The League of Austen Artists: James McAvoy: Is this a phone I see before me? asks angry James McAvoy (HERALD SCOTLAND)

From giggling schoolchildren to chirping mobile phones, noises off have a rich history of drawing ire from actors on the stage.

Phil Miller

Arts Correspondent

Now Hollywood actor James McAvoy has become the latest to be visibly irked by activity from the audience.

During a performance of Macbeth in London, the Scots star saw a member of the audience was filming him with a mobile phone.

The Glasgow-born actor, who was playing the role of Shakespeare's Scottish king at the Trafalgar Studios, remonstrated with the man.

One witness said the actor shouted at him and asked him to stop filming.

"The poor fellow looked very embarrassed," a witness said.

Last night, a statement on behalf of the theatre said: "An audience member was caught filming by the actor James McAvoy.

"The filming disrupted the production of Macbeth, forcing James McAvoy to respond to the audience member by asking them to stop filming immediately.

"The production then continued as planned once the camera had been put away."

The League of Austen Artists