A disabled West Lothian pensioner was allegedly booted out of a popular musical at one of the capital’s most renowned theatres for ‘clapping and singing’ along with the production.
Hazel Robertson told how she suffered a ‘full blown panic attack’ after dad Jim Clelland was “frogmarched” from the stalls without his wheelchair during the Bat Out of Hell show at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
The 75-year-old claimed two towering security guards stood in front of him before asking him and another group to leave after they were ordered to “calm down” by ushers.
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Bosses at the venue said audience members would only be asked to leave if they acted in a “rude or aggressive manner towards staff”.
However Hazel, 50, explained the overwhelming experience made her “collapse” in the lobby following an anxiety attack.
The Jim Steinman-written musical, which is based on the songs of music legend Meat Loaf, began its run in the capital days after the star's passing this year.
Hazel, from Bathgate, told the Daily Record : "Before the show started, there was a great atmosphere and everyone was ready. The music started and people got excited.
“All the songs started coming on that people knew. I was sitting beside my dad, we were clapping our hands along to the songs - like you do when you’re watching a musical.
“But an usher came along beside me and put his hands out and gestured to calm down. “Then the next minute, they were doing it to other people on the opposite seats from us.
“When Bat Out Of Hell came on, you could tell the whole place wanted to erupt but that wasn’t allowed. The ushers came back up again telling people to sit down and stop dancing in their seats.
“A wee while later, I was just singing along when they came down and told me to ‘please calm down’. They then did it again to another group of people. This went on constantly across the whole audience."
Hazel left her seat to go to the bathroom, but on her return became aware of a commotion in the lobby.
"I went to the bathroom and when I was coming back, these four women were standing out in the foyer area and one of them was crying," she said.
“I could hear them saying ‘you’re chucking us out for singing and dancing in our seats? We weren’t even standing up.’ They were also told it was disruptive behaviour.
“I pointed out that it was a musical and people always sing and clap along. The next minute, I could hear my dad’s voice.”
Hazel added: “They stood in front of my dad and when he told them he was trying to watch the show, they asked him to leave.
"They then frogmarched him out of the theatre without his wheelchair. A security guard then came up to me and said my dad was feeling unwell."
The pair were forced to leave the theatre, but Hazel was left in such distress that her daughter, a nurse, had to be contacted to help calm her down.
She also heavily criticised the theatre for failing to have a first aid team on site, adding: "I’ve always been embarrassed by my condition, but I was in the middle of a public place and I collapsed.
“My dad was trying to calm me down but they had to get my husband to come get me. There was no first aider on site before, there was no ambulance called.
“I didn’t have any of my medication with me because I never ever thought I would need diazepam while I was there.
“I haven’t had a panic attack like that in five years. I still suffer but I’m normally able to get them under control quite quickly.
“The security guy did stay with me while my daughter, who is a nurse, was on the phone, talking to me and trying to get my breathing back to normal.”
She branded staff "overzealous" and "completely out of order," claiming they ruined "what was meant to be a special day out".
"I’m absolutely devastated at what has happened," she said.
"It’s an absolutely disgraceful way to treat people. It wasn’t like we were all jumping up and down. You were literally singing while sat on your seat.
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“It wasn’t even loud because you knew someone was going to give you a row, so you were singing to yourself. I just don’t get the logic behind their decision. They just kept saying ‘disruptive behaviour’.
“Any aggressive behaviour was on their part, not the audience members who they kicked out. They were overzealous and completely out of order.
“My dad was so excited to see the show because he doesn’t get the opportunity to get out often. I have fibromyalgia so I can only take him out when I’m well enough.
“This was supposed to be a special day out for him but it was completely ruined. “
A spokesperson for the Playhouse said: "In general where audience members disturb others they are asked to moderate their behaviour.
"They are only asked to leave if they refuse to do so or are rude or aggressive towards our staff.
"The Edinburgh Playhouse and Ambassador Theatre Group has a zero tolerance policy regarding aggression to our staff."
