Rosamund Pike has criticised an audience member for texting during the climax of her West End performance, saying she hoped the message was 'very important'. After a performance of Inter Alia on Saturday, Pike returned to the stage after the final bows at Wyndham's theatre in London.
She told 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.' Gesturing towards a section of the audience, she added: 'Somebody was texting in this part. You know who you are and I'm not going to single you out.'
'Maybe it 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've got you, I feel like I've got to hold you all, so when I feel that and see it, it's hard,' she said. The Times reported that Pike received a round of applause for her speech.
One audience member said: 'She suggested that spotting someone texting in the climax of this devastatingly emotional play broke this bond. She seemed genuinely upset.' Pike joins a growing number of actors who have criticised audience etiquette and phone usage during theatre performances, including Lesley Manville and Cynthia Erivo.
Pike, 47, won an Olivier award in April for her role as Jessica Parks in Inter Alia, a play about a crown court judge whose son is accused of rape. The play runs at Wyndham's until 20 June.
