Artisan Plastercraft Bromley: Warning 10 years after theatre collapses

Michael Arney, director at Artisan Plastercraft, believes that many other historic buildings likely need “urgent inspection” to prevent “fatal accidents” from occurring.

On December 19, 2013, 76 people were injured, seven seriously, after part of a ceiling collapsed during a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

In wake of the devastating incident, managers of all historic buildings were asked to check the safety of their ceilings.

However, a Freedom of Information request found that only 11 advisory notices were issued to building managers by councils in London since.

Michael said: “We predict there are hundreds of buildings across London which need to be inspected - not to mention other areas of the country.

Michael Arney, Director of Artisan Plastercraft (Image: J&PR)

“There will be theatres, hotels, pubs, museums and many more historic buildings which need urgent inspection and if they fail to do so it could lead to a similar or even fatal accident happening at any time.

“It is not about imparting blame because there is no responsibility to check the law is being abided by so we are not saying the HSE or local authorities should be doing more - we are just surprised and shocked that people don’t know about the need for this and it is not top of their agenda.”

Michael is eager to alert building facilities managers about the requirement to check suspended fibrous plaster ceilings in public buildings with regular inspections and surveys.

If something were to happen, he explained that a building manager could be prosecuted as a result under the Health and Safety of the Workplace Act 1974.

He added: “The collapse at the Apollo was a stark reminder - but we are concerned that lessons have not been learned and very little action has been taken over the last 10 years.

“We want to raise awareness of this issue before someone is hurt or even killed.”

The FOI request showed Hammersmith and Fulham Council issued six advisory notices and Kensington and Chelsea issued five.

However, no south London councils have issued advisory notices.

During the incident on December 19, 2013, a total of 58 people were taken to hospital after the ornate plasterwork ceiling collapsed and brought down part of the lighting rig at the Shaftesbury Avenue theatre - 45 minutes into the sold-out performance.

Investigations showed the ceiling collapsed due to the deterioration of cloth and ties made of hessian and plaster of Paris holding up timber frames to support the suspended ceiling at the Grade II listed building. They had been in place since the theatre opened in 1901.

Music venue EartH on Kingsland Road, Hackney is an art deco former cinema dating back to the 1930s which remained unoccupied and unmaintained for a number of years.
Bosses asked Artisan Plastercraft to do ongoing surveys to check on the health of the ceiling, as it is used by the public, and the latest conditional survey was carried out in 2023.

Surveyor Peter Adams said this venue was a shining example of taking this responsibility seriously and making the changes needed.

He said: “We carried out a conditional survey, including visual and pressure test from above and visual test from below.
“It is very important to monitor this ceiling due to the age of the building and in particular at EartH as it was left unused for a large number of years.

“The use of the building as a live music venue means public safety is a serious concern too, so it is important to establish a regular rolling maintenance programme.”

At the Apollo Theatre the ceiling was suspended fibrous plaster, which is a construction method that needs regular inspection - but Artisan Plastercraft want to go further and warn those with historic lime plaster ceilings to get inspections too as, according to Michael, “lime too can crack, sag and collapse due to age and moisture.”