Andrew Scott stopped Hamlet after spotting audience member on laptop
Andrew Scott recalls his experience as theatre audiences across the UK are facing increasing scrutiny for their anti-social behaviour amid claims they have "forgotten how to behave".
Wednesday 3 January 2024 11:57, UK
Actor Andrew Scott has revealed how he held up a performance of Hamlet when he noticed a member of the audience was using a laptop.
The 47-year-old recalled the moment from 2017 at the Almeida Theatre in London when he had been cast in the title role of Robert Icke's Shakespearean production.
The award-winning actor, known for his roles in Fleabag and Sherlock, said he "stopped for ages" when he saw the audience member on his laptop during the "to be or not to be" soliloquy.
He told the Happy Sad Confused podcast: "When I was playing Hamlet, a guy took out his laptop - not his phone, his laptop - while I was in the middle of 'to be or not to f***ing be'.
"I was pausing and (the stage team) were like, 'get on with it' and I was like, 'there's no way'. And he didn't realise. I stopped for ages."
Scott said the laptop user stopped when he was alerted to what was going on by a woman sitting next to him.
Poor etiquette by British theatre audiences have been increasingly highlighted in recent years.
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In October, musical composer Stephen Schwartz revealed how mobile phones are becoming a real problem at theatre productions.
He told Sky News: "What's exasperating is the cell phones, people being on their phones and you want to say to them, you know, just go out in the lobby and text on your phone and let everybody else get on and watch the show."
Staff at West End theatres have also said audiences have "forgotten how to behave".
Speaking to Sky News anonymously, they claimed assaults and abuse have become a common event.