EXCLUSIVE Grease the Musical theatregoer reveals how chaos broke out for half an hour in the interval as group of four people who ‘seemed to enjoy being centre of attention’ bickered with police and theatre staff – before being kicked out
A theatregoer has revealed how chaos broke out during a performance of Grease the Musical and four rowdy and disruptive audience members were frogmarched out of the West End show by eight police officers for drunkenly heckling staff.
Max Hannon said his evening was ruined when the two couples argued with officers and theatre staff for 30 minutes during the interval – and only reluctantly agreed to leave as audience members chanted: ‘out, out, out’.
The hecklers were booed as they were shepherded out of London’s Dominion Theatre, which turned to cheers and applause for the police, with one officer responding to the chorus from the crowd with a regal wave.
Speaking to MailOnline, Max, 31, said: ‘My girlfriend first noticed a big commotion involving people sat to the right of us just before the end of the first half of the show.
‘This got steadily worse during the interval, it got louder and louder with raised voices and things were getting very animated as two security guards were talking to two couples, seemingly trying to placate them and calm them down.
Max Hannon (pictured) said his evening was ruined when the two couples argued with officers and theatre staff for 30 minutes during the interval- and only reluctantly agreed to leave as audience members chanted: ‘out, out, out’
The hecklers were booed as they were shepherded out of London’s Dominion Theatre, which turned to cheers and applause for the police, with one officer responding to the chorus from the crowd with a regal wave
‘Then two police officers turned up and began talking to the four, who all seemed to enjoy being the centre of attention.
‘The lads were just laughing and patting each other on the back, while the girls were almost goading the police officers. They looked to be either trying to film them with their mobile phones or were shining their phones’ torches in the officers’ faces.
‘Whatever they were doing, they looked really smug about it and were refusing to budge.
READ MORE: Moment four audience members are thrown out of West End’s ‘Grease the Musical’ by EIGHT police officers ‘for being loud and abusive’
‘An announcement was made on loudspeaker, which said ‘We are very sorry for the wait, there is a disturbance in the theatre, and the musical will resume after the disturbance has been dealt with.’
‘By now almost everyone in the theatre was watching what was going on because they were causing such a delay in proceedings and people were getting really wound up.
‘Booing rang out when the troublemakers refused to leave which was followed by chants of ‘out, out, out’.
‘By now this battle of wills had been going on for about half an hour but more police started pouring into the theatre. There were at least eight of them, some in uniform and others in plain clothes.
‘You could tell that enough was enough and the police looked to be at breaking point and running out of patience. I think those causing the problems were about to forcibly removed and thrown out.
‘Fortunately, one of the girls saw sense and finally got up and kind of surrendered and walked out, which prompted her friend, and the two lads to do the same.
‘They were booed out the exit, but the audience then erupted into cheers for the police who followed them out and made sure they left the premises.
‘One of the police officers, who was one of the first on the scene, gave a sort of royal wave as he took in the appreciation of the crowd in removing these troublemakers.
‘I never expected something like this to happen in the normally dignified setting of a West End play, but it ended up giving us some halftime entertainment, which was almost as exciting as the musical itself.’
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called 70 minutes into the evening performance of the hit musical.
A force spokesperson said: ‘Shortly before 8.40pm on Saturday, August 26, police received reports of two men and two women causing a disturbance at a theatre in Tottenham Court Road, W1.
‘Officers attended and the group were escorted from the premises. No arrests. No injuries reported.’
Met Police officers were called 70 minutes into the evening performance of the hit musical, which starred Neighbours’ legend Jason Donovan as Teen Angel. Two police cars and a police van were pictured outside the theatre with their blue lights flashing
People can be heard clapping and repeatedly shouting ‘out’ in the video. Applause and cheering then erupts in the theatre as the two couples stand and start to walk out of the auditorium
One theatre-goer commented beneath the clip on Facebook that they ‘were apparently being rude or abusive and refusing to leave’
Eight police offices and Dominion Theatre staff line stairs on the balcony during a performance of Grease the Musical after being called to a ‘disturbance’
Two police cars and a police van were later pictured outside the theatre with their blue lights flashing as members of the cast were snapped exiting the stage door.
Allana Taylor, who starred as Sandy, was picked up in a Range Rover by boyfriend Gareth Gates, who is appearing in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical at the nearby Southbank Centre in September.
Jason Donovan was said to have left by the side exit.
Grease the Musical returned to the West End in June for a limited run with the last performance on October 28.
Peter Andre has also been cast to star as Vince Fontaine and Teen Angel, although he was not involved with Saturda night’s show.
The MailOnline has contacted Dominion Theatre for comment.
In March, West End show Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical erupted into chaos after a foul-mouthed audience member brought the performance to a halt.
Ticketholders at the Peacock Theatre were stunned to see the lights turn on midway through the performance as security rounded on the abusive man.
He was heard to shouting at other audience members calling them ‘f***ing c***s’ before yelling ‘this place is full of f****** Nazis’.
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