These are dark times in the arts: new and pernicious ways to annoy others with one's mobile phone have been discovered.
It is fair to say that a majority of audience members recognise the convention that telephone conversations should not be conducted during performances. And even that allowing ringing and beeping in places of entertainment is poor form.
However, it is now clear that far too many people have discovered their telephone's "silent" setting - and feel that it is acceptable to avail themselves of it.
Two revolting new habits seem thus to have sprung up. First, the checking of the telephone between scenes (or even, I have noticed, during scenes) for text messages. Second, the use of the mobile phone's sickly greenish light to read the programme when house lights are down.
I've been thoroughly hacked off by both these acts recently. That little light is offputting and distracting, both in itself and in relation to the fear that the instrument might spring into audible life.
People, don't do it. The phone, in the gallery, theatre or concert hall, needs to be off, and left quite alone for the duration. Otherwise we're just going to have to confiscate it.
