James Corden delayed the start of the West End play he is starting in so that the audience could watch England’s penalty shoot.
The actor and presenter is appearing in The Constituent at the Old Vic, in London, which clashed with England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland which, after extra-time, went to penalties.
Corden and his fellow stars Anna Maxwell Martin and Zachary Hart made the decision to postpone curtain-up so that they can watch the penalty shootout with the audience.
They made the decision as it became clear that anxious theatregoers were already watching the game on their phones.
Video has emerged of Corden and his co-stars on stage at the Old Vic, watching on an iPad as Trent Alexander-Arnold slotting home England’s fifth penalty to book their place in the semi-finals.
Extra-time
Speaking to The Guardian, Corden said: “When it got to extra-time, we put on our costumes. The extra-time finished about three minutes before the play was due to begin. We thought, ‘Oh man, this is tough but we’ve got to start’.
“Then we heard a ‘yes!’ from the audience, and we looked at each other and said, ‘they’re all watching it’.
“We looked out and there were loads of little lit-up phones in the audience.
“It wasn’t the time to start a serious play about serious issues. So me and Anna and Zach went out on stage with an iPad and were commentating [on the shootout]. It was really wonderful, alive, a glorious collective experience. One of my favourite moments that I’ve ever had really.”
Corden has missed most of the Euros because of the run of The Constituent, which begins at 6.30pm.
England’s next game against the Netherlands, kicking off at 8pm on Wednesday, will once again clash with the show, and Corden has said that he hopes he will be able to catch the end of the match.