Renowned actress Cate Blanchett has joined the growing list of performers calling on theatre audiences to refrain from using their mobile phones during live shows. The Australian producer and performer, currently starring in the production Electra/Persona at London’s National Theatre, addressed the issue during the curtain call on Friday.
Reflecting on the importance of the live experience, the two-time Academy Award winner remarked that there are few places left on Earth where people can simply gather and be fully present. She acknowledged that fans often film the curtain call as a form of appreciation, noting that it is somewhat flattering, but firmly requested that attendees stop recording the production itself. According to Blanchett, filming during the show spoils the experience for future audience members who intend to engage with the performance in real-time. Her comments were met with support from the crowd through cheers and applause.
Witnesses of the performance shared context regarding an earlier incident during the same show. One audience member recounted on social media that the filming occurred during the interval between the two acts, while the cast remained on stage preparing for the next segment. The attendee noted that Blanchett spotted the individual recording while she was applying makeup on stage and immediately walked to the front, gesturing for them to stop. The witness stated that while recording during these breaks is a common occurrence that staff often overlook, this marked the first time they had observed the star address it directly.
Electra/Persona, directed by Benedict Andrews, is an ambitious stage work that merges the classic Sophocles tragedy Electra with Ingmar Bergman’s cinematic work Persona. The production, scheduled to run until 10 October, features a unique creative process where Blanchett and her co-star, Nina Hoss, alternate the lead roles of Electra/Elisabeth and Clytemnestra/Alma. The specific casting for each evening is determined by a live coin toss conducted on stage immediately before the performance begins. The report also notes that she also mentioned it to the audience at the very end before they left,” the theatre-goer wrote on Instagram, external. The report also notes that to be fair, people do this quite often and the staff usually don’t say anything. The report also notes that and I’ve seen people film during that break every time, it was my third time seeing the play.
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