The lost Cambridge theatre where a mid-show catastrophe left four people dead

A theatre performance in Cambridge was once cut short by real-life chaos that ended in catastrophe

Cambridgeshire has seen ghastly tragedies over the years, including a shocking event in Burwell that saw 78 people die in a village barn fire and the rail disaster at Abbots Ripton that cost 13 lives. One particular tragedy claimed the lives of four people right in the middle of a theatre performance.

In 1802, a fire alarm was raised during a performance when the audience rushed to the door in panic and confusion. Naturally you’d assume that any injuries or deaths would have been caused by a fire, but that was not the case.

During the chaos amid people’s panic, four people were trampled on leading to their death. The horrific event happened at the Stirbitch Theatre, which no longer exists. It was revealed that fire alarm was in fact fake.

Four years after the horrific event that cost four theatre enthusiasts their lives, the building was pulled down as it was rumoured to be unsafe, according to historian Enid Porter. A new theatre was built next to Newmarket but was only in use for seven years before it was replaced by another one in 1816.

The manager of the theatre reportedly put a notice in the newspaper expressing their regret for the false fire alarm. He offered a reward of 100 guineas to anyone who could identify the people who raised the false alarm and was keen to ‘punish’ them.

The name ‘Stirbitch’ is a variant of the similar name, ‘Sturbridge’ or ‘Steer Bridge’ referring to the bridge where cattle crossed the river on the way to Newmarket. Given that the theatre sat on Newmarket Road, nearby Stourbridge Common, the name was derived as a description of its location.