Oaf is banned from Royal Opera House for booing singer aged 12

Oaf is banned from Royal Opera House for booing singer aged 12: Mystery man shouted ‘rubbish’ at child star as he sang an aria on opening night of Handel’s Alcina

• Malakai M Bayoh had ‘rubbish’ shouted at him while he sang in Handel’s Alcina
• The shocked audience erupted into loud applause and cheers for Bayoh
• The heckler has not been identified but was banned from the Royal Opera House

An oafish concert goer who booed a boy of 12’s solo performance was banned from the Royal Opera House yesterday.

Malakai M Bayoh had ‘rubbish’ shouted at him while he sang an aria on the opening night of Handel’s Alcina.

When he left the stage, the audience, which was shocked by the outburst, erupted into loud applause and cheering.

The ROH said it was ‘appalled’ by the behaviour of the heckler and ‘steps had been taken’ to ensure that the audience member, whose identity is unknown, ‘does not return’.

Opera goers voiced their horror online after Malakai, who studies at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in west London, had his solo disturbed by the heckling and loud boos.

Malakai M Bayoh had ‘rubbish’ shouted at him while he sang an aria on the opening night of Handel’s Alcina

A spokesman for the London institution said: ‘We would like to congratulate Malakai for his stellar performance as Oberto in our first night of Alcina’

One wrote on Twitter: ‘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). Thankfully, the rest of the audience drowned the heckler out with extra-loud, heartfelt applause. But, seriously, who boos a child?!’

Another music lover said: ‘It was appalling, I cannot stop thinking about it.’

A third wrote that the audience member had later left ‘of his own accord, rather noisily’. ‘I think by then even he realised that the audience was not on his side,’ they added.

The Arts Desk website called the rising star ‘the real scene-stealer’ on Tuesday night, adding: ‘The lad’s a star and deserves every plaudit.’

The Times said the aria had been performed with ‘lovely fluency and confidence’ and described the heckling as a ‘vile moment’. ‘I hope the young talented boy only heard the heartfelt, well-deserved applause,’ Rebecca Franks wrote.

The youngster made his debut for the ROH last year in a production of Mozart’s Magic Flute at the Covent Garden venue.

A spokesman for the London institution said: ‘We would like to congratulate Malakai for his stellar performance as Oberto in our first night of Alcina.

The heckler, who has not been identified, was banned from the Royal Opera House

‘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 Malakia’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 does not return to the Royal Opera House.’

An ROH audience booed a ‘gratuitous and graphic’ sexual assault at the opening night of Rossini’s William Tell in 2015.

A year later audiences booed scenes of sex and violence in Lucia di Lammermoor.

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