| Citation |
VGW(HU.769.046
11 May 1769:21, 22 (938)
Extract of a letter from Gloucester, March 13. On Tuesday
night an alarm was given at our theatre erected in the Booth
Hall, which had like to have been attended with bad
consequences. The house was so exceedingly crowded that
there was scarce room for the players to come upon the
stage. Some persons in the pit, hearing a board crack,
called out, the gallery come down! It is impossible to
conceive the panick this struck into all that were under the
gallery, who pressing forwards upon those who sat in the
fore seats so terrified the whole house that some in their
fright called out, fire! fire! This threw the gallery into
confusion, and many who were in the front jumped down into
the pit; others pressing to get down the stairs broke the
rail, and fell one upon another into the hall. The house
continued in this confusion for more than ten minutes,
before they could be persuaded that the danger consisted
only in their own imaginations. Several ladies fainted
away; but luckily no one received any hurt, except a few
broken shins against the seats. Some of the fair sex lost
their hats, caps, capuchins, and shoes, &c. and among other
things that were cried for next day was a lady's stocking
and garter found in the pit.
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