Apollo Theatre Could Be Confronted With Legal Action Following Ceiling Collapse

The Telegraph reports that the owners of the Apollo Theatre in London could be confronted with more than £1 million in damage claims from injured audience members following last Thursday's ceiling collapse during the December 19 performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time. Seven audience members were seriously injured as a result, with 70 others hurt in the incident.

"People have been seriously injured and compensation is absolutely crucial for them putting their life back together," Peter Todd of the law firm Hodge Jones and Allen told the Telegraph. According to Todd, if just three or four of the seriously injured parties filed claims, the damages could add up to more than £1 million.

Todd added that the owners would only be liable if they were "found not to have taken reasonable steps to ensure the building's safety."

Nica Burns, co-owner and chief executive of Nimax Theatres, said in an interview last year that it had a budget of a mere £2.45 million to restore its five West End playhouses. Speaking to Theatres Magazine, Ms Burns commented, "Before we could start on the improvements, we had to address the damp. Water attacks the building from above and below."

The 112-year-old building has been shut down until January 4 to give investigators time to work out exactly how the accident happened as well as remove any remaining wooden beams and chunks of plaster which covered the fully packed house.

Burns has directed all questions about legal compensation to Nixax's insurance company, Zurich.