Police investigate fight during Hamilton performance in Manchester | Manchester #Police #investigate #fight #Hamilton #performance #Manchester #Manchester

Police are investigating after a fight broke out between theatregoers during a performance of Hamilton in Manchester.

Officers were called to an altercation between two audience members on Friday night, just days after the hit musical opened at the Palace Theatre at the start of a nationwide tour.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester police said: “Officers were called to Oxford Street in the city centre at about 10:30pm on Friday 24 November 2023 to a report of an assault. An investigation is ongoing at this time with no arrests made.

“Thankfully, injuries sustained are not believed to be life-threatening.”

One report of the incident posted online said “staff were desperately trying to keep them apart” and commended the cast on stage for “not letting it distract them”.

In April, a performance of The Bodyguard at the same theatre was halted after several members of the audience refused to remain seated and refrain from loudly singing, leading to them being “forcibly removed”.

The musical was reportedly briefly paused during its first act to evict a handful of people, and then shortly before the finale of the show, “mini riots” and “fights” broke out among several people.

A front of house supervisor on the night said police were called because of the “unprecedented level of violence” staff received when asking the audience members to stop.

A report from the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre union earlier this year found nearly one-third of theatre staff said they had been involved in or witnessed an incident where a venue had to call the police, with 20% having feared for their safety at least once.

More than 70% believed the issue had worsened since the Covid pandemic.

Greater Manchester police urged anyone with information about the fight during Hamilton to get in touch: “Anyone with information that may help officers with their enquiries are asked to call 101 quoting incident 3783 of 24 November 2023.”