‘He’s dying’: Distressed comedy fans say show continued after man’s collapse

In the dark dress circle of Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s opening night show, audience members tried to save a dying man by torchlight.

Distressed comedy fans say it took too long for the show to stop – but festival organisers insist staff responded as quickly as possible.

Ambulances outside the Palais Theatre in St Kilda on Wednesday night.Credit: Cassidy Knowlton

The show at St Kilda’s Palais Theatre was just beginning on Wednesday night when a man collapsed in the dress circle, causing a commotion near the back of the theatre.

Fellow theatre-goers immediately started CPR in the dark, witnesses said. Paramedics arrived a few minutes later and used a defibrillator to try to resuscitate him.

The show continued for at least 15 minutes while paramedics worked on the man, before an audience member yelled “stop the show” and the lights came on, witnesses said.

Audience members were asked to leave, and the show was then cancelled. The man died at the theatre.

Patrons, including former premier Steve Bracks, leaving the venue after the opening night’s sudden cancellation.Credit: Cassidy Knowlton

Witnesses said audience members in the dress circle were distressed watching the incident unfold, while people downstairs were unaware and continued laughing at the performance.

“Paramedics had to commence their care in the dark using torchlight because the show was still going. It was the most disgraceful, disgusting thing I have ever witnessed,” health worker Andrea Bortoli told The Age.

“I don’t think I was the only person wondering if we were in some sort of dystopian, parallel universe where we prioritise ‘the show must go on’ over human life.

“I can’t imagine the horror of the family [and] friends of the person having to listen to a theatre full of laughter while watching their loved one being resuscitated.”

The audience member yelled for the show to be stopped during English comedian Amy Gledhill’s set, another person said. Gledhill continued for a moment before realising the incident was serious and stopped.

“Someone could very clearly be heard shouting ‘he’s dying’, at which time the host and warm-up act came out to support Amy off stage,” witness Holly, who did not want her last name used, told this masthead.

“We sat for maybe 10 to 15 minutes before festival director Susan Provan came out and confirmed that the show was cancelled for the night, and that ticket holders would hear tomorrow about a potential reschedule.”

The show’s host, comedian Michael Hing, was clearly unaware of the incident. He came out in the middle of Gledhill’s set, told some jokes, and said the set would resume soon.

Paramedics were called to the theatre about 8pm Wednesday.Credit: Cassidy Knowlton

Another audience member, Sam, who did not want this last name used, said they were about 10 rows behind the commotion.

“[I] could see the compressions, hear the defib, see family [and] friends crying and yelling his name,” said Sam. “Yet the show continued, with everyone downstairs who couldn’t see laughing and the poor performers having no idea. Should’ve been stopped at least when CPR started.”

On Thursday morning, Provan said the incident was distressing for everyone involved, but staff moved as quickly as they could to respond to it.

“It’s a very, very large theatre, and I know that ambulances et cetera were called as soon as it became clear that there was an emergency going on up in the balcony,” Provan told ABC Radio Melbourne’s Rafael Epstein.

The crowd was asked to clear the theatre before the show was cancelled.Credit: Cassidy Knowlton

“We did stop the show as soon as we knew what the situation was, and then very shortly thereafter, we cancelled the show.

“Quite often there are medical emergencies in shows, and it’s usual to stop the show. Quite often, it’s resolvable – a person can be taken out of the theatre and after a break or something, the show goes on, but that was very sadly not what was happening last night.”

Front-of-house staff were aware the defibrillator was being used, Provan said.

“I am quite sure that it would have felt like an eternity for people that were around,” she said. “But it did actually happen as fast as it possibly could for the messaging to get backstage to the performers to stop the show.

“Whenever anything happens like this, there will always be reviews for all of us about how maybe things might have been able to be done differently or better.

“But certainly last night everybody moved as quickly as they could and responded, I think, correctly as soon as they knew exactly the seriousness of what was going on.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics responded to an emergency call about 8pm on Wednesday.

Victoria Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

“Emergency services were called to a theatre on Lower Esplanade about 9pm. A man, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene,” a police spokeswoman said. “The death is not being treated as suspicious.”

A spokesperson for Live Nation, which runs the Palais Theatre and manages front-of-house and emergency planning, said the company was “deeply saddened” by the patron’s death.

“Our thoughts are with their family during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.

“We are grateful to our staff and the patrons who acted quickly to provide first aid, and the first responders on site for their swift and professional assistance.”

The Age is a partner of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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