AA Recovery Patrol Kristian Hatton, from Nottingham, became the star of the show on Saturday (30 July) when he rescued the cast of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
The performers from open-air touring theatre company Illyria were on their way to a production at Linford Manor when they broke down at Tibshelf services on the M1 in Derbyshire, more than 90 miles away!
The AA were called to get the show back on the road after a head gasket fault left the actors unable to complete the journey in their transit van, which contained equipment including the stage, scenery, costumes, props and lighting.
Recovery operator Kristian received plaudits from the crowd when he arrived with the cast.
"They had been worrying that they might have to cancel, so they were over the moon when we got there around eight o'clock to a cheering audience - talk about making a dramatic entrance!" Kristian said.
"I've been a Recovery Patrol with the AA for over 15 years and it's not every day you get a reaction like that. Everyone was applauding, it really made me laugh – it just goes to show that anything can happen!"
Rather than having to call off the Shakespeare in the Park event, the audience sat tight and the show did go on, just a little bit later than planned.
"Being a touring theatre company, we do nightly shows and have a rigid schedule to stick to," said Oliver Gray, Artistic Director from Illyria.
"Our vans are the backbone of that so when something goes wrong we have to leap into action - that's why our situation was so desperate.
"I can certainly say that the AA saved the day, not just for us but for an audience of 400 people in Milton Keynes. When we arrived on the back of the recovery vehicle, the audience parted like the red sea. Everybody was so incredibly patient and understanding and the play went down a storm."
