A man is due in court next month after injuring four people with pepper spray during a packed performance at the Tivoli Theatre. The man (29) started spraying the chemical at a Saturday night show where children were performing on stage. His court case will take place on May 22.
Around 150 people were evacuated immediately and the four people were treated for their injuries, but were not hospitalised. The man was arrested, along with a woman in her late 20’s, and taken to Kevin Street garda station, but both were later released.
A spokesman for the Tivoli, who dealt with the situation, said it took around a minute and a half to evacuate the theatre after incident occurred.
“They were acting in a peculiar fashion. It first came to my attention when two people came down to tell me that one of their wives was sprayed with the pepper spray,” he said.
“You could feel it when you walked into the theatre, or when you breathed it in. It was a burning sensation.”
Despite the incident, the spokesman said the show continued not long after the two were taken away and the evacuation was a success. He added that he was content with the safety levels in the theatre and the incident would not lead to any increased safety precautions in the theatre.
“The show went on and it was brilliant. At the end there was a standing ovation.
“The phone has been ringing since this morning with people wanting to say thank you about how the situation was dealt with.”