British actor blinded during West End play wins damages

A British actor who was left partially blind after he was accidentally shot in the face during a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s play Passion has won damages. David Birrell sued bosses at the Donmar Warehouse in London’s West End after he suffered serious damage to his right eye when a prop gun misfired onstage in 2010.
He has now agreed to accept an undisclosed settlement after the theatre company admitted liability.
In a statement, Birrell thanked officials at acting union Equity for helping him take the case to court, saying, “Without the support, assistance and encouragement of Equity and its solicitors, I could never have hoped to fight this difficult, lengthy and complex case in the way we did, had I not been a member.”
A representative for the Donmar Warehouse tells theatre publication The Stage, “The Donmar has nothing further to add other than to restate that the company’s priority throughout has been and continues to be David Birrell’s welfare.”
Birrell has now returned to acting, but still requires treatment on his damaged eye.