Veteran actor Stephen Mangan has thrown down the gauntlet to theatre's troublemakers, recalling with relish a moment when he took matters into his own hands against an over-enthusiastic audience member. His impassioned words come hot on the heels of Rosamund Pike's recent stand against a texter in her West End play.
Mangan, known for his sharp wit and quicksilver timing in shows like 'Green Wing' and 'Episodes', wasn't having it when he spotted an individual flagrantly disregarding theatre etiquette during a 2009 Broadway production of 'The Norman Conquests'. "If you're going to be a disruption, at least have the decency to do it discreetly," he quipped. But this guy took it too far – literally.
As Mangan recalled with a mischievous glint in his eye: "He stuck both feet on the stage, right in front of me. I mean, come on! You wouldn't walk into your accountant's office and start tapping your toes on his desk." The response was swift and merciless: "I kicked those feet off the stage. That was the end of that." It's a vivid illustration of just how fed up performers are getting with audience members who forget they're part of an immersive experience.
This candid confession has added fuel to an ongoing debate within the theatre community about managing misbehaviour. Rosamund Pike, meanwhile, showed remarkable composure when confronted by a phone-toting individual during her own West End play – and then again when a phone alarm went off mid-performance. The Royal Shakespeare Company also recently asked a woman to leave after her baby's cries drowned out the dialogue in Sir Kenneth Branagh's 'The Tempest'. It's clear that theatre companies are getting tough on audience members who disrupt the show.
While Mangan's extreme response may have been unorthodox, it speaks volumes about performers' frustrations with people who fail to respect the magic of live theatre. As he prepares to return to the West End in Florian Zeller's comedy 'The Truth', alongside a star-studded cast including Janie Dee and Ardal O'Hanlon, Mangan's words serve as a rallying cry for theatregoers everywhere: let's all do our part to create an unforgettable experience – without sticking our feet on anyone else's stage.