Show is abandoned with about 15 minutes to go due to cascade of water inside theatre

Cascading water inside the auditorium brought a dramatic conclusion to Paul Merton and Suki Webster's Improv Show at the Theatre Royal, Portsmouth.

The performance was abandoned for safety reasons with around 15 minutes go.

The audience points to a water leak at the Theatre Royal in Portsmouth which saw a Paul Merton improv show cut short by 15 minutes | Iconic

placeholder image — The audience points to a water leak at the Theatre Royal in Portsmouth which saw a Paul Merton improv show cut short by 15 minutes | Iconic

Heavy rain started hammering down on the theatre roof at about 9.40pm on Wednesday, sounding unusually loud. It was quickly clear that water was coming into the building as well.

The performers hesitated and were then called off stage while theatre staff assessed what was happening.

The Paul Merton and Suki Webster improv show at the Theatre Royal in Portsmouth which was cut short by 15 minutes after a cascading water leak | Iconic

The moment the company left the stage, dozens of members of the audience quickly abandoned their seats on the right hand side of the auditorium as the incoming water worsened, with water pouring down from the ceiling. Some people were talking about a burst pipe.

Where the water was coming in at the Theatre Royal | Where the water was coming in

After ten minutes or so the performers returned to the stage and announced that the show had to be abandoned. Suki Webster told the audience it was “better that they were safe than electrocuted.”

Paul Merton, speaking from the stage, confirmed that there had been about 15 minutes left of the show and that the box office would be in touch with ticket-holders.