Hundreds of classical music fans managed to “keep calm and carry on” after they were evacuated midway through a performance at the Royal Opera House.
Audience members who had paid up to £150 to see comic opera L’elisir d’amore were left standing on the street after a fire alarm rang through the Covent Garden venue just before 8.30pm.
Pictures posted on social media showed well-dressed crowds gathered outside and mingling with performers – one of whom, tenor Liparit Avetisyan, had been interrupted mid-song.
The opera, written by 19th century Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, resumed half an hour later and the venue tweeted that the interruption had been a “false alarm”.
Marcus Green, 50, a vicar from Oxfordshire, said the evacuation had been “very orderly and efficient” after an announcement to leave came over the tannoy an hour into last night’s opera.
He said: “It was very British - right, let’s get on with this then, very keep calm and carry on. Everyone just got up and helped each other.
“A few people left at the interval. Most stayed - it was a terrific performance, and the re-start was greeted with an enormous cheer.”
Mr Green, who has attended the opera house since his student days, said he had “never seen anything like tonight”.
He added: “I had to miss the final half hour to catch the 11.10pm to Oxford. I did enjoy it, though I am a bit gutted to have missed the end.”
Nikki Spencer, a journalist and lecturer at the nearby City Literary Institute, had been walking through Covent Garden when she came across the crowds outside the venue.
Amid the “good-natured” confusion, two operagoers stood out: an elderly couple sat on a bench, surrounded by a colourful flower trellis.
Ms Spencer said: “I was wondering what had happened and noticed the couple on the bench and they told me they had been evacuated mid performance.
“They looked so lovely surrounded by the flowers I asked if I could take their photo and they said yes. I’m not sure they ever thought it would end up in the paper but they seemed to be taking everything in their stride.”
The Royal Opera House tweeted: “The interruption to tonight’s performance was a false alarm. The show has now recommenced. Thanks to audience members for their patience.”
