Mobiles are no joke for comics... Should phones be banned from shows?
Wherever you look, people are umbilically attached to their mobile phones.
Walking in the street, sat at home while simultaneously watching the TV, and even in restaurants.
Nowhere seems taboo. Not even, can you believe it, in the theatre?
Security booted out 45 members of the audience at American comic Kevin Hart's show at the Barclaycard Arena on Friday for using their phones despite repeated warnings, sparking controversy.
We have all heard the warnings in cinemas and theatres asking us to turn our devices off or to put them in silent mode. And there are good reasons for this.
They include matters of copyright, not spoiling the performance for those attending future shows, not ruining the night for those around you. But also it is a case of basic manners and respect for the performer.
Comedians can be an odd species.
When not performing, they can be surly, precious, standoffish, hostile or downright rude – and that's when they're sober.
But I have to admit, I couldn't agree more with Kevin Hart on this one. People filming gigs on their phones – music ones, comedy ones, heck, even pantomimes – are unbelievably annoying.
Kicking them out for doing it, when they've paid up to £85(!) for the privilege of watching your stand-up may be a touch on the harsh side, but here's an idea – don't actually put yourself in that position in the first place.
It seems, to me, to be an entirely self-sabotaging endeavour anyway. Operating a cameraphone, even at the most perfunctory level, takes a small degree of concentration, which means that you are going to miss nuances of that thing you actually paid money to see: the gig itself.
It's not as if any footage you do film is going to whisk you back to the moment and help you relive the experience all over again. You'll just be left with 90 seconds of grainy muffled footage of a spectacle that you could actually be observing first-hand. Where's the benefit?
I suspect this is purely motivated by the earning of social media kudos. You get to be that person who is first to upload EXCLUSIVE! NEW! NEARLY LIVE! footage of comics delivering their new material on Facebook or YouTube. It might get you a few likes, if such things matter to you.
Well, I have to tell you right now, your priorities are all wrong. Especially if those Likes are costing you £85.
The scabrous US stand-up Doug Stanhope makes a very good point about filming gigs – it's effectively video piracy. We don't accept cameraphone rips of film performances, so why slacken the rules when it comes to live performance?
I have to concur.
If it's a choice between experiencing, or documenting for the edification of others, than I choose the experience every time.
Put the camera down, get comfy on your £85 seat, and enjoy the show.
Most puzzling of all is why those who have forked out big bucks to see a live performance then decide to view it through a tiny screen, text their friends or even have a chat.
Scott Bird, Press and PR manager at the Grand Theatre, said there is a strict no mobile phone policy at the Wolverhampton venue. Those who flout it, risk being asked to leave.
He said: "For absolutely every show, phones are not allowed during the production. The lights can be disturbing, they can interfere with the sound systems, and it is disrespectful to the performances.
"Recording is prohibited for obvious copyright reasons and also the cast members can find it off-putting.
"Our ushers will go down the aisle and try to tell that person to put their phone away.
"Phones should at least be set to silent but preferably turned off.
"Whether it is just to check the time, replying to a text message, or even taking a call, it is all a big no-no."
Producer and director Derrick Gask, who is artistic programme manager at the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford, said venues faced an 'ongoing battle' with mobiles – particularly during stand-up comedy.
He said: "We repeatedly ask audience members to turn off their phones and as a general rule we do not allow flash photography because it is bad manners and it puts performers off. All our ushers are well briefed on this.
"Some comedians don't mind the odd phone but most will now let the audience take pictures at the start and then tell them to turn them off.
"Especially in Stafford, we get a lot of comedians putting on warm-up shows to try out new material.
"We have had the likes of Lee Evans in recent years. They do not want their jokes being circulated before they have honed them or even started their tour. Personally I do not understand people who get their phones out to film the show. I would quite happily bet that most never watch it again.
"Also if images and video are widely circulated then it spoils the experience for others coming to see the show at a later date.
"There are some benefits because it increases your exposure and you hope it will drive more ticket sales, but I can't help but feel that it means it loses some of its mystique."
The NEC Group, which runs the Barclaycard Arena and Genting Arena said different promoters will stipulate different conditions on how strict to be on phone users.
In this case it was the start of Kevin Hart's UK tour and he wanted to avoid future shows being spoiled for other fans.
A statement said: "The venue made every effort to ensure that the message was clearly communicated to customers via all avenues available, prior to the show and onsite.
"The security measures implemented during this event were at an additional request from the touring production who hire the venue for their event. Several announcements were made from the stage prior to the main act going on stage.
"This was an extreme case, and we would like to assure our customers that this is not our standard security or mobile phone and camera policy for events held at our venue."
There have been notable incidents where stars have hit out at their rude audience members.
During a performance at Darlington's Civic Theatre, Michael McIntyre walked off the stage after a woman in the front row decided she would rather phone her friends than listen to him.
Sarah Millican told a fan who filmed her on stage in 2012: "I really hope you don't come to any more of my shows. You're not welcome if you're to behave in such a disrespectful way."
And former They Think It's All Over regular Lee Hurst was prosecuted for criminal damage in 2009 after smashing an audience member's phone at one of his gigs.
He said: "If people film you, they don't have permission to do so. A lot of this stuff ends up on YouTube. TV programmes have writers writing for the performers and they go around to gigs and take the material and sell it to the BBC and ITV and that material is gone. You are then accused of stealing your own material."
However there is a growing number of shows where audience members are encouraged to tweet throughout the performance. Some theatres even have 'tweet seats'.
Derren Brown's show at the Grand in Wolverhampton in April will include a section where audience members are asked to use their mobiles.
But theatres have other battles on their hands too in the world of theatre etiquette. The Grand provides cups so people can unwrap sweets before the start of the performance.
But there is also the crunch of crisps and spectators dashing to the toilet mid-performance to add to the list of theatre taboos.
"You won't believe me but we have even had cases of people listening to the radio during the World Cup whilst in the theatre, said Mr Gask.
