Known for appearing on QI and Taskmaster, Mark Watson was due to perform his The Search tour at the Tobacco Factory in his home city of Bristol on Sunday, but found the theatre still locked 15 minutes before he was meant to start.
He told waiting audience members: “There’s no other way to say it, I can’t get in.”
That’s insane. How does a venue forget to open the doors to the audience/performer?
No one there at all? What about the setting up and checking of lights etc.? Getting the bar ready? 15 mins before start should have already seen the audience on the way in.
Did you look at the article? The bar was open; it was just the auditorium that was locked.
That’s what I don’t get - wouldn’t at least some crew be in there?
The tobacco factory as a venue is a bar with a theatre attached (fairly small; seats about 100), so the theatre bit isn’t always open vs the bar which is generally always open. If there’s no-one who’s had the relevant training around where the fire exits are/lighting and sound (i.e. only bar staff) due to a mixup, then it’s a fairly reasonable story.
Fair enough - thanks for the explanation.
No worries – it’s a bit of an odd venue. I saw Jeremy Hardy there a long time ago.