CURTAIN CALL CONTROVERSY

Hollywood Star Tears Into Theater Audience Member for Bad Behavior

She accused the audience member of breaking the bond between the cast and audience.

Rosamund Pike returned to the stage after her performance this weekend to confront an audience member for using their phone during the play’s finale. Pike, who is playing a crown court judge in Inter Alia in London’s Wyndham Theatre, interrupted the show’s curtain call on Saturday to reprimand an audience member for texting during the show’s big finish. She accused the theater-goer of breaking the bond between the cast and audience. “She suggested that spotting someone texting in the climax of this devastatingly emotional play broke this bond. She seemed genuinely upset,” an audience member told The Times. They added that the moment left the whole crowd “stunned,” describing an emotional atmosphere after the 100-minute, no-interval performance in which Pike “gave her all.” They said Pike did not identify the audience member but joked that the person might be a doctor saving a life, adding that she hoped that was the case. The actress then received applause after addressing the audience. The incident adds to ongoing criticism from performers, including Imelda Staunton, Andrew Scott, Daniel Craig, Patti LuPone, and Benedict Cumberbatch, over audience etiquette in British theaters.