Michael Sheen stops performance of Under Milk Wood because of phone interruptions
Welsh acting star Michael Sheen has stopped a performance of Under Milk Wood because of constant phone interruptions from members of the audience.
Dylan Thomas’ famous play was underway at The National Theatre in London yesterday when the Welshman took the unprecedented move of stepping out of character to address the audience after the matinee performance was constantly interrupted by phone calls, ringtones and numerous ‘pings’ of notifications.
Applause
According to theatre blogger @UnderstsudyJim who detailed the incident on his blog The Understudy, Sheen addressed the audience and said: “I’m asking all of you now to turn your phones off.
“We haven’t waited this long to be in a theatre to listen to your phones. Turn them off. I’ll wait.”
A clearly frustrated Sheen was then met with bursts of applause and cheering from the auditorium.
Acknowledging the incident on Twitter in response to @UnderstudyJim’s blog, the actor posted: “I felt terrible for coming out of the play and breaking the illusion but it was happening so often I felt it had to be addressed as it was spoiling the experience for everyone.”
Under Milk Wood continues at The National Theatre until Saturday, July 24.
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Hopefully one day our countries first President.
Nah, Nigel Owens for PM
Nigel Owens MBE
‘… countries’? – more than one?
The Federation of “Celtic” Nations?
Deffo Wales’ first president. ,👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😄😄
How predictable.
The next president of Free Wales, forced to play troubadour to braying uneducated Sais masses after being forced there through UK arts cuts in Cymru.
Believe me, they know he will be our next leader and yet still they bait him with beeping notifications form their right wing Farage tweeting overlords.
I don’t think the selfishness of people and their mobile phones is a peculiarly English trait it’s more of a universal one.
Whenever I have ventrured to Llundiain for matters of “relaxation” it has continually been my notice that the levels of rudeness a la fon symudol are indeed higher in out neigbours o’er the clawdd Offa
I’ve not found that at all. Londoners I’ve met are pretty sound. Pack it in with the Agent Provocateur stuff eh? You’re not funny.
After uni I spent six years in London, I didn’t like it much but that was because of the quantity not the quality of the residents. ,😄😄 I thought London was and still is very anti-Brexit.
It would help others believe you are/can speak Welsh if you could actually spell it. 🙄
Well said Bruce.
Good for him!
Star!
Wherever the audience comes from, leaving their phones switched on is apallingly impolite.
Well done Michael. You did the right thing 100%
I have been in similar circumstances in another type of performance and I did similar.
I SALUTE YOU!
Michael’s the man!
The days of going to live events have long gone. The reason people have their phones pinging and farting is that they video everything rather than watch it. I haven’t seen a band for years without a host of phone screens blocking the view.
As witnessed at Wembley, people just don’t know how to behave since socu=ial media gave them the right to abuse anyone and everyone.
Sorry. The Rhydderch creature has removed its post so this post makes no sense now. But not having my laptop on, the phone gives me no option to delete.
Well done Michael for stopping the performance being ruined for the majority by the selfish few. I don’t understand why people don’t automatically mute their phones as a matter of course and how the cast can concentrate with that going on just shows their professionalism.
Whenever I have been to the live theatre, the audience is asked at the beginning to turn their phones off as in the cinema too. This sounds like a management issue.
They need to be told?? By the management??😂
Well done Michael . Phones in a show are a damed errant and should be banned while the show is in progress . I hope the people who had their phones on were highly embarrassed by Michael stopping the show and the clapping , but learned to forget them for a time .
Good for him!
Well done Michael. The phones should be bloody banned from venues. So annoying that nearly everyone has their phones attached to their hips.
Well done Michael
regards
Michael Fields fellow actor and friend of dads
Whenever I have been to a theatre performance the audience are asked to switch OFF their mobile phones. Maybe not in London…
You cant mess with Dylan and an Aberavon Boy!
phone idiots!