fast blackout for a scene change. The show was stopped completely with the orchestra stopped too and all that could be heard was her utter screams of pain in the total silence of a full house!. There were a few members of audience who left the theatre in tears due to the shear horror of hearing her scream, I'll never forget it.
She was hospitalized for nearly 2 months and her treatment lasted many months after.
She didn't return to the London production (tho she did return many times to the theatre to say hi to us all and spend many times backstage during a show!), her next appearance was when she opened the show on Broadway a year later.
I saw her in New York when she was preparing to do the show 'Bingo' and she said that it still haunts her today.

Updated On: 10/4/10 at 10:45 AM

They have updated the Donmar/Passion website with good news:
"Following initial inquiries into the accident at the theatre on Saturday night, it appears that during the duel scene in Passion, David Birrell’s licensed replica stage gun mis-fired causing some debris to enter his eye. We are, as a matter of priority, carrying out further investigations into the incident. David is recovering well in hospital and is in good spirits."

And apparently they are thinking of adding some extra matinees/Sunday performances to make up for the cancelled shows. They are definitely planning on continuing the run on Thursday.

Updated On: 10/4/10 at 12:17 PM

The Donmar Warehouse has just revealed that it is carrying out investigations into an onstage accident involving a prop gun that left an actor hospitalised with an eye injury.
David Birrell, who plays the role of Colonel Ricci in the Donmar’s production of 'Passion', sustained the injury during the Saturday matinee performance and was taken to hospital.
He was injured when a replica stage gun misfired and debris was shot into his eye. Following the accident, the Donmar cancelled all performances of the show until Thursday.
A spokesperson has now confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
The spokesperson explained: “Following initial inquiries into the accident at the theatre on Saturday, it appears that during the duel scene in 'Passion', David Birrell’s licensed replica stage gun mis-fired causing some debris to enter his eye.
“We are, as a matter of priority, carrying out further investigations into the incident. David is recovering well in hospital and is in good spirits. In addition to investigating the matter, our priorities at this time are to David’s well being and recovery, and to theatregoers who have purchased tickets for performances in the coming days. We are cancelling the show Monday to Wednesday and will resume performances from Thursday. We will of course refund patrons who are unable to see the production.”

The incident follows a similar accident at the Royal Shakespeare Company in April, when Darrell D’Silva sustained a “serious injury to his hand from the mechanism of a prop firearm” during technical rehearsals for Antony and Cleopatra in Stratford Upon Avon.

Was it back on tonight? I really hope everything gets back on track soon if it wasn't!

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