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Monday, September 14, 2026
Man Sentenced to 2-Year Jail Sentence After Strangling Fellow Theatregoer for Singing Along During We Will Rock You
Playbill: Seventy-five year-old Malcolm Potier was sentenced to jail time for strangling a fellow theatregoer at a 2023 performance of Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You in London's West End. According to MyLondon, the sentence was handed down by Southwark Crown Court Judge Dafna Spiro September 10.
Okay, while the headline is stupidly hilarious (at least looking back on it), it does raise a question I suspect many theater goers and even designers struggle with: how much should the audience interact. When I saw Hamilton come through Broadway in Portland, one of the reviews complained it was "a sing-along." In my mind, this has become a problem with popular modern musicals, particularly those that now have a movie version---so many people know the music that they want to sing along to have more fun, but at the same time this can annoy those around them and decrease the enjoyment. This is also a quandary for theater designers and even in live concerts: some of the audience will have more fun singing along (or in concerts, where the artist holds the mic out to the audience) but that may also annoy those in the audience who want to watch the professional singer, not listen to the audience around them. Personally, as someone who can't sing, I would always error on the side of caution, but there will always be those that don't, and are they at fault for that? Definitely not enough to be strangled.
While this is an outlandish example, It does raise something that the theatre industry needs to deal with. As cast recordings, proshots and other ways of interacting with theatre grow more and more accessible, and people grow more and more attached to their devices, we are losing a sense of audience etiquette, of how to engage with theatre while still being respectful of the time and effort put into making it. Sure, it’s not a concrete rule to not sing along at a performance but if it dampens others experiences, shouldn’t we expect people not to? Though the answer is not strangulation, we do have to find a way to effectively communicate audience expectations without making those uninformed audience members feel patronized or unwelcome at the theatre. We cannot alienate people who don’t know how to engage, that is how we lose the next generation, but we must do something. But what?
This article was a wild read from start to finish. While singing along can be incredibly annoying to other patrons and disrespectful to the cast members on stage, it does not warrant physical violence. To tell someone to “shut the fuck up” and then to strangle them over singing in a theater is absolutely insane, and should never be someone's first course of action. Maybe O’Donnell would have stopped singing if she had been asked nicely first. Later in the article, learning that Potier had already been sentenced to eighteen years in prison in Australia for attempting to get his ex-partner killed was also crazy. I’m almost surprised that he only received two years for this offense, considering his criminal record. Although, since his record is in Australia and this offense was in the UK the prior offenses might not be taken into consideration in the sentencing. Insane behavior aside, this article makes me wonder about theater etiquette as a whole. I was privileged enough to grow up going to live theater and learning that you're supposed to be quiet in a theater, but so many people were not fortunate enough to grow up being taught that. Also, there’s the question of what exactly is proper theater etiquette, especially at a jukebox musical. At concerts, singing along is encouraged, since the audience knows all the words. You could make the argument that jukebox musicals are also made to be sung along to. This begs the question of when is the audience expected to interact with the show? And how are those rules updated as theater continues to evolve?
Honestly, while I do not condone murder, I do hate jukebox musicals. The beauty of seeing theater is that you go and see something you have never seen before. New art is crucial to our world, and jukebox musicals are ruining that. If an audience goes in and already knows all the words to songs, they are automatically pulled out of being immersed in the story. When you listen to music, often people don't listen to the lyrics, they just know them absentmindedly. This means that an audience member is not actively listening to the songs as they appear in the context of the musical. Also, I hate when people sing along. This also takes fellow audience members out of the show. It is disrespectful and rude to the audience, performers, and crew. And oftentimes it's annoying middle aged women who really can't sing to save their lives.
While I think this is an extreme example, I think that this displays the divide between older and younger generations and their views on live performance etiquette. Oftentimes I go to see productions, usually with either my friends or my grandparents. While both heavily appreciate theatre and the culture surrounding it, they both have different attitudes towards it. My friends tend to talk during performances while also being a live audience member, while my grandparents tend to focus on the show rather than audience interaction. On numerous times, I’ve heard my grandparents complain about those who talk too much or sing along during performances, even if they’re meant to. I agree with both of these viewpoints, as I think that being a participating audience member is important, but being respectful to the performance is too. Overall, while I do usually agree that people should not sing along during a theatrical performance, this is obviously an extreme example of the consequences of it.
