Orlando Bloom, the British actor, interrupted his own stage performance to berate a member of the audience using her iPad as a fan, it has been claimed.

Bloom, who is starring in Killer Joe, stayed in character as he reportedly shouted at a woman in the audience to “put that f----- iPad away”, receiving a round of applause from other theatregoers.

One member of the audience said the woman was using her iPad to power an electric fan in the heat of the 380-seat Trafalgar Studios.

A spokesman for the play did not comment on whether Bloom swore, and declined to expand on whether the audience member was spoken to by staff.

In a statement, the producers for Killer Joe said: "There was an incident at yesterday’s matinee of Killer Joe that was dealt with swiftly and efficiently by the Front of House team.