Woman was told to ‘shut the f–k up’ at Queen musical

A pensioner tried to throttle a woman after she was told by a theatre critic to ‘shut the f–k up’ at a Queen musical, a court heard.

Kirsty O’Donnell has said she felt ‘shock, terror, just pure disbelief’ when Malcolm Potier, 74, allegedly put his hands around her neck after she had been singing aloud on 7 June 2023.

They were attending the press night of the hit musical We Will Rock You at the London Coloseum when Potier’s companion, theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, told Ms O’Donnell’s party: ‘Will you two shut the f*** up?’

Ms O’Donnell said: ‘That’s a bit rude,’ to which Potier replied: ‘I will show you what rude is,’ before grabbing her neck and applying ‘intense pressure’ for up to four seconds, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The theatre critic would later write a scathing review of the musical in which she complained of the ‘behaviour of the audience’, jurors were told.

She wrote: ‘There are those that are chattering all through as if they are at home watching their televisions and get cross and aggressive when you ask them to stop talking.

‘And worse of all are those sing along audience members who inflict their mediocre singing voice on the rest of us.’

But Ms Loveridge denied she knew Potier and told police she was only sat next to him after she offered up her spare ticket to ‘a man outside’, the court heard.

Potier was first arrested on 28 November 2023 but ‘de-arrested’ on medical grounds.

He was invited back for a voluntary interview in which he made no comment to all questions asked.

Potier appeared in the dock today (Weds) wearing a navy suit jacket over a white shirt and tie.

Prosecutor Sam Lubner said police later triangulated Ms Loveridge’s phone signal to show she was in attendance at the London Coliseum on the day of the alleged incident.

Potier was identified by Ms O’Donnell after she was given the critic’s business card by an audience member, who told her what happened was ‘unacceptable’ and urged her to file a police report.

The card identified the defendant’s companion as Ms Loveridge, and from there Ms O’Donnell said she searched her Facebook profile until Potier showed up.

Earlier she told jurors she was ‘100 per cent sure’ once she found Potier’s photos online, adding: ‘That is him, I could tell by the features on the photograph.

‘I don’t forget faces, I instantly recognised him.’

Potier, from the picturesque village of Sarratt in Hertfordshire, denies one count of assault by beating.

The trial continues.
ENDS