Drunk Ackroyd causes fracas at theatre

Novelist and historian Peter Ackroyd sparked an "extraordinary" fracas at a theatre after drunkenly heckling the actors and writer.

According to witnesses Ackroyd spent much of the 75-minute show heckling actors and talking loudly to members of the 55-strong audience - which included TV presenter Abi Titmuss and a Channel 4 camera crew.

Ackroyd, author of London: The Biography, spilled a bottle of red wine on the stage, and after an actor pronounced the line: "I'm bored", bellowed back: "So am I!"

So enraged was actor Alexander Warner, who plays Freud, that he waited until the curtain fell then launched an attack in which Mr Roberts was head-butted.

Ackroyd, it is understood, only escaped because he was in the lavatory. Titmuss, who was seated next to Ackroyd, told the Standard: "One of the lines in the play was 'What's going on?' at which point this man next to me, who seemed very merry, responded, 'I wish I knew!'

"When one of the actors read the line, 'When will it end?' Ackroyd shouted, 'Hopefully soon!'

"I hate to admit it but at some points the heckling was rather amusing, though I don't condone it.

"The actors did a sterling job. It is an intense play and they didn't waver.

"His heckling was continuous and I think by the end they were furious."

The play's writer, Alison Trower, became embroiled in a furious row with Ackroyd.

She told The Independent: "If he hadn't taken so long in the loo it would have been him who was head-butted and not his friend. He was incredibly rude."

Mike Miller, director of Spread, today told the Standard that Ackroyd and Mr Roberts had both apologised.

Mr Miller said: "It was quite an extraordinary outburst - he put the actor under incredible pressure. He arrived drunk and went out to get bottles of wine.

"When he left he had vomit on his face and wine all over him. It was appalling."

Defending actor Warner, Mr Miller added: "He'd never been faced by that before. An apology has come from Mr Roberts saying that he deserved to be head-butted.

"Peter Ackroyd has subsequently apologised and asked if there is a way he can rectify the situation. I'm not sure, though, how he can."

Ackroyd could not be reached for comment.