Strictly star Rose Ayling-Ellis speaks out after "shocking" theatre incident

"He was looking at me directly..."

By Emma Tinson

30 Jan 2023

Dave Benett/Getty Images for @sohoplace

Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has been flooded with support from fans, friends and co-stars after speaking out about a recent incident at her theatre show.

The former EastEnders actress is currently starring in a West End production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

However, she’s revealed one of her recent performances was interrupted by a "screaming" heckler.

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A post shared by Rose Ayling-Ellis (@rose.a.e)

Rose, who is a proud member of the deaf community, took to Instagram to detail how one audience member accused the cast of "discriminating against hearing people" during the show.

The Soho Place theatre production, from director Josie Rourke, incorporates British Sign Language (BSL) into the classic play via screens visible on all four sides of the theatre, making it accessible to the whole audience.

"During the matinee yesterday, an angry man in the audience interrupted the show with an entitled rant screaming that we were 'discriminating against hearing people!'" Rose explained. "He was looking at me directly. It was shocking."

Dave Benett/Getty Images for @sohoplace

Rose went on to detail how the performance was thankfully able to resume once the disruptive individual was "kicked off".

"In the same audience, a little deaf girl sat in the front row with her parents signing to her," the actress wrote. "Deaf members of the audience are able to sit wherever they want and whenever they want.

"Hearing people reading the captions, laughing and reacting to our signing on stage, coming into our world and understanding Shakespeare because of this.

"Two days ago, we had a BSL performance show, and 106 deaf people turn up. This is why we do accessible theatre."

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After reading Rose’s post, several of her Strictly co-stars rushed to the comments to offer words of support.

"Incredible Rose. More power to ya," AJ Odudu wrote, with Rhys Stephenson adding: "The fragile egos of some men is beyond embarrassing. Keep doing you Rose!"