An understudy raced from another theatre to save a performance of Mamma Mia!
The lead actress, Caroline Deverill, was just one scene in to the musical show on Thursday night when a calf injury forced her off the stage at the Novello Theatre in London.
Without a replacement in hand, theatre managers realised that Steph Parry, who had played the role of Donna Sheridan before, was only four minutes away at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Steph Parry (pictured) saved a performance of Mama Mia! on Thursday night when the lead actress injured herself and couldn’t perform
She was working as an understudy in the Royal’s production of 42nd Street and was able to take the stage 18 minutes after Miss Deverill had been forced to retire.
Miss Parry, 35, had performed as Donna on the West End stage in 2014 and on a cruise ship tour.
Stage manager Philip Effemey, who made the emergency call, said it was a ‘one in a billion chance’.
Miss Parry told The Stage: ‘It was my first day back at 42nd Street after a holiday, and was back to being a standby waiting in the dressing room tucking into some carrots and hummus.
Mama Mia! lead actress, Caroline Deverill (pictured), was just one scene into the musical when she was forced off the stage with a calf injury
‘My company manager then gave me a call, so I thought I was going to have to go on at the Theatre Royal. But he tells me he’s got David Lamb – Mamma Mia!’s company manager – on the phone seeing if I am in the building because they had an emergency.
‘I simply got told ‘They need you there, can you run over to Mamma Mia!, and go now’. It was a packed house and they were marvellous.’
Mr Effemey told The Stage: ‘It was a completely unique experience for the audience. When something like that happens and it works the audience love it.
‘It was a one in a billion chance that we had somebody who could play the role literally in the theatre next to ours, otherwise we would have had to abandon the show and refund everybody’s money.’
Miss Parry was working as an understudy in the Theatre Royal’s production of 42nd Street and was able to take the stage 18 minutes at Novello Theatre (pictured) after Miss Deverill was injured
Miss Parry received a euphoric welcome from the audience when she arrived. ‘I was being pulled around stage and guided along by others,’ she said.
‘I honestly wish I could have taped the reaction and had it on demand for whenever I’m feeling down. It’s a really good moment to celebrate the camaraderie of the West End.’
She went on stage in what she described as a mix of other performers’ costumes. It is unclear why the 1,100-seat Novello did not have an understudy to hand.