Italian actor pronounced brain dead following theatre hanging

Raphael Schumacher, 27, was strangled after a simulated lynching went wrong during a performance in Pisa.

(Raphael Schumacher / Facebook)

Raphael Schumacher, 27, who was accidentally hanged on stage during a performance in Pisa's Teatro Lux, has been declared clinically dead.

The actor had been involved in an experimental theatre production in which his character was involved in a lynching. He was taken to hospital when an audience member realised that the simulated hanging had gone and the rope had tightened around his neck, according to reports. He had been in a coma since the incident occurred on Saturday, 30 January.

Doctors have now declared Schumacher brain dead, after his deteriorating condition saw no response to treatment. It had previously been suggested he had suffered severe and likely irreversible brain damage. A spokesperson at Cisanello Hospital in Pisa told CNN that, following the family's authorisation, the procedure to harvest his organs has now begun.

Police are currently investigating the incident to establish whether proper safety procedures were in place. Italian news agency ANSA reports four people are currently under investigation for manslaughter in connection with the incident.

Previous reports claimed the actor had changed the scene to involve the hanging, as opposed to a fake gunshot. Police originally explored the possibility of suicide, but have now moved to investigating the theatre's safety standards.