Gillian Anderson Asks Superfans to Stop Occupying Front Row at London's Soho Place Theatre
Gillian Anderson has requested that her loyal supporters refrain from occupying the front row during her West End show, describing it as "so distracting." This statement was made outside the Soho Place theatre in London following a Friday performance of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In a video, Anderson, accompanied by security, expressed her frustration, stating, "You cannot sit in the front row, it's driving me mad." Some fans are said to have tickets for eight additional performances. Later, Anderson took to social media to clarify that the women were familiar to her and discouraged any negative comments about them. The play, directed by Marianne Elliott and featuring Billy Crudup, explores a psychological conflict between a married couple. Anderson has faced obsessive fans since her time on The X-Files.
Key facts
- Gillian Anderson is starring in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at London's Soho Place theatre.
- She told superfans they cannot repeatedly sit in the front row because it is distracting.
- The exchange occurred outside the stage door after a Friday evening performance.
- Anderson later clarified the fans were long-time acquaintances of over 20 years.
- The production is staged in the round, with the audience surrounding the actors.
- The play was written by Edward Albee and first staged in 1962.
- Billy Crudup plays George, and Marianne Elliott directs.
- Similar incidents involved Cate Blanchett, Rosamund Pike, and Lesley Manville.
Entities
Artists
- Gillian Anderson
- Cate Blanchett
- Rosamund Pike
- Lesley Manville
- Edward Albee
- Billy Crudup
- Marianne Elliott
Institutions
- Soho Place theatre
- National Theatre
- Lyttelton Theatre
- Wyndham's Theatre
- The Times
- The Observer
- The X-Files
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom