Safety curtain facts for kids

A safety curtain at St Martin's Theatre in London.

The lever and weights that help move a fire curtain backstage.

A safety curtain is a special, heavy curtain found in large theatres. It's also called a fire curtain in America. This curtain hangs right behind the proscenium arch, which is the big arch that frames the stage. Its main job is to act like a fire shield.

Long ago, these curtains were made with asbestos, a material that was later found to be harmful. In British theatres, people sometimes call it an iron curtain even if it's not made of iron.

Why Theatres Need Safety Curtains

Safety curtains are super important for keeping everyone safe in a theatre. Rules about safety say that this curtain must be able to block fire for a short time. This helps stop a fire that starts on stage from spreading to where the audience sits. It also gives people more time to leave the building safely.

How a Safety Curtain Works

Because the curtain is very heavy, it needs special equipment to move it.

• Quick Release: If there's an emergency, the stage manager can pull a lever backstage. This makes the curtain drop quickly into place.
• Automatic Closing: Some curtains have parts that sense heat. If they get too hot, they close the curtain automatically. The curtain can also close if the building's fire alarm system goes off.
• Showing it Off: In some places, theatres must show the safety curtain to the audience during every show. This proves that it works correctly.

Safety Curtain Rules and History

Different countries have rules about safety curtains.

• United States: Building rules in the U.S. say that if a stage wall needs to be fire-resistant, it must have a safety curtain. This curtain needs to be able to resist fire for about 30 minutes.
• United Kingdom: In the UK, a safety curtain must be fully closed within 30 seconds of being released.

The first theatre to get an iron safety curtain was the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London in 1794. After some serious theatre fires, more and more theatres started using safety curtains. For example, Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre, built in 1883, was also one of the first in Britain to have one.

The beautiful safety curtain at the Vienna State Opera House.

In the United States, an early safety curtain was installed at the New Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City, which opened in 1873. A sad event happened in 1903 at Chicago's Iroquois Theatre. The safety curtain got stuck partway down during a fire. This event, along with other building problems, led to many new safety rules for theatres.

Other Stage Fire Safety Devices

Safety curtains often work with other safety features to make theatres even safer.

• Smoke Pockets: These are steel channels on the sides of the stage opening. The safety curtain slides into them, creating a barrier between the stage and the audience. They help stop things from falling into the audience.
• Fire doors: These are special doors that close by themselves if there's a fire. They block off any doorways leading to the stage.
• Smoke Vents: These are openings in the roof above the stage. They let smoke escape the theatre, making it easier and safer for people to get out.
• Water Curtain: These are sprinklers or nozzles right in front of the stage opening. They can spray water to stop sparks from flying off the stage or to put out anything burning on stage.