Theatre employees were working on the set of the political musical The Fix when a live deer wandered onto the stage, according to a report by the local NBC affiliate.

The deer apparently got access to the building by jumping onto the loading dock, according to theatre spokesperson James Gardiner, and then, perhaps unable to resist the lure of the limelight, wandered through a hallway until it emerged on the stage.

After initially fleeing in panic, the set builders screwed their courage to the sticking place and gave the ruminant mammal the hook. They "simply pushed it back down the hallway and out onto the loading dock."

Gardiner told NBC that it's rare to see a deer in the Shirlington area, where the theatre is located.

Here is a photo of the incident, as tweeted by the theatre:  

Oh deer! Just your average Tuesday when A DEER GETS STUCK IN THE THEATER! #Vote4Bambi pic.twitter.com/N5k89kvLHG

— Signature Theatre (@sigtheatre) July 28, 2015