David Tennant departs stage following Macbeth audience disruption

David Tennant was ordered to depart the stage following audience disruption at a recent West End performance of Macbeth.

Tennant, who was playing the lead role, was called off stage by theatre staff and house lights were raised when a theatregoer returning from a toilet break complained about being asked to wait before retaking their seat.

The performance at the Harold Pinter Theatre on London’s Panton Street was paused for approximately 15 minutes because of the interference.

A spokesperson for the production, which features Tennant and Cush Jumbo as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, said: “We can confirm there was an incident at the theatre, which made it necessary for the front-of-house team to request a show stop.

“This is standard practice, in order to deal with the situation as swiftly and effectively as possible, enabling the remainder of the production to continue with minimum impact to both the audience and company.”

The interruption, on December 10, arose when an attendee making their way back from the bathroom objected to instructions to wait for a break in the action before settling back down to watch the play.

It is common practice in theatres for audience members to be asked to pause for a slowdown in the show’s dramatic flow before resuming their seat.

The disturbance comes just days before Macbeth, directed by Max Webster in a production by Donmar Warehouse, concludes its West End run on December 14.

Webster’s take on Shakespeare features sound design and live Celtic folk music delivered through headphones designed to immerse the audience in the tragedy’s “every whisper, cry and thought”, organisers say.

The production, which was filmed live during its original run at the Donmar, will be screened in cinemas across the UK from February.