RICHMOND Theatre provided some hot entertainment on Monday night, in more ways than one, when a fire scare led to the evacuation of actors, staff and 567 audience members. At 9.20pm the curtain fell prematurely on the current production of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House', due to a scorching smell which grew stronger in the backstage area. The cause was found to be a halogen stage light, switched on and placed upside down on bare wooden floor boards.

The fly floor' area - on the theatre's second floor level, above the stage - was severely charred and a great deal of smoke was generated. Firefighters cooled the area down with water and advised that no one should re-enter until all fire hazards had been checked and eliminated.

A duty fire officer works at the theatre during all performances to carry out safety checks and deal with any emergencies that may arise, such as this. The theatre had already been emptied when fire engines arrived from Richmond and Kingston fire stations - despite the emergency call being responded to within three minutes.

Karin Gartzke, the chief executive of Richmond Theatre, said: "The safety of the public was of paramount importance which was why the theatre staff evacuated the theatre as quickly and as calmly as possible after smelling smoke. Sadly, it meant the performance had to be cancelled." Helen Taylor, entertainments editor for the Richmond and Twickenham Times, had been enjoying Monday night's show and was disappointed by the abrupt end. "But I was very impressed by the lack of panic."

she commented. "It was announced clearly and firmly that we must all leave, but with no histrionics. The staff were obviously well trained.

"I felt dreadfully sorry for the actors, being stopped half way through when they are all geared up for the performance. I was also worried for future of the theatre, as we didn't know at the time whether it was something serious."

Thankfully the show will go on and A Doll's House was back in action on Tuesday night. The theatre's chief executive added: "I would like to thank the audience for their patience and co-operation in evacuating the building. Anyone who attended Monday night's performance will be offered tickets to an alternative performance of A Doll's House if they contact the box office on 020 8940 0088."

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