Heckler who shouted at 12-year-old actor banned for life from Royal Opera House

10 November 2022, 11:35 | Updated: 10 November 2022, 12:12

A man has been banned from the Royal Opera House for heckling a child actor
A man has been banned from the Royal Opera House for heckling a child actor. Picture: ROH/Marc Brenner/Alamy

By Daisy Stephens

A man has been handed a lifetime ban from the Royal Opera House for heckling a 12-year-old actor during a production Handel's opera Alcina.

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Malakai M Bayoh was singing his lines at the opening night of the opera on Tuesday when a man in the 2,000-strong audience shouted "rubbish" and booed him.

Other audience members shushed the heckler, who left soon after.

The crowd loudly applauded Bayoh, who has been well-reviewed for his performance.

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Financial Times associate arts editor Josh Spero, who was in the audience, called the incident the "nastiest thing".

"A 12-year-old boy was sweetly singing his lines when a man in the audience yelled, 'Rubbish!' and booed him," he tweeted.

"Who would do that to a child?

"Once the boy was done, the audience responded with wild applause and cheering."

Bayoh has been well-reviewed for his performance
Bayoh has been well-reviewed for his performance. Picture: ROH/Marc Brenner

In a statement, the Royal Opera House said that "steps had been taken" to ensure that the heckler does not return to the opera house.

"We would like to congratulate Malakai M Bayoh for his stellar performance as Oberto in our first night of Alcina", the statement said.

"Malakai is astonishingly talented - bringing great acting and beautiful singing to the role - a huge accomplishment for such a young singer.

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"Unfortunately, the opening night of Alcina featured an audience member who disrupted the show and Malakia's excellent performance.

"We are appalled that a member of the audience behaved in this way and our support is with Malakia and the cast and creative team of Alcina.

"Steps have been taken to ensure the audience member in question does not return to the Royal Opera House."

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