Emily Atack live show in Birmingham ends in knife scare
- Published
Emily Atack was locked in a theatre with fans after her first solo comedy show - amid reports of machete-wielding men outside the venue.
The Inbetweeners star had just performed at Birmingham's Old Rep when staff told the audience they were not allowed to leave the building.
One audience member said they spent an hour inside before police gave them the all-clear.
I'm a Celebrity runner-up Atack later apologised "for that scare at the end".
The Birmingham show was the first leg of the actress's one-woman Talk Thirty To Me tour.
Audience member Jonathan Alderslade described the lock-in as "a scary experience".
Mr Alderslade told the BBC the doors had been locked and the front-of-house lights switched off to make the theatre seem empty.
He said those inside were told by theatre staff not to post anything on social media.
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"What was worrying was not knowing what was going on," he said.
Theatre staff were "very apologetic", Mr Alderslade said, adding that when the doors were unlocked there was "a well-deserved round of applause from the audience".
West Midlands Police said they were called at 21:55 BST on Thursday but found no evidence of suspicious activity in the area.
The BBC has approached the Old Rep Theatre for comment.
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