AA recovery man Kristian Hatton from Nottingham was called in when touring company Illyria broke down on their way to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Milton Keynes.
A faulty head gasket caused the company’s van to break down at Tibshelf services on the M1 in Derbyshire—more than 90 miles from their destination.
Hatton received plaudits from the sell-out crowd when he arrived with the cast. He said, “they had been worrying that they might have to cancel, so they were over the moon when we got there around eight o’clock to a cheering audience. Talk about making a dramatic entrance!
“I’ve been a recovery patrol with the AA for more than 15 years and it’s not every day you get a reaction like that. Everyone was applauding. It really made me laugh.”
Illyria’s artistic director Oliver Gray said, “being a touring theatre company, we do nightly shows and have a rigid schedule to stick to. Our vans are the backbone of that, so when something goes wrong we have to leap into action—that’s why our situation was so desperate.
“I can certainly say that the AA saved the day, not just for us but for an audience of 400 people in Milton Keynes. When we arrived on the back of the recovery vehicle, the audience parted like the red sea. Everybody was so incredibly patient and understanding.”