Man arrested in UK theatre for refusing to wear a face mask

A man was handcuffed and arrested on Tuesday night in a London theatre for refusing to wear a face mask. It happened during a showing of “This is Going to Hurt (Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor)” at the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames. Creator Adam Kay, a former NHS doctor, stopped the event when he saw the man wearing a mask around his ears and chin.

He politely requested the man to put the mask on properly several times. Dr. Kay then asked members of the theatre’s security team to remove him from the theatre. The man told Dr. Kay that he was drinking and eating so he did not have to wear a mask.

The show was stopped when the man refused. Dr. Kay was escorted offstage and the man was handcuffed and removed from the auditorium by four police officers.

Since December 10, it has been mandatory to wear a mask in most indoor public spaces, including theatres.

In a statement to the Telegraph, Dr. Kay thanked the “wonderful staff” at the theatre.

“During the show, a man was proudly wearing his mask around his chin and, when asked by multiple people to wear it more appropriately, became extremely disruptive and rude to theatre staff, to the extent that the show became badly affected.”

In a statement, the Rose Theatre said it supported the government’s decision to make face coverings mandatory.

“Face coverings help to keep our audiences, artists, and staff safe and this measure increases the likelihood that theatres will remain open throughout the winter. We thank our front-of-house colleagues for dealing so well with a challenging situation and the audience for their overwhelmingly positive feedback.”