Mother steals limelight with opening night baby drama

Theatre-goers were treated to an unexpected drama off-stage after a woman in the audience gave birth during the performance.

Sharon Campbell, who had gone to the theatre with her mother, ended up with a starring role of her own after going into labour 10 days early.

And the baby’s proud father, Christopher, said he felt like he had won an Oscar when the couple were given a standing ovation by fellow theatre-goers during the interval.

Mrs Campbell, from Bromborough, Wirral, had just taken her seat at Liverpool’s Empire theatre last night to enjoy a performance of Her Benny, a play about children growing up in the city, when she told her mother she was going to the toilet.

But the alarm was raised when she did not return to her seat shortly after the curtain rose for last night’s opening performance.

And by the time fellow theatre-goers went to the bar for a drink during the interval, Mrs Campbell - with the help of an ambulance crew - had given birth to a beautiful baby girl in the toilets.

When mother and baby - along with Mr Campbell who had been called to the venue - emerged to be taken to hospital, fellow theatre-goers treated them all to ‘‘a tremendous round of applause’’.

They were then taken to Liverpool Women’s Hospital where mother and baby - named Natasha - were said to be doing well today.