Overview
- A video posted to Instagram captured Blanchett speaking to the crowd after the curtain call on Friday, asking anyone recording the show to stop because filming “spoils it” for later audiences; the remark was met with applause.
- The request was made during the National Theatre’s world‑premiere run of Electra/Persona, written and directed by Benedict Andrews and starring Blanchett and Nina Hoss, which continues at the Lyttelton stage through October 10.
- Coverage notes a small factual dispute over whether Blanchett interrupted the performance or spoke at the curtain call, but the majority of reports and the circulating clip place the appeal after the show.
- The moment has reignited a wider conversation in theatre about phone etiquette, following recent interventions by other actors, and comes as the National Theatre explores ways to make productions available digitally.
- The episode shows how a short audience clip can turn a local theatrical plea into a wider debate about preserving the live, communal nature of theatre and may prompt venues to revisit enforcement or guidance on recording during performances.