The Theatre Question Amnesty Thread

I wasn't aware of that documantery- I'll go look for it

Also I understand that for Gypsy the only other person playing Rose was Louise Gold. what would happen if both she and Imelda were off? (Or if Natasha and the second understudy Fanny Brice were both unwell)

Go on ask it anyway, or tell us the answer, to save someone else having ask it later.

I read an interview with Claire Greenway once who said that if all three actresses who knew the role of Deloris in Sister Act were 'indisposed' someone else from the cast would go on with the script in their hand. Would this happen really? I've heard of adults going on for children who get sick mid-performance but nothing like she described.

It would. For something like Sister Act, I guess whoever it was would have to stand to the side of the stage so as not to get in the way of the choreography.

Interestingly, it depends on the local council as the whether it has to happen or not.


Fire safety is a massive thing in theatre. Fly towers above the stage often have a large vent that can be opened, so should a fire occur, the fire is drawn up and destroys the set and stage but makes sure the flames can't reach the audience. The safety curtain (not an actual curtain of course, but made of metal) might also have features like its own mini sprinkler system just to keep it cool so that the heat from the fire can't transfer through to the auditorium. 

That's crazy. I guess it depends on how big the role is, but still jarring either way.

At the last performance of Pioneer by Curious Directive at Shoreditch Town Hall, the lead actor had been injured after the matinee that day and couldn't go on in the evening, so someone (an actor, not just any random audience member!) who'd been at the matinee learned the staging and stood in, reading the part from the script where needed.

My favourite 'script in hand' performance was Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Sherman in Cardiff a few years ago. Hook took ill with a bad back, one performance (schools morning show) was cancelled and a frantic ring-round of possible available actors in the area found a replacement. After putting him into costume it became clear he couldn't have script, hook hand and sword...so his script ended up with a 'hook' stuck to the back of it, which he waved about for emphasis. (he was fabulous and ended up doing nearly a week while original Hook recovered!)

It's fairly common if there's no available understudy to put a script in hand actor on in emergencies. Vanessa Kirby was out of Streetcar in New York for I think half a performance after falling ill and someone came on script in hand (apologies I can't remember/find who)

The lass who is in HP took over from the lass in sex in the City in play Linda at Royal Court last min and spent a good week with script in hand. She also took on the prompt 'role' to save RC a little cash

I have a question after reading it in another thread. What is a libretto?