Irwin Mitchell investigates Apollo Theatre roof collapse

Irwin Mitchell has been instructed by some of the victims of the London Apollo Theatre roof collapse.

Some 80 theatregoers were injured and 50 were taken to hospital for treatment on 19 December, when the ceiling of the Grade II-listed venue on Shaftesbury Avenue came down during a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Irwin Mitchell has said that it is calling for vital questions about the accident to be answered quickly so that safety lessons can be learned.

David Urpeth, a partner and the national head of the specialist team at Irwin Mitchell which is representing the victims, said that checks had been carried out on all of the safety certificates of London's West End theatres, but said that the firm's clients were frustrated that they were still awaiting the release of a report by Westminster City Council into the incident.

"We have now heard first-hand accounts of the terrible ordeal that victims involved in the Apollo Theatre roof collapse went through, with many still coming to terms with both the distress caused by the incident," he said.

“We are now making our own enquiries on behalf of our clients and are determined to help them gain both justice and access to vital answers regarding the incident which will help them in their recovery.”

“Millions of people attend theatre shows in the West End and across the UK every year. Many of them will be worried by the events seen in this incident and the set collapse during an acrobatic show at the Camden Roundhouse."

He said that confidence would only be restored by making sure that events such as these were never repeated.

"The only way to do that is to ensure comprehensive answers regarding what went wrong are published for the general public to see,” he said.  

Mark Dugdale