Cate Blanchett had a simple request for people watching her latest stage show. The actress spoke directly to the audience after a recent performance in London. She asked theatergoers to keep their phones away while watching the play. Blanchett explained why she wanted them to stay present.
Cate Blanchett asked Electra/Persona audiences to put away their phones during the show
Blanchett made the request during the curtain call for Electra/Persona at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre. She spoke while still wearing her black T-shirt and loose black trousers from the show. “There are few places on this planet where we can simply be together and be present,” Blanchett told the crowd. She said she understood why people liked recording the curtain call.
The actress then asked people not to film the performance. “I understand you like filming the curtain call – and it is kind of flattering in a way,” she said. Blanchett then added, “but for anyone who is filming the show, please don’t.” She explained that recordings can spoil the experience for the next group that comes to watch.
Blanchett also thanked the audience for listening to her request. The crowd responded warmly after she finished speaking. She stars in the production with Nina Hoss, and the two actresses alternate roles. A coin toss decides which roles Blanchett and Hoss play during each performance.
Electra/Persona comes from writer and director Benedict Andrews. The production brings together Sophocles’ Electra and Ingmar Bergman’s Persona. The National Theatre describes the story as an exploration of identity and the difference between who people are and the roles they play. Ella Lily Hyland also joins Blanchett and Hoss in the cast.
The play will run at the Lyttelton Theatre until October 10. Its story follows Electra, a daughter dealing with grief and rage, alongside an actress who suddenly stops speaking during a performance. Blanchett’s request asks audiences to protect that shared theater experience. For her, putting away a phone can help maintain the focus on the stage.
