Stars of the West End have called for greater protection after being targeted by harassing letters and other malicious harassment.
Scott Paige, Carrie Hope Fletcher, and Scott Paige spoke out about the “campaign for abuse” they endured while performing in London’s West End.
This follows Leo Darcey, a stalker, being sentenced to 21 weeks in prison for sending malign letters to actors, including Paige and Fletcher’s brother, McFly star Tom.
Speaking to The Stage, Fletcher said her ordeal began when she received a series of letters while performing at the Gielgud Theatre during the concert run of Les Misérables in 2019.
She offered to sex work and included a photo of herself in a bikini.
According to the outlet, the letters were frequently sent to the theatre as well as to Matt Lucas and Alfie Boe.
Actor Andrew Lloyd Webber will star as Cinderella in the next year. The Stage was told by the actor: “The thing that scared me most was their anonymity and I didn’t know who it was.”
After being harassed and the victim of malign letters, West End performers have demanded more protection. Pictured: Carrie Hope Fletcher was the victim of a series malicious letters. They featured her photo and promoted her services to sex workers.
‘I trust my friends and family and there was never any doubt in my mind it could be someone I knew, but then I worried it could be someone at the stage door one night – that I could walk out and if this person were deranged enough to send letters like this could they be unwell enough to stand at stage door with a knife, waiting for me.’
According to actor, the letters stopped after she moved into the Sondheim Theatre. However she said that it was a stressful situation and an anxiety-inducing experience.
She stated that there needs to be more protection for cast members.
Paige is speaking out now, following the conviction of another man this week in connection to his ordeal.
Leo Darcey, also known as Robert Heywood, 30, of Urmston, Greater Manchester, began sending the letters to theatre actor Paige and his mother in August last year, and said he put up posters about him around the local town.
Paige stated to The Stage that he was not able leave his home because of the malign campaign.
Scott Paige from West End (centre in Cat in the Hat), spoke out after being subjected to a horrible series of malign letters by Leo Darcey (aka Robert Heywood), who was now in jail
Leo Darcey (photo), also known to as Robert Heywood began writing letters to Scott Paige in August 2013. He stated that he posted posters about him.
He stated that the details were horrific and that he had sent them to my village. It was the most horrific time, and one of those things where you think: “I don’t know what to do here”.’
A stalker was jailed for twelve months, and also received a restraining or. He also sent Tom Fletcher a letter mentioning his three children.
Initial thought by Mr Fletcher was that the letter was fan mail, but he soon realized it contained photos of his children. He accused Mr Fletcher of being a paedophile.
It was, he said, the most troubling thing he’d ever read and it made him feel vulnerable.
Paige felt the letter was only a single-off and did not immediately report to the police. Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
The next day, he got another letter containing more abuse and a request for his family to ‘burn in hell. It also contained toenail clippings.
According to the court, two photos of Paige were posted at a pub that day.
A poster stated that the man was sick and ill and suggested that OnlyFans had helped him to promote young men having sex.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and issued a temporary restraining order. The stalker also wrote a letter to Carrie Hope and McFly’s Tom Fletcher, referring to his children
Further correspondence was received from Mr Paige confirming the fact that he and Cameron Blakely (a fellow actor) were “paedophiles”.
Darcey entered Mr Paige’s home, took four pictures of Mr Blakely and asked her if she had ever sent them.
Before he left, he gave the false name “Jacob Jones”.
Paige, in a victim statement, stated that he was ‘terrified’ by the attack and worried about his family’s safety.
He stated that he’d been experiencing insomnia and needed to adjust his activities.
Colette Renton was the prosecutor and stated that both Mr Blakely’s ex-wife Bethan had also received many letters of abuse, which suggested that he had raped her own child.
Blakely’s family and friends began to receive letters alleging that Mr Blakely was a paedophile. They ‘needed’ to act.
His colleague received a note accusing his ex wife, a teacher of being complicit. It compared the two of them to serial killers Myra Hindley (and Ian Brady)
Paige believed the letter was an isolated incident and didn’t report it immediately to police.
His colleague was presented with a poster entitled “Come to My Paedophile Party” that contained a personal photograph of him and his niece.
Additional threats were issued stating that Blakely must’suffer,’ that the writer “looks forwards to killing him, and ending his existence”.
A letter was sent by Mr Blakely to his twin brother accusing him as a ‘paedophile’ and a ‘rapist’.
Ms Renton stated that Cameron Blakely and Beth discussed the culprit and that Robert Heywood was a possible suspect.
“He claimed he met the defendant at Salford’s Addams Family showing, which he also attended with his family.
The mother of the defendant had chased him down to the carpark after the show. She said that her son was unhappy she didn’t get to meet him.
Darcey and Mr Blakely began to follow each other on Twitter because Darcey knew that he was a fan and Darcey began messaging Darcey.
It became so obsessive that Mr Blakely decided to block him and send him a message explaining the reason.
Further correspondence was received from Mr Paige stating that he and Cameron Blakely, his fellow actor, were “paedophiles”.
Darcey had apologized but, later, during Darcey’s Swansea appearance, his parents asked him to speak to them again. But he said that his messages were “intrusive” and “persistent”.
Robert Houchen was also sent a letter with death threats to Greenwich. It contained abusive language. Houchen claimed that he was mentally disturbed.
Final letters were delivered to an Essex businessman, who received them as friend letters.
They also accused him as a paedophile, and stated that he was “looking for children to exploit”.
Darcey was interviewed and arrested. He said that he loved Mr Blakely, Mr Paige, after watching them perform at the Addams family, but that Mr Paige angered him because he didn’t get his autism.
Darcey said to officers that he was trying to cause trouble for Mr Paige. He claimed that his mental health had been compromised during the lockdown.
He said that he believes he shared a romantic relationship (with Mr Blakely)
Darcey, who was accused of harassing another actor by sending them 100 abusive comments on his Facebook page suggesting that they should be killed, is believed to have had one prior conviction.
Matthew Curtis (mitigating) stated that victims should have felt horrible and that anyone with a right mind or reasonable thought would feel awful.
“In an interview with a psychologist, Mr Darcey stated to her that he wishes he could turn the clock back.
“That is his regret, for him and the victims’ families as well as his family. He claimed that he didn’t think about the consequences.
Curtis stated that Asperger’s syndrome was diagnosed in Curtis and that the lockdown of coronaviruses had exacerbated his mental illness.
Darcey of Urmston in Greater Manchester was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to harassing and sending malicious communication.
Judge John Potter sentenced: “You engaged in what cannot be described as an ongoing and vicious campaign to hatred toward several people and other close friends.”
Some of the victims became celebrities while other were made into businessmen and teachers.
Your behavior has profoundly affected all of their lives. Your grossly offensive, abusive behavior made them all completely innocent.
Darcey was also subject to a restraining orders, which prohibit him from speaking with all victims for an indefinite period.
Speaking after the sentencing, Bethan Blakely, ex-wife of Cameron Blakely who was targeted by Darcey, told the Stage: ‘Our main goal is to get people to realise this sort of thing can happen to anyone, but just because people choose to live their lives publicly doesn’t mean they are allowed to be subjected to this campaign of abuse.’