Kerry Ellis Wades into Amber Davies Phone Furore with Five-Word Statement

Kerry Ellis, known as the 'First Lady of the West End', has shared her thoughts on the ongoing debate about phone use in theatres, reignited by Amber Davies. The 47-year-old theatre star, who was the first British actress to play Elpheba in Wicked on both the West End and Broadway, gave a simple five-word statement: 'People need to look up!'

Ellis Calls for Living in the Moment

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Ellis said: 'Put their phones down, and look up! We've always battled with filming in theatres, and you can't control that. But I think it's more what it's saying about society as a whole. We need to live in the moment, rather than trying to constantly capture that moment.'

Ellis, a mother of two sons, added: 'I see it at home with my two sons. Obviously, there's an incoming ban on social media, which is great. But my sons already have social media on their phones and we're already in that battle. So I think it's a bigger problem than just live theatre – it's turning up in various environments.'

—

Wide Pickt banner — collaborative shopping lists app for Telegram, phone mockup with grocery list

Amber Davies' Incident Reignites Debate

The debate was reignited when former Love Island star Amber Davies, currently starring as Elle Woods in a touring production of Legally Blonde, revealed she had an audience member removed for filming during a performance in Dublin. In an Instagram video shared during the interval, Davies said: 'This is your daily reminder not to film at the theatre. Unfortunately tonight at the Bord Gáis we've got a beautiful audience, but there's just one woman in the front row who has been filming the entirety of Act One. It's had us all distracted.'

Davies continued: 'It's ruined the morale of our wonderful eighth show on a Saturday night from selfish actions. Hopefully she's not back for Act Two. I've asked, can she go so we can just enjoy ourselves.' Fans rallied behind Davies, with one commenting: 'Respect for Amber to singing/acting/being in the moment despite being filmed was still able to know EXACTLY where the filmer was sitting and kick them out.'

Ellis on the Challenge of Connecting with Audience

While Ellis admitted she hasn't faced a similar situation, she acknowledged the difficulty phones pose. 'When you're doing a show, it's all about telling stories and connecting with each other. I think that can be so tricky when there are phones involved. It can be really tricky,' she said.

Other Stars Speak Out

Davies is not alone in calling out phone use. In early June, Oscar-nominated actress Rosamund Pike stopped mid-performance of her play Inter Alia in the West End to address an audience member texting during an emotional moment. 'You know who you are and I'm not going to single you out,' she said, later returning to the stage at the end of the play to politely remind the audience of theatre etiquette. Pike expressed hope the offender was a doctor and that their message was 'very important', drawing shocked gasps and cheers from the audience. 'I just wanted to say for anyone going to the theatre, it's a huge thing that we're trying to give you. I am trying to tell you a story, and I'm feeling you, and I hope you're feeling me too,' said the Saltburn star.