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What’s more dramatic than a Shakespearean storm? A real-life protest crashing the stage during The Tempest.
On Monday, January 27, Sigourney Weaver’s West End performance took an unscripted turn when climate activists from Just Stop Oil disrupted the show.
Stefania D’Alessandro/WireImage
Footage of the incident shows the 75-year-old Hollywood icon seated mid-scene at Theatre Royal Drury Lane when two protesters walked onstage holding a yellow banner reading “Over 1.5°C Is a Global Shipwreck” — a reference to global temperature increases.
Moments later, they set off a confetti cannon, prompting Weaver’s castmate to apologize to the audience and exit. Theater staff quickly escorted the Avatar actress offstage while the activists faced a mix of boos and scattered cheers from the crowd before eventually leaving the stage.
Just Stop Oil later posted a clip of the incident to Instagram, with a voiceover stating nearly the same phrase: “1.5 degrees is a shipwreck that we can’t ignore.” The group called for an end to fossil fuels by 2030, warning of devastating storms and wildfires caused by climate change.
Shortly after, reactions flooded the comments section, with many praising the activists for their bold move.
“Doing the Lords work 👏 (& by Lord I mean Mother Nature),” one person wrote.
“People who can appreciate theater should connect the dots that we need a planet to have theater on,” another pointed out.
“Thank you for your bravery!! I was in the audience cheering you on,” chimed in a third.
“Shakespeare would probs be fine with it. Crack on 😂,” someone else jested.
Not everyone was supportive, though.
I get the message. But disrupting art and a performance is not cool.
— MarcusMIDI (@MarcusMIDI) January 27, 2025
“Lucky I was not there those 2 would have been dragged out of the theatre,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“I swear if you dribbling hyenas interrupted anything I’d paid over 400 quid to go and enjoy your mummy and daddy would be refunding me personally,” added another.
“I get the message. But disrupting art and a performance is not cool,” someone else weighed in.
By Tuesday, January 28, the Metropolitan Police released a statement that confirmed the arrest of a 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man for “aggravated trespass.”
Weaver has yet to address the incident publicly.
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