Drowned

The Royal Opera House has banned an audience member For Life for booing and heckling a 12-year-old actor during a production of Handel's opera Alcina.

Malakai M Bayoh was met with cries of " Rubbish! " while singing his lines, on Tuesday, Opening Night , in London.

Onlookers shushed The Heckler , who left soon after, and loudly applauded Bayoh.

The ROH said it was " appalled" at the outburst and praised the classically trained youngster for his well reviewed portrayal of Oberto.

In a statement shared with Bbc News , a spokesman said: " Malakai is astonishingly talented, bringing great acting and beautiful singing to The Role - a huge accomplishment for such a young singer.

" Unfortunately, the Opening Night of Alcina featured an audience member who disrupted The Show and Malakai's excellent performance.

" We Are appalled that a member of The Audience behaved in this way and our support is with Malakai and The Cast and creative team of Alcina.

" Steps have been taken to ensure The Audience member in question does not return to The Royal Opera House . "

Financial Times associate arts editor Josh Spero broke The News , the " nastiest thing happened" at the production.

" A 12-year-old boy was sweetly singing his lines when A Man in The Audience yelled, 'Rubbish!' and booed him, " he wrote.

" Who would do that to a child?

" Once The Boy was done, The Audience responded with wild applause and cheering. "

Rebecca Franks, of The Times , " vile behaviour from one audience member at Alcina at The Royal Opera House ".

" He booed and heckled the young boy singing (in a lovely way) Oberto, " she posted.

" Thankfully, the rest of The Audience Drowned The Heckler out with extra-loud, heartfelt applause. But, seriously, who boos a child? "

Others soon shared this disdain online, with one tweeting: " Paying for a ticket doesn't give people The Right to act however they want. "

Bayoh, who trained at The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, features alongside Lisette Oropesa , Emily D'Angelo, Mary Bevan , Varduhi Abrahamyan and Rupert Charlesworth in Richard Jones's production of Handel's fantastical 1735 opera seria.

He was praised by critics for his excellent performance under difficult circumstances.

In a four-star review for, Martin Kettle wrote: " Jones's dramatically poignant choice of a child alto (here a reedy Malakhai Bayoh) to sing The Lost boy Oberto caused barracking from one single person that was quickly - and rightly - Drowned in cheers from Everyone Else . "

's Nicholas Kenyon also gave Four Stars , referring to a " shameful heckle" while noting Bayoh " received a huge ovation".

" The Evil spirit of Handel's enchantress Alcina evidently infected one audience member at Tuesday's premiere of this new production, " he wrote.

" The young Malakai M Bayoh, making his debut in The Role of The Boy Oberto, was shamefully heckled in The Middle of an aria that he was singing skilfully and exuberantly. "

Source of news: bbc.com