This is actually quite the crazy story with a lot of escalation in an obscenely short amount of words. The part about singing during a show I believe really dwindles down to show etiquette and the lack thereof. A couple decades ago and older going to a theatre was a grand event where people dressed to the nines and showed their best selves and best behavior. Nowadays people where anything they want to see shows, there is a lack of formality in the event and with this lack of formality comes a lot of rude and disrespectful behavior. Some of these rude behaviors are talking / whispering during a show, being on your phone, not paying attention, and when it comes to musicals singing along to the songs. All of these minuscule actions are rude to the theatre and the company putting on this show. In our modern day that unfortunately common behavior continues to persist.
Look: strangling someone is obviously an overreaction to someone singing during a show, and Potier is obviously an incredibly violent person who we shouldn't be looking towards as a paragon of reason. However, audience behavior at both theatre and movies have gotten completely off the fucking rails, and sometimes someone just needs to be told to shut the fuck up. Don't talk (or, God forbid, *sing*) or be on your phone when a show is happening. Very simple. We have RULES as a society! This degrading of audience expectations is more than likely an product of COVID isolating people into their own tiny bubbles mixed with constant surveillance via smartphones encouraging every one to preform *constantly,* but just because I sympathize with people who have seemingly forgotten how to behave in polite society (and I obviously sympathize with O'Donnell, who was probably very annoying but not deserving of being assaulted) does not mean I can wave you off. Be respectful of the performers and your fellow audience members.
This article highlights the questionable members of society, like those who get riled up during a Queen jukebox musical about rock music and feel the need to choke another person. I, of all people, understand that music can bring out emotions that wouldn’t otherwise make their way to the surface. But I feel that a healthy way to handle those feelings could be through crying, or screaming your heart out to a song, or dancing with your friends- not physically assaulting another human being. People need to be kinder to one another. I do not feel this man’s actions were warranted by any means, but a fellow concertgoer telling him to “shut the f up” also seems rude and uncalled for. The arts are supposed to bring people together. Musicals should be an escape from the outside world. I’m sure the people mentioned in the article enjoyed Queen’s music, and although it wouldn’t be as memorable as a 2-year prison sentence, I think they would’ve all had a better experience respecting each other as fellow human beings.
8 comments:
Okay, while the headline is stupidly hilarious (at least looking back on it), it does raise a question I suspect many theater goers and even designers struggle with: how much should the audience interact. When I saw Hamilton come through Broadway in Portland, one of the reviews complained it was "a sing-along." In my mind, this has become a problem with popular modern musicals, particularly those that now have a movie version---so many people know the music that they want to sing along to have more fun, but at the same time this can annoy those around them and decrease the enjoyment. This is also a quandary for theater designers and even in live concerts: some of the audience will have more fun singing along (or in concerts, where the artist holds the mic out to the audience) but that may also annoy those in the audience who want to watch the professional singer, not listen to the audience around them. Personally, as someone who can't sing, I would always error on the side of caution, but there will always be those that don't, and are they at fault for that? Definitely not enough to be strangled.
While this is an outlandish example, It does raise something that the theatre industry needs to deal with. As cast recordings, proshots and other ways of interacting with theatre grow more and more accessible, and people grow more and more attached to their devices, we are losing a sense of audience etiquette, of how to engage with theatre while still being respectful of the time and effort put into making it. Sure, it’s not a concrete rule to not sing along at a performance but if it dampens others experiences, shouldn’t we expect people not to? Though the answer is not strangulation, we do have to find a way to effectively communicate audience expectations without making those uninformed audience members feel patronized or unwelcome at the theatre. We cannot alienate people who don’t know how to engage, that is how we lose the next generation, but we must do something. But what?
