Kerri-Anne Kennerley has broken her ankle and her collarbone after suffering a horrific fall from a trapeze during a performance of Pippin at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre.
The showbusiness veteran, 67, was rushed to see a doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital ‘as a precaution’ after being unable to finish her song on Wednesday night.
Shocking video footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia shows the horrifying moment the former Studio 10 star suddenly dropped to the floor mid-performance, as the audience gasp in horror.
Accident: Showbusiness veteran Kerri-Anne Kennerley (left, with co-star Ainsley Melham during a media call on November 26) was hospitalised on Wednesday night after falling from a trapeze during a performance of the stage musical Pippin at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre
An X-ray also show the full extent of Kerri-Anne’s injuries, which have left her in a ‘significant amount of pain’.
It’s understood the TV veteran is unlikely to return to for the remaining shows.
Kerri-Anne was playing the supporting character Grandma Berthe in Pippin, and her signature song involves climbing atop a 15ft (4.5m) trapeze.
She told The Senior during rehearsals in late October: ‘It’s all about upper body strength and core work. In my big number, I have to get on a trapeze and go up 15ft.
Broken: An X-ray obtained by Daily Mail Australia show the full extent of Kerri-Anne’s injuries, which have left her in a ‘significant amount of pain’
On-stage accident: The accident took place at the Lyric Theatre, which is part of The Star casino and entertainment complex (pictured)
Medical care: She was taken to see a doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney (pictured) ‘as a precaution’ after being unable to finish her song, 7News reports
‘I’m helped by a very strapping, hunky trapeze artist and we do several movements including one called The Bird, and one where I have to hang by my feet.
‘It’s a big learning curve and I realise how active and tough this is going to be. It’s really coming home to roost now. But every day there is some improvement.’
Pippin, which has several scenes involving aerial acrobatics, is halfway through its critically acclaimed summer run at the Lyric Theatre.
The show is scheduled to end in late January.
High-flying show: Pippin, which has several scenes involving aerial acrobatics, is halfway through its critically acclaimed summer run. The show is scheduled to end in late January
Role: Kerri-Anne plays the supporting character Grandma Berthe in Pippin, and her signature song involves climbing atop a 15ft (4.5m) trapeze. Pictured during rehearsals with two co-stars and Sunrise weather presenter Sam Mac
Kerri-Anne was cast as ‘saucy’ Grandma Berthe after being dropped from the panel of morning show Studio 10 in August due to budget cuts.
She accepted her redundancy with grace at the time, even joking she was ‘back on the “lazy Susan” of television’, and took comfort in the knowledge that other people got to keep their jobs because of her departure.
Kerri-Anne’s on-stage fall comes after she told Private Sydney earlier this month the cast and crew had been incredibly ‘supportive’ of her during production.
Boned: Kerri-Anne was cast as ‘saucy’ Grandma Berthe after being dropped from the panel of morning show Studio 10 in August due to budget cuts. Pictured on her last episode
‘I can’t tell you enough just how wonderful that crew of young performers is… how supportive they are of each other and of me. It’s a very different culture to television,’ she said.
‘When I was first attempting the trapeze in rehearsals, they were all backstage watching on a monitor chanting, “You can do it, Kerri-Anne!”‘
The accident on Wednesday will no doubt have left Kerri-Anne shaken, as she knows all too well how serious falls can be.
Her late husband, mathematician John Kennerley, was left paralysed from the neck down after he slipped from a balcony at a golf resort in Coffs Harbour in March 2016.
She cared for John until his death in February last year.
Injury: The accident on Wednesday will no doubt have left Kerri-Anne shaken, as she knows all too well how serious falls can be. Her late husband, John Kennerley, was left paralysed from the neck down after he slipped from a balcony at a golf resort in Coffs Harbour in March 2016. Pictured on June 23, 2018, in Sydney
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