The Huffington Post
Cynthia Erivo on the opening night of Dracula earlier this year Cynthia Erivo brought a live performance of Dracula to an abrupt halt on Monday night, after spotting an audience member filming in the audience. The Wicked star is playing all 23 characters in the current West End adaptation of Bram Stoker’s iconic Gothic horror , portraying the roles both on stage and, in some cases, via video projection. According to Metro , Monday’s performance – which came a day after she completed the London Marathon in remarkably quick time – saw the British actor stopping the show around an hour in when she noticed that she was being recorded by an audience member’s phone. The show was then paused, with one audience member later sharing footage they filmed during this break, questioning: “Whatever happened to theatre etiquette?” @jesusontour_ Whatever happened to theater etiquette ??? #dracula #cynthiaerivo #westend #london Cynthia Erivo Dracula London ♬ original sound - JESÚS Metro also cited another audience member who claimed that the filming patron was “kicked out” by security, with the Oscar nominee returning to the stage to resume her performance after a 10-minute break. HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Cynthia Erivo and the Noel Coward Theatre, where Dracula is currently playing, for comment. Phone use during live performances is becoming an increasingly contentious issue in the theatre world . Stage icon Patti LuPone has been outspoken on this issue for years , infamously once swiping an audience member’s phone after seeing them on it during a performance in 2015. Gemma Arterton also claimed during an interview on The Graham Norton Show that she did the same after spotting a patron filming her while she was performing in the West End musical adaptation of Made In Dagenham. And just this month, Lesley Manville took issue with the current trend that has seen theatres allowing guests to film the curtain call on their phones. “It’s theatre – let’s preserve it!” she told Radio 4. “We are all in this room, we are telling you a story, you’re listening – clap or don’t clap, but don’t just stick your phone in our face. I find it insulting.” READ MORE: 11 Cynthia Erivo Roles You'd Probably Forgotten She Played Before Wicked Cynthia Erivo Shrugs Off Online Criticisms About New Dracula Play People Have A Lot Of Feelings About Elphaba's 'Sex Cardigan' In Wicked For Good
Go to News Site