Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has requested fans outside the Barbican theater in London to refrain from filming his stage performance of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," reported BBC News. In a YouTube video shot outside the stage door, the "Sherlock" star told fans about "cameras and red lights" he spotted in the audience. "I can see red lights in the auditorium, and it may not be any of you here that did that, but it's blindingly obvious," he said.
Cumberbatch described being recorded as "mortifying," and said, "There's nothing less supportive or enjoyable as an actor being on stage experiencing that," according to Entertainment Weekly.
"I can't give you what I want to give you which is a live performance that you'll remember - hopefully in your minds and brains whether it's good, bad, or indifferent - rather than on your phones," he added.
Cumberbatch urged the crowd to put technology to good use and spread the word via social media, warning that future offenders would be removed from the theater, according to The Guardian.
It's not long before we get to see Cumberbatch in action as the mad prince of Denmark. The production will be broadcasted worldwide on Oct. 15. Until then, watch the actor's message to the fans in the video below.
