Paramedics called to Festival Theatre as opera Messa da Requiem cut short

Ambulances were called to the Festival Theatre as another Adelaide Festival drawcard was interrupted by an emergency.

Messa da Requiem. Picture: Supplied

Another Adelaide Festival show has been halted mid-performance just days after a similar disruption hit a different marquee show’s opening night.

Paramedics were called to the Festival Theatre about 9pm on Wednesday as the curtain was brought down at the opera production of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem an hour into the 90-minute performance.

An announcement was made that the show had been stopped due to “technical issues”.

The audience was later told it was a medical emergency and asked to remain in its seats for the performance to resume, while a number of people were seen heading from the auditorium to the wings of the stage.

Adelaide Festival issued a statement on Thursday and said the performer involved was in a stable condition.

“There was a medical emergency due to a leg injury sustained by a performer during the Messa da Requiem opening performance last night.

“The performance was stopped so an ambulance could safely access the person side of stage, it recommenced within 30 minutes and concluded with a standing ovation.”

Messa da Requiem is performed by dancers from Switzerland’s Ballet Zurich, with more than 80 Australian choir members also moving in choreographed sequences on stage, accompanied by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

The Australian premiere of the production received both applause when it resumed after 30 minutes and a standing ovation upon completion.

Messa da Requiem runs until Saturday, March 11.

Adelaide Festival. Jekyll and Hyde. L-R Ewen Leslie (Dr Jeykll) and Matthew Backer (Mr Utterson). Picture: Andrew Beveridge

It comes after the opening night of one of the Adelaide Festival’s major drawcard shows had to be stopped suddenly on Friday night when an audience member there suffered a medical emergency.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde actors were about 40 minutes into the first of 11 shows at Her Majesty’s Theatre when a loud announcement was made for the cast to “clear the stage”.

Another announcement told the audience to remain in its seats while a technical issue was resolved.

About 20 minutes later, after a second “technical issue” announcement, it was revealed that there was a medical emergency in the dress circle section of the audience.

Paramedics attended the scene to treat the audience member and the show resumed after a 30 minute delay.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde runs until Sunday, March 12.