Gillian Anderson speaks out after exchange with ‘distracting’ theatre fans

Gillian Anderson has explained why she asked a group of fans not to sit in the front row of her West End show Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

In a video shared online, the Sex Education star, 58, was seen telling fans outside the Soho Place Theatre: “You guys cannot sit in the front row.

“I don’t care; you cannot sit in the front row. It’s so distracting.”

The fans, who were off camera, can then be heard apologising while Anderson added: “You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it’ll drive me mad.”

After the video was shared widely on social media, Anderson clarified that she knows the women she was speaking to in the clip.

She wrote on X: “The video doing the rounds is me talking with women I go back over 20 years with – so please don’t say anything negative to or about them.

“We’re thrilled to be doing this show but for people in the front row, please be aware that in such an intimate venue we can all see you and, sometimes, it can be a tad distracting!

“That’s all. All good. On with the show and love to everyone and thank you to all of those coming.”

The Soho Place Theatre has a capacity of 602.

Gillian Anderson clarified that she knows the women she was speaking to in the video (Doug Peters/PA)

PA Wire

Anderson is performing in the play alongside The Morning Show actor Billy Crudup.

It comes after Cate Blanchett asked audience members to stop “spoiling” her National Theatre show by filming it last month.

The Australian actress, 57, is starring in the production of Electra/Persona at the Lyttelton Theatre in London until October 10.

During the curtain call in September, she said: “There are few places on this planet where we can simply be together and be present.

“I understand you like filming the curtain call – and it is kind of flattering in a way – but for anyone who is filming the show, please don’t, because it spoils it for the next group of people who come in and are present with us. So, thank you very much.”

The two-time Oscar winner was then given cheers and claps from the audience.