Actor breaks ankle in stage drama
SHOCKED AUDIENCE HEAR CRY FOR HELP AFTER LADDER ACCIDENT
WEST End star Ben Forster broke his ankle in front of hundreds of shocked families during a matinee performance of Elf the Musical.
Ben, who plays the leading role of Buddy the Elf, was rushed to hospital after the accident during the first half of Saturday afternoon’s show at the Lowry Theatre in Salford.
Members of the audience could hear him asking for help after a ladder prop on stage appeared to fall onto him during a scene where the cast of the musical decorate a huge Christmas tree.
The curtain came down and the show was halted - with theatregoers told it could not continue.
Robert Matthews, who was at the performance with his six-year-old son Oliver, said: “He was on the ladder spinning around and then all of a sudden he fell. Nobody really knew what was going on and I think a lot of people thought it was part of the show.
“Then we could hear him asking for help over the microphone. He sounded like he was in a lot of pain.
“There are obviously a lot of disappointed children here, but we just hope he is OK. He did a great job playing Buddy the Elf.”
Ben won’t be able to perform in the final week of shows, which has been winning huge acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
The 36-year-old actor shot to fame after winning ITV’s Superstar competition in 2012 and went on to play the lead as Jesus in the remake of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar at arenas across the UK.
He won rave reviews for his role as Buddy, starring in the show alongside Atomic Kitten favourite Liz McClarnon as his leading lady Jovie, since the show started at The Lowry in December.
Thousands also got to see Ben in the stage show on TV when it was broadcast live on Channel 5 over the festive period.
A spokesperson for The Lowry Theatre has confirmed Ben broke his ankle during the incident - and that an understudy would now play the role of Buddy for the rest of the run, which ends on Sunday.
All those who attended the 2pm matinee on Saturday have been offered a refund or tickets to an alternative performance of Elf after the cancellation.
Families in the audience on Saturday took to Twitter to send their best wishes to Ben after the incident.