AS SMOKE enveloped the stage at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond on Wednesday evening, the actors became almost invisible and the fire alarm cut short the climax of that great romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.

The audience, well aware that the smoke was a stage effect, gave the cast of Northern Broadsides a standing ovation before leaving the theatre.

Within minutes, the cast was huddled in doorways outside trying to shelter from the heavy rain as the fire brigade came and gave the all-clear.

This was the second night that the smoke, created to give a ghostly feel to the grave scene, led to the performance being abandoned. A spokesman for the theatre said they would have no smoke at any of the other performances this week.

The Shakespearean play will be enacted tonight and tomorrow and is well worth seeing (if any tickets are available) as the cast give a truly memorable performance, with the actors playing Romeo and Juliet being especially impressive.

As with the smoke however, there were signs that the cast were more used to presenting plays in bigger theatres compared to the cosy atmosphere at the Georgian.