Actress Sheena Bhattessa stepped in for star Romola Garai, acting as Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough in the West End performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Queen Anne, when Garai fell down and hurt herself. Audience described how Garai had tripped on her 'voluminous' costume and fell on the stage, probably hurting her chin. This happened few minutes into last Wednesday's evening performance during the opening scene, and she did not return on medical advice. Bhattessa took over from where Garai left, and audience applauded for the 'understudy' Bhattessa who finished the role with sincerity and great composure.
Bhattessa who has previously played the role of the Duchess of Marlborough, first time on Friday 1 September, stepped into Garai's shoes immediately, and was garlanded with praise for her 'brilliant' stand-in performance.
Bhattessa told the Evening Standard, “Everyone is on their tip-toes and on edge to make sure that the show continues when you’ve got hundreds of people in the audience.
“It was absolutely crazy adrenaline but you don’t have time to think because everything is go-go-go, your wigs and costumes are changed, they say ‘this is your first line, go on and get on with it’.
“Taking to the stage at the end of the play to take the applause was wonderful. It was a real sense of accomplishment and achievement.
“The whole cast and crew was helping me do it, it was a really supportive atmosphere, they were doing everything to help me do the best.”
Bhattessa started her career with Hindi films, before appearing in Eastenders, Doctors and Midsomer Murders and this production was her first time on a West End stage where as an Asian she played a British woman- a lovely crossover that has opened up scopes for diversity.
