An American theatre is the latest to offer so-called 'Tweet seats' where audience members are encouraged to post comments about the performance on the social messaging site.

The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has formalised a growing trend in theatre audiences to use their phones from within auditoria by giving obsessive tweeters a section of their own.

Its management have roped off a special balcony-level section of the theatre 'that will not be disruptive to other patrons' for the latest run of The Servant With Two Masters.

The Guthrie is not the first arts institution to cater specifically for, and even encourage, Twitter users.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Palm Beach Opera in Florida and the Public Theater in New York have all reportedly experimented with special sections for visitors who can't keep off their phones.