Gillian Anderson Explains Front-Row Request After Viral Confrontation
Anderson said the women she spoke with were people she had known for over 20 years and asked fans not to criticize them.
Gillian Anderson has publicly explained why she asked superfans not to sit in the front row of her West End production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Soho Place Theatre, according to Deadline. Her comments followed the circulation of video footage showing her confronting audience members after a performance.
The footage was posted on TikTok, where it amassed more than 4 million views. Anderson said the women she spoke with were people she had known for over 20 years, and she asked people not to say anything negative about them.
Anderson noted that in the intimate venue, performers can see everyone in the front row and that this can be distracting. She is appearing in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? alongside co-star Billy Crudup.
Other West End incidents
Last month, Cate Blanchett asked fans at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre to put away their cellphones after the curtain call of Electra/Persona. In April, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo halted her performance of Dracula at the Noël Coward Theatre after spotting an audience member recording the show. A month after that, Rosamund Pike was critical of an audience member for texting during her Inter Alia show at the National Theatre.
Quick answers
Why did Gillian Anderson ask fans not to sit in the front row?
Anderson said that at the intimate Soho Place Theatre, performers can see everyone in the front row and it can be distracting.
What show is Gillian Anderson performing in?
She is performing in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Soho Place Theatre alongside co-star Billy Crudup.