Both the prompt and the leading man had a lucky escape on Monday night when a dumpster fell from the stage on the opening night of Harpenden Operatic Society’s current production.

The performance of The Wedding Singer at Harpenden Public Halls was halted for around six minutes after the dumpster, in which leading man Adam Thompson taking the role of Robbie Hart was ‘hiding’, rolled off the stage into the area around the orchestra pit where prompt Liz Firmin was sitting.

Adam escaped unscathed in the padded dumpster but Liz, who has been a member of Harpenden Operatic Society for many years, was hit on the left hand side of her head.

Fortunately she did not lose consciousness and there was a qualified nurse backstage who cared for her. An ambulance was called and Liz was checked over before she was taken to her daughter’s house.

Operatic Society chair Chris Cardy said that Liz was fine on Tuesday morning but had been told not to come in and prompt that night although she was due back for the rest of the run.

Everything had been dealt with very calmly, Chris added, and that had helped keep Liz calm as well.

The dumpster has now been set further back on the stage with a couple of backstage crew dressed in appropriate costume on hand to ensure nothing similar happens again.

Chris praised Adam and Anna Macdonald who plays his love interest Julia for the way in which they got the show back on song. She said: “Anna struck a pose and said to Adam ‘So, you are out of the dumpster now’.”