Air quality in NYC is so bad actor Jodie Comer said she couldn’t finish Broadway show
Actor Jodie Comer was forced to cut her performance in the one-woman Broadway play “Prima Facie” after only 10 minutes because of the poor air quality in New York City on June 7, multiple news outlets including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.
Sources in the audience told the outlets that Comer was struggling for breath and told the stage manager “I can’t breathe in this air,” Deadline reported.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Comer’s understudy would continue the 100-minute show in the “Killing Eve” star’s place.
“Today’s matinee of Prima Facie was halted approximately 10 minutes into the performance after Jodie Comer had difficulty breathing due to the poor air quality in New York City because of smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The performance was set to start again from the top with understudy Dani Arlington going on for Ms. Comer in the role of Tessa,” a spokesperson told the outlet.
Critics have been giving glowing reviews of Comer’s performance as Tess Ensler, a young barrister in London and superstar in the legal world whose life is completely rocked after she’s a victim of a violent date rape.
New York and more East Coast cities are under air adversities due to the hundreds of wildfires tearing through Canada, causing massive amounts of heavy smoke to fog the skies, McClatchy News reported.
Air quality advisories are in effect for the NYC metro area and cities like Long Island, ranging from moderate to unhealthy.
This story was originally published June 7, 2023 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Air quality in NYC is so bad actor Jodie Comer said she couldn’t finish Broadway show."