Safety curtain comes down on Keira Knightley play - Children’s Hour performance disrupted as set crushed by pillar

Published: 25 February 2011
by JOSH LOEB

A PERFORMANCE of The Children’s Hour starring Keira Knightley was disrupted after part of the set was reportedly crushed by a pillar.

The incident happened on Monday night at the Comedy Theatre, where the play is running. 

Audience members said the safety curtain was pulled down by staff after a pillar, which was being lowered into place for a new scene, collided with a chair.

The previous Monday a performance of the play was cancelled to enable “emergency” repairs to take place.

The play by Lillian Hellman is about a teacher accused of having a lesbian affair and prices for some stall seat tickets have been as high as £80.