Theatre producer to repeat Broadway phone ban at London run of play

New York audiences were asked to put phones in sealed pouches, and producer says she hopes to do the same in UK

When a Pulitzer prize-winning play about a feminist activist opened in New York, audiences had to do something unusual.

They were asked to put their phones away – not in their pockets, but in specially designed pouches, which they could open only at the intermission or after the show.

One of the show’s producers, Eva Price, confirmed to the Guardian that when Liberation – which is nominated for five Tony awards – comes to London, audiences will be asked to “pouch” their mobile devices for the duration of the performance.

Price and the Liberation creative team of Whitney White, the play’s director, and Bess Wohl, the writer, initiated the ban in order to protect actors during a nude scene. But what started as a way to ensure actors were not photographed or filmed while in a vulnerable position became a celebrated moment on Broadway.

When asked if they intended to repeat it in London, Price said: “That’s our intention. We haven’t figured out the logistics of it yet or the exact details, but it is our intention to do it again.”

Many in Britain will welcome the move. A row about audience etiquette erupted after Rosamund Pike addressed a National Theatre audience when someone used their phone during the denouement of Inter Alia.

After her performance, Pike – who won an Olivier recently – returned to the Wyndham’s Theatre stage on Saturday. “You know who you are and I’m not going to single you out,” she said. “Maybe it [using the phone] was very important, and maybe you’re a doctor, and you’re saving someone’s life, and I hope you are, but we do see these, we do feel them. I feel I’ve got to hold you all, so when I feel that and see it, it’s hard.”

At present, UK theatre audiences are told to silence their phones and respect the performers. There are often several reminders to turn phones off before the action starts, but phone use and interruptions caused by bleeping devices are not uncommon.

In the aftermath of Pike’s intervention, Ian Rickson, a former artistic director of the Royal Court theatre, called for mobile phones to be banned outright, arguing that audiences should be encouraged to shelve their phones for the greater good. He said: “I think if we really took ownership and said: ‘We invite you to this unique collective event. It will be a phone-free space, come and take part,’ and people want to do that? Great.”

Price said the phone “ban” for Liberation had helped make “inherently a communal experience” and that the process was i