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# Comic ensures show must go on after Lichfield Garrick fire alarm
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/comic-ensures-show-must-go-on-after-lichfield-garrick-fire-alarm/
- Published: 2015-05-16T09:06:35.000Z
- Updated: 2015-05-16T17:54:22.000Z
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: What's On, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 20:42, News

Theatre-goers were treated to an impromptu comedy performance after a fire alarm forced the Lichfield Garrick to be evacuated.

[![Ben Van der Velde's impromptu comedy gig outside the Lichfield Garrick. Pic: Ben Van der Velde](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cfetwjiwmaaniy6.jpg)](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2015/05/16/comic-ensures-show-must-go-on-after-lichfield-garrick-fire-alarm/cfetwjiwmaaniy6/)

Ben Van der Velde’s impromptu comedy gig outside the Lichfield Garrick. Pic: Ben Van der Velde

Pam Ayres was in the main auditorium last night (May 15) when the alarm – which turned out to be a false one – went off.

But comic [Ben Van der Velde](http://benvandervelde.com/?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk), who was appearing as part of the Comedy 42 night in the studio theatre, decided the show must go on.

The funnyman entertained the crowds who had been forced outside with an off the cuff routine.

He later [took to Twitter](https://twitter.com/BenVanDerVelde/status/599310548472332288?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk) to apologise for stealing Pam’s thunder.

“Hope we didn’t steal too many of your audience at our impromptu gig,” he said in a message on Twitter.

Pam saw the funnyside, describing Ben’s actions as “brilliant”.

Both shows later continued inside the theatre.