Cate Blanchett Urges National Theatre Audience to Stop Filming During Electra/Persona
At the National Theatre in London on Friday, Cate Blanchett took a moment during her role in Electra/Persona to ask the audience to put their phones away. She expressed how rare it is to have spaces where we can truly connect and be in the moment, urging those recording to stop, as it disrupts the experience for everyone else. The crowd responded with applause. One attendee later mentioned on Instagram that the filming happened between acts, not while the performance was ongoing. Blanchett had seen someone filming during a scene change and gestured for them to stop. The show, directed and written by Benedict Andrews, runs until October 10, featuring Blanchett and Nina Hoss in leading roles. Other stars like Rosamund Pike and Cynthia Erivo have also raised similar concerns.
Key facts
- Cate Blanchett asked audience members to stop filming during a curtain call at London's National Theatre on Friday.
- She is appearing in Electra/Persona, a new play written and directed by Benedict Andrews.
- The play combines Sophocles' tragedy Electra with Ingmar Bergman's film Persona.
- Electra/Persona runs until 10 October.
- Blanchett and Nina Hoss share the roles of Electra/Elisabeth and Clytemnestra/Alma, decided by a coin toss live on stage each night.
- An audience member reported that the filming occurred between acts, not during the performance.
- Blanchett gestured "no, no, no" and addressed the audience at the end of the show.
- Other actors including Rosamund Pike, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, and Lesley Manville have made similar criticisms about phone use in theatres.
Entities
Artists
- Cate Blanchett
- Benedict Andrews
- Nina Hoss
- Rosamund Pike
- Cynthia Erivo
- Andrew Scott
- Daniel Craig
- Hugh Jackman
- Patti LuPone
- Lesley Manville
- Sophocles
- Ingmar Bergman
Institutions
- National Theatre
- BBC Radio 4
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom