Thunder Balls are Go!

The Thunder Run has been through the wringer over its 256 years. You can find out all about the ups and downs (and side to sides) by grabbing a ticket to our new Thunder Run tour. The survival story if this unique piece of 18th-century sound kit is quite a colourful one.

The Thunder Run’s most recent lucky escape was at the hands of acting legend and theatre champion, Sir Ian McKellan who visited us during his 80^th birthday tour of UK theatres (helping us raise a massive amount for the Young Company in the process). After his roof-raising performance, he asked one of our tour guides if he could take a peek at the mythical thunder run – a Thunder Run is a rare thing, even Sir Ian hadn’t spotted one before.

Of course our intrepid tour guide shot up to the attic with him and after gazing in wonder at it for a bit, Sir Ian said “any chance I could have a go?” Before the guide had time to say “Grade 1 listed”, he went for it. The ball went speeding down the chute. Now, Sir Ian had no idea that at the other end of the chute was a big hole. Usually, there would be a stage technician there to catch the balls and hand them back up to the start of the thunder run. Not at 11pm on a Sunday night.

Did anyone leave the “Thunder Bucket” at the end of the run to catch it? Or would it go crashing through the 18^th century theatre roof..? And what would the theatre guide do?!

Fortunately, it got wedged on a stray nail and didn’t make its show-stopping entrance through the 18^th century theatre roof, Sir Ian had a great time, and we had a quick sit down to recover.