This article was a wild read from start to finish. While singing along can be incredibly annoying to other patrons and disrespectful to the cast members on stage, it does not warrant physical violence. To tell someone to “shut the fuck up” and then to strangle them over singing in a theater is absolutely insane, and should never be someone's first course of action. Maybe O’Donnell would have stopped singing if she had been asked nicely first. Later in the article, learning that Potier had already been sentenced to eighteen years in prison in Australia for attempting to get his ex-partner killed was also crazy. I’m almost surprised that he only received two years for this offense, considering his criminal record. Although, since his record is in Australia and this offense was in the UK the prior offenses might not be taken into consideration in the sentencing. Insane behavior aside, this article makes me wonder about theater etiquette as a whole. I was privileged enough to grow up going to live theater and learning that you're supposed to be quiet in a theater, but so many people were not fortunate enough to grow up being taught that. Also, there’s the question of what exactly is proper theater etiquette, especially at a jukebox musical. At concerts, singing along is encouraged, since the audience knows all the words. You could make the argument that jukebox musicals are also made to be sung along to. This begs the question of when is the audience expected to interact with the show? And how are those rules updated as theater continues to evolve?
Honestly, while I do not condone murder, I do hate jukebox musicals. The beauty of seeing theater is that you go and see something you have never seen before. New art is crucial to our world, and jukebox musicals are ruining that. If an audience goes in and already knows all the words to songs, they are automatically pulled out of being immersed in the story. When you listen to music, often people don't listen to the lyrics, they just know them absentmindedly. This means that an audience member is not actively listening to the songs as they appear in the context of the musical. Also, I hate when people sing along. This also takes fellow audience members out of the show. It is disrespectful and rude to the audience, performers, and crew. And oftentimes it's annoying middle aged women who really can't sing to save their lives.
While I think this is an extreme example, I think that this displays the divide between older and younger generations and their views on live performance etiquette. Oftentimes I go to see productions, usually with either my friends or my grandparents. While both heavily appreciate theatre and the culture surrounding it, they both have different attitudes towards it. My friends tend to talk during performances while also being a live audience member, while my grandparents tend to focus on the show rather than audience interaction. On numerous times, I’ve heard my grandparents complain about those who talk too much or sing along during performances, even if they’re meant to. I agree with both of these viewpoints, as I think that being a participating audience member is important, but being respectful to the performance is too. Overall, while I do usually agree that people should not sing along during a theatrical performance, this is obviously an extreme example of the consequences of it.
This is actually quite the crazy story with a lot of escalation in an obscenely short amount of words. The part about singing during a show I believe really dwindles down to show etiquette and the lack thereof. A couple decades ago and older going to a theatre was a grand event where people dressed to the nines and showed their best selves and best behavior. Nowadays people where anything they want to see shows, there is a lack of formality in the event and with this lack of formality comes a lot of rude and disrespectful behavior. Some of these rude behaviors are talking / whispering during a show, being on your phone, not paying attention, and when it comes to musicals singing along to the songs. All of these minuscule actions are rude to the theatre and the company putting on this show. In our modern day that unfortunately common behavior continues to persist.
Look: strangling someone is obviously an overreaction to someone singing during a show, and Potier is obviously an incredibly violent person who we shouldn't be looking towards as a paragon of reason. However, audience behavior at both theatre and movies have gotten completely off the fucking rails, and sometimes someone just needs to be told to shut the fuck up. Don't talk (or, God forbid, *sing*) or be on your phone when a show is happening. Very simple. We have RULES as a society! This degrading of audience expectations is more than likely an product of COVID isolating people into their own tiny bubbles mixed with constant surveillance via smartphones encouraging every one to preform *constantly,* but just because I sympathize with people who have seemingly forgotten how to behave in polite society (and I obviously sympathize with O'Donnell, who was probably very annoying but not deserving of being assaulted) does not mean I can wave you off. Be respectful of the performers and your fellow audience members.
This article highlights the questionable members of society, like those who get riled up during a Queen jukebox musical about rock music and feel the need to choke another person. I, of all people, understand that music can bring out emotions that wouldn’t otherwise make their way to the surface. But I feel that a healthy way to handle those feelings could be through crying, or screaming your heart out to a song, or dancing with your friends- not physically assaulting another human being. People need to be kinder to one another. I do not feel this man’s actions were warranted by any means, but a fellow concertgoer telling him to “shut the f up” also seems rude and uncalled for. The arts are supposed to bring people together. Musicals should be an escape from the outside world. I’m sure the people mentioned in the article enjoyed Queen’s music, and although it wouldn’t be as memorable as a 2-year prison sentence, I think they would’ve all had a better experience respecting each other as fellow human beings.
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