Wicked and Come From Away star Alice Fearn, who is currently playing Heidi Hansen in the debut UK Tour of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, took to Instagram today to vent her rage after an audience member answered their phone during the show at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Posting on her story Fearn was visibly angry in the photo stating “To the girls whose mobile rang in today’s matinee in Aberdeen, who then answered and proceeded to loudly giggle and talk to the caller during the beginning of So Big Small before rightfully LEAVING… It was arrogant, rude and disrespectful. Not to only me, but to your fellow audience members.”
This is not the first time that audience behaviour issues have been raised in Scotland with large theatres in Glasgow and Edinburgh also noting an increase in poor theatre etiquette since theatres re-opened post COVID-19. The same is occurring in theatres up and down the UK with shows having to be paused so disruptive audience members can be removed from the theatre, with casts using their social media platforms to urge audiences to show courtesy to those performing on stage and the audience members around them who have paid to see the show.
Alice Fearn ended the message in her story simply saying “May I ask you not to attend a performance I’m in again!”
Theatres up and down the country have set expectations clear in marketing, prior to arrival messages, signage in theatres and front of house staff displaying boards to clearly show that phones should not be used during a show. Therefore this behaviour is inexcusable, Theatre Scotland stand with Alice Fearn and the Dear Evan Hansen cast on calling out this behaviour.
The touring production of Dear Evan Hansen was recently reviewed in Aberdeen by Theatre Scotland, earning the production five stars. Tonight is the contemporary musical’s final night in the Granite City, where it has been highly popular with locals and this being the only notable case of disruptive behaviour during it’s run. The show will return to Scotland in the summer, where it will play the Edinburgh Playhouse from Tuesday 1st till Saturday 5th July.
Get tickets here – https://www.evanontour.com/#book-tickets
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