David Tennant 'pulled off stage' after West End furore over toilet break

Scottish actor David Tennant was pulled off stage during a performance of Macbeth - after a man caused a row over a toilet break.

The former Doctor Who actor was performing the Shakespearean play in London’s West End on Tuesday, when an audience member was told he would have to wait to return to his seat after returning from the toilet.

The man reportedly insisted on getting back to his seat, causing a row with other ticket holders about the disturbance.

David Tennant following the West End opening night of Macbeth at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London. | PA

A spokesman for the production, at the Harold Pinter theatre, said: “We can confirm there was an incident at the theatre last night, which made it necessary for the front of house team to request a show stop.

“This is standard practice, in order to deal with the situation as swiftly and effectively as possible, enabling the remainder of the production to continue with minimum impact to both the audience and company.'

A message on the theatre's website warns: “if you need to leave the auditorium during the show, there is no readmittance”.

The adaptation, which also stars Cush Jumbo, who plays Lady Macbeth, is directed by Donmar associate director Max Webster, also known for Life Of Pi and Henry V.

It has broken box office records at the Harold Pinter theatre, having achieved the highest ever initial on sale, reaching over £2,150,000 in just one day.

Mr Tennant was born in Bathgate in 1971 as David John McDonald to Helen and Alexander McDonald. His father was a minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He took on the stage name of David Tennant after seeing an article featuring the Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant.

His early career saw him develop his acting on stage, frequently performing in Royal Shakespeare Company productions and being nominated in 2003 for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his performance in Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero.

He was cast as the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who in 2005.