Stage manager left paralysed by fall at Soho Theatre
A stage manager has taken legal action after being left paralysed by a fall at the Soho Theatre.
Rachael Presdee was working on Headlong show Boys in 2012 when the incident occurred. She reportedly fell ten feet onto the stage after walking through an unmarked 'Juliet' door, so-called because of its traditional use in the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet.
According to the Evening Standard, "The court heard she was adjusting stage lights for an evening performance when she walked through the unlocked door… into thin air."
Presdee, 38, who had previously worked on shows including The History Boys at the National and Jerusalem at the Royal Court, was left paraplegic by the incident and has returned to live in her native Australia.
Lawyer Alistair Smith told Westminster Magistrates' court, "She walked into a theatre not expecting to find a blank empty space behind a door. There should have been systems in place to assess the risk of walking out from a door into thin air. At the most basic level, the placing of signage and or securing of the door."
Soho Theatre said: "The Board, company and staff of Soho Theatre deeply regret the accident in June 2012 when a member of a visiting production company suffered a serious injury backstage at the theatre. Our first concerns have been for her and her well-being.
"We are committed to ensuring the safety of all those working at and visiting the theatre, and undertook our own investigation as well as co-operating fully with the Council's investigation. As there are ongoing legal proceedings it is inappropriate for us to make any further comment at this stage."
The theatre's bosses pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches and now face a "substantial fine", with a further civil case due to be heard later this year. Presdee, who is now wheelchair-bound, was not in attendance at the hearing and is reportedly now studying law.
NB This story has been amended – it originally stated that Rachael Presdee was a stagehand
