Unions urge theatres to limit at-seat alcohol sales as staff face ‘unacceptable abuse’

Rowdy audience members have disrupted performances with heckling, violence and even defecation in the stalls

“Speak clearly and don’t bump into the furniture” – so goes Noël Coward’s timeless advice to actors. But for those treading the boards of London’s West End this weekend, there is a new peril: rowdy, smartphone-wielding audiences.

From heckling and screaming to livestreaming and even copulating during shows, theatres have recently been faced with rising levels of disruptive behaviour.