Some ideas are just doomed to failure from the outset and thankfully West Yorkshire Playhouse have scrapped their idea to allow audience members to use Twitter from some seats during performances.

While there is much debate on how to draw in new audiences are we really so addicted to our mobile devices that we cant be separated from our texts, tweets and email for a couple of hours?

How many performances recently have been marred by the eerie glow of a mobile screen? It was a refreshing change at Kursk last week to see ushers actively checking phones had been switched off (a necessity to preserve the crucial blackouts). It’s a pity that more theatres don’t take such a hard line – a lady at Enron a few weeks ago satin the second row and spent the majority of the show glued to her BlackBerry screen.

Sure engage with Twitter about the show but for a couple of hours when inside the auditorium switch it off!

Some ideas are just doomed to failure from the outset and thankfully West Yorkshire Playhouse have scrapped their idea to allow audience members to use Twitter from some seats during performances.

While there is much debate on how to draw in new audiences are we really so addicted to our mobile devices that we cant be separated from our texts, tweets and email for a couple of hours?

How many performances recently have been marred by the eerie glow of a mobile screen? It was a refreshing change at Kursk last week to see ushers actively checking phones had been switched off (a necessity to preserve the crucial blackouts). It’s a pity that more theatres don’t take such a hard line – a lady at Enron a few weeks ago satin the second row and spent the majority of the show glued to her BlackBerry screen.

Sure engage with Twitter about the show but for a couple of hours when inside the auditorium switch it off!