Pavilion Theatre cancels King and I over 'fire risk' Published duration 7 November 2015

image copyright Pavilion Theatre

A forthcoming show at a Glasgow theatre has been cancelled at short notice amid concerns about potential fire hazards.

The Apollo Players were due to perform The King And I at the Pavilion Theatre from Wednesday 11 until Saturday 14 November.

But the theatre said it has not received adequate paperwork certifying that the scenery had been fire-proofed.

A spokeswoman said it had no choice but to cancel. Tickets booked directly with the theatre will be refunded.

No-one from the Apollo Players was available for comment.

The Pavilion Theatre said it was only advised last week about the scenery the company intended to bring to the theatre in Renfield Street.

A spokeswoman said: "Further to carrying out our own fire risk assessment, various questions and safety measures required answers and proper certification in terms of fireproofing were required to ensure that the items were safe to use within the theatre.

"Despite requesting this numerous times and extending deadlines, the proper acceptable paperwork was never produced. We therefore could not take the high risk of potential fire that this scenery caused.

"We are sorry for the short notice and hope that you appreciate that we really needed to ensure that the theatre was safe for everyone - customers, staff and Apollo members who were on stage."

The King and I is a popular Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, telling the story of a British governess brought to the court of the King of Siam to tutor his many children.

Anyone who paid for tickets by credit or debit card should contact the box office to arrange a refund. Those who paid cash should return tickets to the box office to receive a cash refund.