Audiences will no longer hear the words, 'ladies and gentlemen', while performers should not have 'backhanded compliments' or be described as 'brave', under new gender-neutral guidelines from actors' union, Equity.

Published last week, the advice is aimed at people and venues working with LGBT performers.

Campaigners for LGBT rights say that such phrases as 'ladies and gentlemen' exclude people who do not identify as male or female, but rather as non-binary, such as singer Sam Smith.

Tamsin Greig starred as female butler Malvolia in the National Theatre's gender-fluid production of Twelfth Night

Equity's guide also advises against compliments on 'appearance, clothing, voice, quality, identity or the performer being brave', the Sunday Times reports.

Following the publication of the guide, the National Theatre pledged to phase out 'ladies and gentlemen', while the Royal Shakespeare Company said it would, 'strive to create environments which welcome and support trans people and people who identify their gender as fluid'.

Meanwhile Nica Burns, co-owner of Nimax Theatre, said: 'Coming to the theatre is a shared and communal experience in one single auditorium and we want to please our audience and give them a great evening. We wouldn't want anyone to feel offended or annoyed.'

The guidelines follow on from a series of high-profile productions featuring gender-fluid interpretations in recent years.

The National Youth Theatre production of Macbeth featured tutu-wearing male witches

In 2017, Tamsin Greig starred as butler Malvolia in the Royal National Theatre's production of Twelfth Night, which also featured the normally male Feste also turned into a woman.

Last year, the National Youth Theatre production of Macbeth featured a female lead, married to a woman, while two out of the three witches were men - with one in a tutu.

Elsewhere, last month the Old Vic theatre announced it had scrapped its men and women toilets and replaced them with 'self-selection' facilities that can be used by both genders.