A sell-out production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest starring Sir Kenneth Branagh was repeatedly interrupted when a woman brought a baby into the auditorium.
The matinee performance at the Royal Shakespeare’s Company’s famous theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon saw furious members of the audience complaining and demanding refunds before the woman was finally told that she and her child would not be admitted for the second hour.
Audience member Sian Morgan, 53, from London, said: ‘I’ve been going to the theatre monthly for over thirty years and I’ve never seen anything like it.
‘There was a young woman with a baby in the audience – and it mithered all the way through the first act. Thank goodness there was never any actual screaming or crying but it was gurgling and cooing and chirping very loudly throughout. It never let up.
‘They were sitting in the highest tier, the second circle, but it’s a very compact theatre so everyone in the room could hear it – no doubt including Sir Kenneth and the rest of the cast.
‘The play famously starts with a big storm and there was thunder and lightning and if the baby had been asleep when she took it in that woke it up and it never stopped for the hour that followed.
‘Theatre audiences generally are very tolerant and progressive but it was ruining it for everyone as it made it so hard to concentrate – and by the end people were audibly tutting and turning around to show their displeasure.
‘When the lights came up for the intermission there were queues of people lining up to complain at the ticket desks and even the ushers were being barracked about it.
A sell-out production (pictured) of Shakespeare’s The Tempest starring Sir Kenneth Branagh was repeatedly interrupted when a woman brought a baby into the auditorium
The matinee performance at the Royal Shakespeare’s Company’s famous theatre (pictured, file photo) at Stratford-upon-Avon saw furious members of the audience complaining and demanding refunds
‘I heard people saying they wouldn’t go back in for the second act unless they were assured the baby wasn’t admitted again – and they were asking for refunds too.
‘But then amazingly I saw the woman herself and she was completely unapologetic. She was a bohemian middle class type accompanied by an older woman who I think must have been her mother and she seemed to think that everyone was being unreasonable in asking her not to come back in.
‘I heard her saying, “She’s only a baby – and she’ll probably fall asleep soon anyway”. It did seem extraordinarily entitled to be honest – a weird arrogance when it was plain she had massively overstepped the mark.
‘Finally some very stressed manager type did gently insist that it wasn’t fair on other audience members for them to return for the second part but she could watch it from the cafe on TV monitors.
‘But she was so desperate not to upset anyone it was comical.’
Another audience member said: ‘The whole joy of Shakespeare is to become immersed in it – which is why it’s so important for the audience to be respectful of the occasion and not to disturb the thing by looking at their phones or talking or whatever.
‘No one wanted to be mean to a young mother but it was simply extraordinary that she seemed unable to read the room and to take the baby outside when it began being noisy.
‘I was in a party of four and had paid something like £400 for our tickets and made a six-hour round trip to be here at something we had looked forward to for months and this completely ruined it.
‘Of course Branagh was a complete trooper and you could never have told he’d heard it but it definitely changed the atmosphere in the auditorium completely and made the audience jittery and tetchy.
‘It was a real shame.’
The show, attended by the King last month, is one of the most eagerly anticipated theatre events of the decade and sold out within hours of tickets going on sale last year. Pictured: Sir Kenneth speaking with the King after he watched the show
Among the audience was former Home Secretary Lord Blunkett, who is blind and so depends particularly on being able to hear clearly to follow theatre.
Asked about the baby episode as he left the performance he joked: ‘I said to the person sitting next to me: “I’m very tolerant but I’m not sure the baby’s getting anything out of this”.’
The show, attended by The King last month, is one of the most eagerly anticipated theatre events of the decade and sold out within hours of tickets going on sale last year, with tickets costing up to £112.
It sees Sir Kenneth return to the RSC for the first time in 30 years in a production directed by Sir Richard Eyre.
It is also a milestone for the actor as although he has appeared in some 35 productions of Shakespeare before, it is the first time he has taken on the part of Prospero, the main part in what many regard as The Bard’s greatest play.
The RSC declined to comment on the episode but pointed to the guidance on its website which states that ‘babes in arms’ are not specifically barred from any performance but suggests that ‘they and their parents may feel more comfortable’ at so-called ‘chilled performances’.
The RSC declined to comment on the episode but pointed to the guidance on its website which states that ‘babes in arms’ are not specifically barred from any performance. Pictured: File photo of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon
These one-off shows, also known as relaxed performances, are intended to increase inclusivity and see the theatre lights not fully dimmed and ticket purchasers are informed in advance that some members of the audience may make noise during the show.
While saying young babies may be admitted to any show, the guidance adds: ‘However, if the baby is disturbing others, an adult from the party may need to watch the show from the screen outside of the auditorium with the baby.’
