Benedict Cumberbatch urges fans to put away their cameras during play

Petapixel:

After another stage performance in “Hamlet” this past weekend, actor Benedict Cumberbatch stopped outside the Barbican theater in London to make a request of his fans: he wants theater-goers to put away their cameras during his performances.

Speaking to the large crowd of fans gathered outside the theater, Cumberbatch politely says that seeing cameras pointed at him during the play is “mortifying” and that there’s “nothing less supportive or enjoyable” for the actors on stage.

It’s just as bad for the performer as it can be for the audience. Nothing ruins an event more than having a dozen cell phone screens brightly ruining your view of what is happening on stage.