What do you call a bunch of actors stuck in a lift?
It sounds like a joke – or a scene from a sitcom – but this was real life in Huddersfield.
Seven actors, a director and his assistant were trapped for an hour and a half in the lift at the historic Byram Arcade in Westgate.
The pals – all members of the Off the Cuff Theatre Company based at the University of Huddersfield – were heading for a lunch break after rehearsals this afternoon when the lift broke down.
The hapless cast – rehearsing, appropriately enough, for a performance of Unnecessary Farce – use the top floor of the arcade.
But their exit stage right was thwarted when the lift came to a shuddering halt.
Director Jake Pratt said the crew remained in good spirits and could see the funny side.
“We phoned the emergency numbers and just had to wait for help,” said Jake. “We kept ourselves amused with jokes and riddles to pass the time, though after an hour the riddles were wearing a bit thin.
“Eventually they got us out after an hour and 35 minutes – and we went straight for lunch.”
The theatre group is rehearsing for a performance at the Dance House in Manchester on April 11 but the lift will be out of bounds in future.
“We’ll take the stairs next time,” said Jake.
