A performance of Macbeth in London’s West End, starring David Tennant, was delayed for 15 minutes due to a disruptive audience member.
The production, currently being staged at the Harold Pinter Theatre and also featuring Cush Jumbo, was interrupted when the audience member, who had left to visit the bathroom, was prevented from immediately returning to his seat.
The man was told he would need to wait for a break in the play before re-entering, but he objected to this request.
“He was insisting on getting back to his seat, and then lots of people kicked off about his disturbance,” one witness told The Times.
As the disruption continued, theatre staff raised the house lights, and Tennant was asked to leave the stage until the situation was resolved. Reports indicate the man eventually left the theatre, allowing the performance to resume.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the production said: “We can confirm there was an incident at the theatre last night, which necessitated a request to stop the show. This is standard practice to handle the situation swiftly and effectively, allowing the rest of the performance to continue with minimal disruption to both the audience and the cast.”
The incident comes amid a rise in disruptions at theatres since audiences began returning following the Covid pandemic.
In April 2023, police were called to Manchester’s Palace Theatre after a reported “riot” broke out among audience members during a performance of The Bodyguard.
According to reports, audience members at previous shows had been attempting to “out-sing” the cast during numbers like “I Will Always Love You”.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Rachel McAdams was reportedly heckled on the opening night of her Broadway debut in Amy Herzog’s play Mary Jane.
Theatre workers are also facing increased anti-social behaviour from audiences, including sexual harassment and physical assaults, according to new research. A survey of 1,500 members of theatre union Bectu revealed that such incidents have become more extreme following the pandemic.
Most of those surveyed, mainly front-of-house staff, hospitality workers, box office employees, and crew in sound and lighting, reported having directly experienced or witnessed poor audience behaviour
