People who go to the cinema and sit on their phones for the whole film, why?

If you mean me, I’m not at all bothered because I don’t think sitting alone looking at my phone is morally inferior to sitting alone without looking at it when there’s no other call on my time.

Oh, it sounded like you use your phone in the venue during a performance.
However, I'm not following: you want to see phones not allowed in the venue at all, including in the interval, but you're not be bothered what 'a random at the theatre' thinks of YOUR phone use… So do you use your phone in the venue or not?

In fairness the poster is talking about interval use. No theatre has a rule about that.

But they can! That’s the point! You are assuming they can’t because you see them once looking at their phone. As someone who goes to the theatre solo a lot, it’s rarely very social. Occasionally someone is up for a chat - and then I chat. If nobody is I’ll go on the phone in the interval if I want. There’s no virtue in not doing so that I can see.

I was at a gig one time and someone was taking a phone call

🤣 I don’t go on my phone during performances, if you read my posts on this thread! I’d like to see phones not allowed to be used in venues for the duration of a performance, including the interval- people who absolutely need to go on their phones should be made to go outside at the interval, like they have to for a cigarette break!

Equally, I wouldn’t be bothered what someone else (a random at the theatre) thought of my phone use, as the pp seems to be…

Similar with people who go to concerts and hold their phones up in the air.
1 You're blocking other people's view
2 Are you ever going to watch the shite quality recording?

What a pile of pish though. Check the train time before you go in and stop being rude.

People casting around for all these excuses just look ridiculous.

I’m not bothered at all by what other people might think about me
Are you also totally unbothered by the signs up in the theatre/the announcement they all make about phones?

Yes and I stand by that, isn’t it grim that an adult can’t be in a social setting off their phone for a few minutes? We can’t sit in the moment or be disengaged with tech any more IMHO that’s grim.
However, If I need to go on my phone for something, for example, to check the time of the last train home after the theatre, I’m not bothered at all by what other people might think about me…especially as the chances are they’re too busy scrolling on their own phone to notice 🤷‍♀️

I took my mum to see a production of waiting for godot with hugo weaving at the barbican in 2015.

We were seated in the centre of a row close to the stage and about 20 minutes into the show, some twat sitting in row A slightly to my mum's left pulled out an iPad and started watching the football.

Fully lit screen glowing in a dark auditorium... distracting everyone behind him (and us!)

The actor playing Pozzo had a scene halfway through the first act where he sits and eats a picnic while Hugo's character watches on hungrily. Halfway through a chicken thigh, he leaned forward in his seat and lobbed it straight at the twat on the iPad.

Twat put it away sharpish after that, and didn't come back after the interval!

It really isn’t obvious. You were replying to a set of comments about people at the theatre alone in the few mins before a performance or in the interval. You were saying it was ‘grim’ if they couldn’t manage without their phone. Doesn’t look very general to me.

I think it’s obvious I’m meaning in general. Of course I’m on my phone on points in the day too, aren’t we all, we’re free to do mindless scrolling anytime we want. However, it’s really obvious in society that we now look down at phones more than we chat to others. That’s particularly grim for those who are on their own not by choice and might like to engage in some chat about a shared interest, such as a theatre performance.

Imagine continuing to do it when people are telling you it's rude as fuck and impacting on them. Imagine being so entitled that you think it's them that should leave instead of you.

The birth rate being impacted by the adoption of smart phones is probably less to do with smart phones per se and more to do with people showing how fundamentally socially inept they are.

Definitely need to! Liza was good, but the film and the show are different beasts anyway. I’ve seen some excellent portrayals over the years.

How do you know they can’t? Maybe they’ve been people watching all day. Because someone chooses on one occasion you witness to look at something on their phone doesn’t mean they do it all the time or that it’s mindless. And sometimes being mindless is ok too.

Good to know, thanks! I've never seen a stage production because I tend to think if it's not Liza, what's the point, but maybe I need to be more open-minded.

Brilliant. Just a whole theatrical experience from the moment you enter the theatre. Cheap tickets are available (I paid £30) with a great view of the stage.

I'd say they were the kind of shows where you'd expect to see decent behaviour. What is Cabaret like, by the way?

Haven’t seen any bad behaviour at any of my more recent trips - Cabaret, Hadestown, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Next to Normal etc

Yeah, I went to see Sweeney Todd with Imelda Staunton and the audience was well behaved. That was some years ago, admittedly.

Depends on the musical. Juke box nonsense - definitely a problem. Lloyd Webber - problems possible but I wouldn’t want to go anyway. More niche/clever stuff? Fine

No, I hear you. I live in London and my favourite cinema is the BFI; they expressly forbid food and drink, and I don’t think anyone in the audience would even dream of talking or shining their phone screen during the film. But if they did I’ve no doubt that the full wrath of the ushers would descend upon them 😄

I have listened to an audiobook during a kids' film, but my phone was in my bag and I had one earbud in so it wouldn't have disturbed anyone. Dh fell asleep during badguys 2

So use your earbuds and leave your phone in your bag