Rosamund Pike criticizes audience member for texting at West End play | Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has criticized an audience member for texting at the climax of her West End play, saying she hoped the message was “really important”.

After Inter Alia’s performance on Saturday, Pike returned to the stage after the final bows. He told the audience at the Wyndham theater in London: “I just wanted to say to everyone who goes to the theater, that this is a great thing that we are trying to give you.” I’m trying to tell you a story, and I hear you, and I hope you hear me too.

“Someone’s texting over here,” he said, pointing to another group of listeners. “You know who you are and I’m not excluding you.

“Maybe it was important, and maybe you’re a doctor, and you’re saving someone’s life, and I hope you’re doing that, but we see this, we feel it. I’ve got you, I feel like I have to hold you all, so when I feel like I’m seeing it, it’s hard.”

The Times reported that Pike drew applause for his speech. One member of the audience thinks that the actor is returning to the stage to hear himself, only to look at his hands to get people to sit down and listen.

They said: “He said that seeing someone texting at the height of the drama, it affected his relationship, and he seemed very upset.”

Pike joins a growing cast of actors criticism of the audience and using the phone during the performance. Last month, Lesley Manville told BBC Radio 4 that listeners should not take photos and videos during the show. “Clap or don’t clap, but don’t put your phone in our face,” he said, “I think that’s rude.”

In April, Cynthia Erivo it interfered with his behavior of Dracula in the West End after seeing an audience member filming the show. In the play Hamlet in 2024, Andrew Scott quit “to be or not to be” in a soliloquy when he saw a listener pull out a laptop to send emails.

Pike, 47, won an Olivier award in April for her role as Jessica Parks in Inter Alia.

The drama follows Parks, a royal court judge dedicated to challenging the legal system of sexual assault, who is forced to confront her son who is accused of rape.

Inter Alia was written by Australian playwright Suzie Miller, who also wrote the one-woman drama Prima Facie with Jodie Comer.

Inter Alia premiered at the National Theater in London last year, where it received rave reviews four stars from the Guardian because of Pike’s “physical, sometimes disturbing” actions. The actor reprized the role for a short run in the West End until 20 June.