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| Sir Peter Hall apologises to Downton star for disrupting play | Sir Peter Hall apologises to Downton star for disrupting play |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News | By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News |
| Director Sir Peter Hall has apologised to Downton Abbey actress Laura Carmichael after he "unintentionally disrupted" her West End debut. | Director Sir Peter Hall has apologised to Downton Abbey actress Laura Carmichael after he "unintentionally disrupted" her West End debut. |
| Audiences at the opening night of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya on Friday heard Sir Peter speaking in the stalls during the play's final scene. | Audiences at the opening night of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya on Friday heard Sir Peter speaking in the stalls during the play's final scene. |
| Reports over the weekend suggested Sir Peter had been "heckling" the actors. | Reports over the weekend suggested Sir Peter had been "heckling" the actors. |
| In a statement, however, the 81-year-old said he had been "disorientated" after falling asleep. | In a statement, however, the 81-year-old said he had been "disorientated" after falling asleep. |
| "I am mortified that I unintentionally disrupted the final scene of Uncle Vanya and I have sent a personal note to Laura Carmichael offering my apologies," Sir Peter said. | "I am mortified that I unintentionally disrupted the final scene of Uncle Vanya and I have sent a personal note to Laura Carmichael offering my apologies," Sir Peter said. |
| "I enjoyed the evening, and her performance, immensely, and I cannot stress too strongly that my remarks were in no way directed at her or the production." | "I enjoyed the evening, and her performance, immensely, and I cannot stress too strongly that my remarks were in no way directed at her or the production." |
| The distinguished director added: "Being rather aged I dropped off for a moment and on being woken by my wife I was briefly disorientated. | The distinguished director added: "Being rather aged I dropped off for a moment and on being woken by my wife I was briefly disorientated. |
| "Remarks made in the resulting confusion were not in any way related to Uncle Vanya, which I think is a very fine production with a marvellous company of actors." | "Remarks made in the resulting confusion were not in any way related to Uncle Vanya, which I think is a very fine production with a marvellous company of actors." |
| Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith Crawley in ITV1 drama Downton Abbey, was making her first appearance in London's West End in a new version of Chekhov's classic at the Vaudeville Theatre. | Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith Crawley in ITV1 drama Downton Abbey, was making her first appearance in London's West End in a new version of Chekhov's classic at the Vaudeville Theatre. |
| The actress continued to deliver her emotional closing speech despite the disruption. She then joined the rest of the cast - including Ken Stott, Anna Friel and Samuel West - for the curtain call. | |
| href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9653631/Downton-Abbey-star-heckled-at-West-End-opening-night-by-grand-old-man-of-theatre.html" >Newspaper reports on Sunday suggested that Sir Peter had heckled Carmichael from the stalls with the words: "It doesn't work and you don't work. It is not good enough. I could be at home watching television." | |
| BBC reporters who attended the opening night said there was confusion in the auditorium as to whom had spoken and the nature of what was said. | |
| 'Delicately impressive' | |
| Critics have been mainly positive about the play, with the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer noting in his four-star review that "some of the actors occasionally seemed strained and jumpy". | |
| "But there is already a great deal to admire and I suspect the production will gain in depth and detail as the run continues." | |
| The Guardian's Michael Billington gave the production three stars, describing it as "solidly capable rather than genuinely inspiring". | |
| In The Stage, Mark Shenton praised Carmichael's "delicately impressive West End debut as the wounded Sonya". | |
| "I was delighted that Peter Hall and a host of great actors - Idris Elba, Rhys Ifans and stars from Downton Abbey - attended the opening night of Uncle Vanya," said Nica Burns, owner of the Vaudeville. | "I was delighted that Peter Hall and a host of great actors - Idris Elba, Rhys Ifans and stars from Downton Abbey - attended the opening night of Uncle Vanya," said Nica Burns, owner of the Vaudeville. |
| "I left the auditorium with Sir Peter and Lady Hall and he was applauding enthusiastically and shouting 'Bravo!' He clearly had a great evening." | "I left the auditorium with Sir Peter and Lady Hall and he was applauding enthusiastically and shouting 'Bravo!' He clearly had a great evening." |
| Sir Peter founded the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961 and was its artistic director for eight years. He went on to spend 11 years as director of the National Theatre. | Sir Peter founded the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961 and was its artistic director for eight years. He went on to spend 11 years as director of the National Theatre. |
| The current series of Downton Abbey concluded on ITV1 on Sunday night. | The current series of Downton Abbey concluded on ITV1 on Sunday night. |