Intruder was removed by staff during performance of Dvořák’s New World Symphony by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Royal Festival Hall

The Southbank Centre is reviewing security after a man leapt on to the Royal Festival Hall stage to take a photo of himself on his mobile phone during a performance on Wednesday night.

The intruder made his way on to the stage as Ádám Fischer was conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in the finale of Dvořák’s New World Symphony.

The Southbank Centre said: “An intruder forced his way into the Royal Festival Hall auditorium and on to the stage during last night’s concert and attempted to disrupt the performance by filming himself on his mobile phone.”

Security staff rushed on to the stage and hauled the man off . The concert continued “without pause”, according to the Southbank Centre.

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“As the man in question left the site, it was made clear to him that he’d behaved in an unacceptable way. Clearly a site such as ours, with more than six million a year visiting our venues, presents challenges but if he returned and was identified we would ask him to leave.”

The arts venue said it was reviewing security.



“The response by staff to last night’s intrusion was very swift, causing minimal disruption to the concert. Any instance such as this prompts us to review our ongoing security measures across the site.”

Tim Ashley, a Guardian reviewer who was at the concert, wrote in his review: “During the finale of the New World Symphony, a prankster pushed his way into the auditorium and bounded on to the platform, filmed himself dancing in front of the orchestra, and then happily allowed himself to be carted off by security staff, who had gathered at the side of the stage. Fischer shot him a look of quizzical amazement. The players carried on regardless and brought the house down.”

