Have Phone, Leave It Outside
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Mumbai Theatre Guide
Jul 1, 2026, 9:42:28 AM (10 days ago) Jul 1
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Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Dear Reader,
Have Phone, Leave It Outside
Requests to shut down or silence mobile phones seems to have no effect on audiences. Now, reports Pauline McLean in bbc.com, Nicola Benedetti, Grammy-winning violinist, who has been director of the Edinburgh International Festival since 2023, has declared her latest festival a "phone free" environment. She says the "lights down, phones off" policy has come at the request of artists and audiences.
She is quoted in the piece as having said, “"Live performance is unlike anything else and the Edinburgh International Festival is here to protect the rarity of this experience…The power of our programme is intensified by the tangible, collective presence of everyone in the room, and we want you to be with us fully. When the lights go down and the performance starts, we would like phones to disappear from our hands, minds and ears."
Mclean writes, “The festival says that every single concert in their Queen's Hall chamber series was disrupted last year by mobile phones. Many of them were broadcast. Frustrating not just those in the room, but those listening at home too.
“Californian singer Phoebe Bridgers recently announced a complete ban on phones at her gigs, with fans having to place them in special pouches during her shows. Bob Dylan, Jack White and Swedish rock band Ghost have all insisted on similar no-phone policies at their gigs. Actresses Rosamund Pike and Jessie Buckley have spoken out about audience members texting during their theatre performance. Another actress, Lesley Manville, also complained after someone filmed the actors while they were taking their bows during a curtain call after the performance had ended.
Benedetti is confident that the festival can return to its once phone-free existence. "Views on this have been widely and boldly expressed in recent months and we are acting in communion with our beloved audiences, and extraordinary artists," she said.
Can a similar ban be enforced in India, where not only do phones ring during live performances, but people answer them, or text during shows, oblivious to the annoyance caused to people disturbed by the phone light? It’s worth a try.
Have Phone, Leave It Outside
Requests to shut down or silence mobile phones seems to have no effect on audiences. Now, reports Pauline McLean in bbc.com, Nicola Benedetti, Grammy-winning violinist, who has been director of the Edinburgh International Festival since 2023, has declared her latest festival a "phone free" environment. She says the "lights down, phones off" policy has come at the request of artists and audiences.
She is quoted in the piece as having said, “"Live performance is unlike anything else and the Edinburgh International Festival is here to protect the rarity of this experience…The power of our programme is intensified by the tangible, collective presence of everyone in the room, and we want you to be with us fully. When the lights go down and the performance starts, we would like phones to disappear from our hands, minds and ears."
Mclean writes, “The festival says that every single concert in their Queen's Hall chamber series was disrupted last year by mobile phones. Many of them were broadcast. Frustrating not just those in the room, but those listening at home too.
“Californian singer Phoebe Bridgers recently announced a complete ban on phones at her gigs, with fans having to place them in special pouches during her shows. Bob Dylan, Jack White and Swedish rock band Ghost have all insisted on similar no-phone policies at their gigs. Actresses Rosamund Pike and Jessie Buckley have spoken out about audience members texting during their theatre performance. Another actress, Lesley Manville, also complained after someone filmed the actors while they were taking their bows during a curtain call after the performance had ended.
Benedetti is confident that the festival can return to its once phone-free existence. "Views on this have been widely and boldly expressed in recent months and we are acting in communion with our beloved audiences, and extraordinary artists," she said.
Can a similar ban be enforced in India, where not only do phones ring during live performances, but people answer them, or text during shows, oblivious to the annoyance caused to people disturbed by the phone light? It’s worth a try.
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