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Theatre producer to repeat Broadway phone ban at London run of play

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Broadway play's successful phone ban, requiring audiences to pouch their devices, is planned for its London run.
  • The ban, initially implemented to protect actors during nude scenes, became a celebrated aspect of the show.
  • The move follows a recent incident in London where an actress publicly addressed a phone user during a performance.

A unique phone ban, successfully implemented on Broadway, is set to be replicated for the London run of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Liberation." The production, nominated for five Tony Awards, requires audience members to place their mobile devices in specially designed pouches, which can only be opened during intermission or after the show.

That’s our intention. We haven’t figured out the logistics of it yet or the exact details, but it is our intention to do it again.

— Eva PriceProducer of 'Liberation,' confirming plans to implement the phone ban in London.

Initially conceived by producer Eva Price and the play's creative team, including director Whitney White and writer Bess Wohl, the ban was a measure to ensure actors' privacy during a nude scene. However, what began as a practical necessity evolved into a celebrated element of the Broadway experience, enhancing audience engagement and protecting performers.

You know who you are and I’m not going to single you out. Maybe it [using the phone] was very important, and maybe you’re a doctor, and you’re saving someone’s life, and I hope you are, but we do see these, we do feel them. I feel I’ve got to hold you all, so when I feel that and see it, it’s hard.

— Rosamund PikeAddressing an audience member using their phone during a performance in London.

Price confirmed her intention to bring the phone-pouching policy to London, though the specific logistics are still being finalized. This initiative arrives amidst a growing conversation in Britain about audience etiquette. Recently, actress Rosamund Pike publicly addressed a theatergoer using their phone during a performance in London, highlighting the ongoing issue of device distractions in the audience.

I think if we really took ownership and said, ‘We invite you to this unique collective event. It will be a phone-free space, come and take part,’ and people want to do that? Great.

— Ian RicksonFormer artistic director of the Royal Court theatre, advocating for outright mobile phone bans in theaters.

While current UK theatre guidelines advise audiences to silence their phones, interruptions from ringing or illuminated devices remain common. The "Liberation" production's approach offers a more stringent solution, aiming to create a truly communal and uninterrupted theatrical event. The system, provided by Yondr, involves sealing pouches with a magnetic strip, accessible only by Yondr staff present at the venue.

ban helped make “inherently a communal experience” and that the process was incredibly simple.

— PriceDescribing the impact of the phone ban on the audience experience.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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