Stage flight: theatregoers aflutter after bat swoops into London show

Winged intruder put in a fantastic performance' after arriving in Sadler's Wells auditorium amid a staging of The Rite of Spring

Audience members at Sadler's Wells theatre in London were taken aback when a bat unexpectedly flew in and out of a production of The Rite of Spring on Wednesday night.

A company of 24 dancers were mid-performance when the bat appeared, flapping its way around the stage and into the auditorium before returning to its roost after the show had finished. Alistair Spalding, artistic director and chief executive of Sadler's Wells, said: We had an extra cast member join us at The Rite of Spring for one night only. It didn't quite learn the choreography but it put in a fantastic performance."