Police called to theatre after audience sang over cast

[SnottyLottie]

According to this news article, 2 people were evicted by security and there was a “mini riot” after the show was stopped 10 minutes before the end (and ultimately cancelled) because a handful of the audience were singing over the cast. Police were called (riot vans included).

https://news.sky.com/story/police-called-to-disturbance-at-manchester-palace-theatre-during-the-bodyguard-musical-after-audience-tried-to-sing-over-cast-12852504

What do we think? Over reaction or perfectly reasonable response? I’d be furious to have the show stopped and cancelled 10 minutes before the end because of a handful of disrespectful idiots!

Multiple members of staff were assaulted and there were people genuinely ripping the building to pieces, behind the bar, ripping posters off the walls etc.

We had this locally. The police were not called because people were singing along. They were called because theses people were verbally and physically aggressive to staff..

I am pleasantly surprised they thought this was serious enough to bring in a riot van. I would have thought they wouldn't have been arsed, but I personally cannot stand poor behaviour in theatres so I am very glad they were!

It's because some of the people go now who were never taken as children do not know how to behave and do not care that they are upsetting the people around them. Loads do obviously, but annoyingly, it's the idiots you notice the most.

I don't really enjoy the theatre now and avoid it. Only take my kids to child friendly stuff as it isn't worth getting a babysitter and paying all that money to have it ruined by people with poor manners and behaviour. Ditto city centres on weekend nights. It isn't usually the residents of the cities who are the problem either, it's usually the massive crowd on the train from elsewhere, coming for a Big Night Out who cannot behave.

And obviously it won't just have been singing will it? There is no way they would have called the police without asking them to leave first

As long as people behave properly I see no reason they must dress up if they are comfortable, warm, cool etc. and not wearing something that obstructs view like a large hat. This is the kind of thing that made some of my friends at school think theatre was just not for them even if they were interested and could maybe get last minute cheaper tickets. (They knew how to behave as been with school but felt it was for middle class wearing expensive clothes (at that time they were right about our local theatre).

I hope the people concerned are prosecuted, held accountable for their behaviour. At the very least a conditional discharge that they never set foot in a theatre or cinema for a very long time.

Why don’t these shows have an announcement before it starts? E.g. ‘Singing along is allowed only if you have been specifically invited to do so. Any other singing along will result in your being removed from the theatre, and the show paused while this takes place.’
Or do they?

How is this any more a waste of police resources than the massive use of police time at football matches?

Football clubs pay for the police presence @ItsCalledAConversation

I feel so sorry for the majority of the audience having their evening ruined by a few knobheads who are too thick to understand what is appropriate behaviour.

Going to the theatre is not a cheap night out so it would be good if a partial refund or discount on another show was offered but doubt that will happen.

Football clubs pay for the the police inside the stadium. The police outside are "regular" police and taken from the available pool (or overtime).

Also this was discussed on This Morning as it'd been already said the theatre had banned singing along..then this happens afterwards.
And the view from Vanessa Feltz and Allison Hammond was the theatre were being stupid..

https://metro.co.uk/2023/04/07/this-morning-alison-hammond-sparks-backlash-over-theatre-singing-18577044/

We went to see a Beatles tribute act, after Covid. They used the same instruments and sound system as the Beatles used. Most of the audience were old enough to have enjoyed the Beatles in the 60s. I just wanted to listen to the music; but the musicians constantly encouraged us all to sing along, and be an enthusiastic audience!

It seems like audiences can’t win!

Conversely, I found it quite amusing when I went to see a National Theatre show screened at the Odeon and people turned up in all their finery like it was the theatre.

So key point that the audience were encouraged, whereas in this performance they were told not to.

People really don’t know how to behave in public anymore.

I’ve had so many gigs spoiled by twits holding up phones or iPads to film. Just enjoy the fucking moment and let the rest of us do the same.

And people chatting in the theatre- if it doesn’t interest you, don’t fucking go!

It infuriates me.

I'm a theatre manager and this is honestly a nightmare of mine. Audiences are becoming more and more impolite, often come pre-loaded with alcohol, wander around, chat during the show, attempt to climb up to the stage, vape in the auditorium, and a variety of anti social behaviours, including me being sexually assaulted by a customer after a show one night. Alcohol is usually the driving force. It's extremely difficult to handle because we cannot man handle people and tricky to have a difficult conversation while the show is in progress. I would just like to add to this thread to all the audience members to please be sympathetic and kind to the staff trying to deal with this.

The bootleg Beatles is a sing along tribute act, dancing singing is part of it. I go every year and every year sing and dance, people get dressed up in fancy dress, it’s a gig and a tribute artist gig at that, singing is expected at that kind of place. But I also regularly go to west end and local musical theatre and I am totally pissed off if someone sings or rustles packets of crisps it’s ridiculous. So yeah two very very different things.

Some Neanderthals shouldn't be allowed out in public. Imagine creating such a scene because people wanted to listen to the guy on stage, not you?!

@SnottyLottie according to the actual theatre it’s because they refused to sit down, that would indeed piss a lot of people off.

Perhaps they need to advertise more clearly (at ticket purchase) whether it's a singalong or not, or partially. As a previous poster points out, singalong is encouraged at some shows. I think it's frustating to turn up for either type if you were expecting the other.

No! Singing and dancing quietly along is not how you behave at the theatre, ffs... 😵‍💫
You keep your arse on the seat and your gob shut. Why do you think anyone wants to watch your quiet dancing when they've paid to see a professional artist?

We went to The Sound of Music at Bristol Hippodrome on a Saturday night about 15 years ago. I honestly can't remember if there was any singing along, probably not or I might remember. But I hadn't realised that it was a thing to come dressed as a nun, and there were some very drunk audience members. It was a great lesson to my pre-teen girls - they were transfixed by the sight of a group of young women piling into a people carrier cab at the end, one of the number was very drunk and in a very tight skirt. A friend or two went first, helped hitch up her skirt and pulled on her arms whilst a couple behind lifted her legs one by one and gave a great shove to her bottom to get her in.

Both daughters promised me they would never be that drunk in public, ever. I think even at that age and without me saying anything about personal safety, they recognised that some of the drunk young women we saw staggering around were unsafe and putting themselves at risk.

Bloody brilliant, aren’t they! Love the Bootleg Beatles.

The show encouraging participation is completely different to seeing a musical and thinking it’s ok to sing along.

I’ve paid to see and hear Olivier Award winning performers, not pub karaoke. Yes, I know every word to the songs too, but I can sing them in my own head.

How awful for the rest of the audience. It does remind me of the time I spent a small fortune for Neil Diamond tickets and had to listen to a very drunk couple next to us belting out every song at the top of their voices. I know people do sing along at pop concerts but it’s still very rude in my view.

I also think sweet rustlers should be rounded up in a riot van and dumped in a cell until the end of the show. Most fucking annoying thing in a theatre - can people not sit and be entertained for a couple of hours without a picnic on their lap????