Theatre News

9 to 5 cancels first tour performance after slippery stage issues

The stage has since been re-floored following overnight work by the technical team and further performances have gone ahead without a hitch

Dolly Parton at the West End opening night of 9 to 5 earlier this year
Dolly Parton at the West End opening night of 9 to 5 – The Musical earlier this year
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

The first tour performance of 9 to 5 the Musical had to be cancelled at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham following issues with a slippery stage on 6 September.

According to reports on social media and the show's official Twitter account, the show had to be stopped due to technical difficulties and "issues with the slippiness of the dancefloor", with technicians at the venue having to work "through the night to re-floor the stage".

The show's Twitter feed later stated: "Everyone in the audience will be contacted within 5 working days by customer services – to offer you a full refund or an exchange. You don't need to do anything."

The next day the feed posted a GIF saying "Let's Rewind and Try Again" and commended the efforts of the technical team. All performances ran smoothly on 7 September.

There were further mentions of a small section of the audience who reacted vocally to the show halt and shouted at the stage. The Birmingham Mail reports that the slippery floor was due to a "grease spillage earlier in the day".

The tour of Dolly Parton's hit musical will run in 11 cities, while the West End production is currently booking until April 2020.