Dolly Parton musical disrupted by homophobic audience members, star reveals

Revealing that the actions of some audience members "blows my mind" he added: "London was the worst, which is crazy to me."

He recalled one member of the audience using a homophobic slur because he was offended that Webb’s character was talking about his boyfriend.

"It has really opened my eyes as we are in such a bubble in this industry but travelling the country and seeing how many people cannot bear to see a gay person depicted on stage is wild. I feel very sorry for them," he said.

He added: "It’s like if I had that reaction to the colour blue – because it exists, it’s not going anywhere and I could not escape it."

The show is adapted for the UK by Jonathan Harvey and was originally written by Bruce Vilanch, with Gabriel Barre, who also directs. Tricia Paoluccio plays Parton in the show, which is produced by Simon Friend Entertainment and Leeds Playhouse, in association with Jenny King, Patrick Gracey and Vibecke Dahle.

In a statement they said: “The producers of Here You Come Again condemn this abhorrent behaviour in the strongest way. Individuals making such comments are not welcome at our show. They have been – and will be – ejected from the theatre immediately. We stand against all forms of prejudice and are extremely proud of the inclusivity and respect that Here You Come Again celebrates.”