I think the only time I ever assaulted anyone – have I mentioned this before? – was when a loud American talked all the way through Ninigawa’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

But I’m definitely on the intolerant side when plays are disrupted.

And I would have been more than willing to deck the mobile phone owner who let their phone ring for, ooh, several minutes at the opening of Martin Crimp’s play The City tonight.

There was Benedict Cumberbatch (from the film Atonement and TV’s Stuart: A Life Lived Backwards as well as recent Court hits) and Hattie Morahan (recently seen in TV’s Sense and Sensibility) embarking on the intriguing but not exactly a-walk-in-the-park venture of a premiere.

And there was some (probable) idiot who failed to curtail their ring tone for what felt like a life-time.

I am opposed to the Richard Griffiths’ approach of castigating the perpetrators. I was told – and it may have been wrong but sounded plausible – that a noise-maker who The History Boys star humiliated at the National Theatre was hearing impaired and didn’t realise the ‘phone was his.

But my heart went out to Cumberbatch who wondered afterwards whether they should have stopped entirely and started again so near the start were they.

It’s a tricky call. When a mobile interrupted Simon Rattle at the Proms a couple of years ago, it was within seconds of the concert beginning. It was an open and shut case and he went from the start after a fierce rebuke to the offender.

Several minutes into theatre struck me as less than clear-cut.

But it does reinforce the need for mobile vigilance. There is no excuse. All mobiles should be put on silent in theatres, cinemas and concert halls. It's not exactly difficult to do, even for the most technologically inept. Bravo to the Court cast for ploughing on regardless. But they should never have faced that dilemma.

ends

I’ve just spent the day with 700 people watching nearly 10 hours of Shakespeare.

I’m a little weary with a slightly numb rear, but heaven only know how shattered the ensemble company of the Royal Shakespeare Company feel after performing Henry IV parts one and two then Henry V, starting at 10.30am and finishing around 11pm tonight.

But I love the idea that on a rather nice spring Wednesday morning, the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm was buzzing with people about to embark on an epic theatrical experience.

Even more stunning in some ways is that given some of the audience, such as AC Grayling, the philosopher, and Ed Vaizey, the Tory’s shadow culture spokesman, could only make the third part of today’s trilogy, that must have meant others got out of bed for the trickier Henry IVs alone. And they don’t even have the benefit of all those rallying speeches – “Once more unto the breach….” - at which Laurence Olivier excelled.

But arts audiences know love the big event. From all-weekend music festivals to the complete run of Shakespeare’s history plays  there are people who want utter immersion. Already the RSC London season is close to sold out.

And though the series had some terrific reviews in

Stratford

before the

London

transfer, past experience suggests that isn’t entirely the point. The Coast of

Utopia

trilogy at the National Theatre was far from being Tom Stoppard at his best but was still a riveting day on the South Bank. The first time I ever saw this sequence of Shakespeare’s was about 20 years ago when I was a student and I can still remember the sense of achievement – and excitement. There’s a sense of ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish.’

And Michael Boyd, the RSC’s artistic director, is right – you get a different perspective on Shakespeare’s history cycle seeing the works all together. It may be too late now to get your tickets. But if you can, go.

ends