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!

I stopped going to the cinema years ago due to the hideous behaviour of people watching films. Talking, looking at their phones every two seconds but worst of all the EATING! Troughing down huge amounts of food really noisily, slurping drinks...utterly vile all of it. No manners.

I have observed theatre audiences going the same way for a good while as I am a Drama teacher and go frequently. I instil excellent, appropriate behaviour in to my students but am frequently appalled at the behaviour of other school students and their teachers. When I go with my husband or family I observe the same behaviour that I used to see in cinemas and it must be so awful for any performers.

These people have no manners and no class and ruin things for everyone. Twats.

To be perfectly honest, the rise in women drinking to get drunk, and social acceptability of this, is a main cause of bad behaviour in theatres.

That's unbelievable 😳.

We're going to see Moulin Rouge in the west end next week. I paid £140 each and for that sort of money I'll raging if anyone spoils it.

I've been really torn at dance matinées when I took DC. It's a lovely thing that some people (often grandparents?) take their ballet-mad DGC to watch live shows, it really is, but then sometimes they talk all the way through (the adults, not the kids). And the idea of applauding particularly difficult/beautiful sequences really doesn't work if only a couple of the audience know that tradition and do so (or are even watching!). I feel sorry for the dancers.

I wish I was a lawyer. I'd do a pro bond and I invite all theatre goers to make a joint litigation for compensation (refund of ticket cost). Not sure how many were in the audience but I think people should be held accountable. At the very least I'd like them charged with a public order offence! Grrrŕ

I've just seen and heard the footage of this incident with a woman literally screeching over wonderful singing of "I will always love you".

Absolutely fucking disgusting. The artist had a beautiful voice but you couldn't hear it for caterwauling over the top.

I would love them to get a really hefty fine.

Philistines.

Disgusting behaviour. I was at the theatre last week and one group of people talked all the way through it.

When going to the theatre, people need to ask themselves this question before singing along and dancing in the aisles: Is it the Rocky Horror Show?

If the answer is yes, then go right ahead and do what you want.

If no, then sit down and shut the fuck up.

Simples.

Yes it’s definitely the wimmins fault 🙄

We had a performance of Wicked ruined by a nearby kid constantly chattering at full volume, with no attempt made by his mum to quieten him. There was a fair amount of annoyed shushing from various sources including from me, and as I was the one sitting nearest to him the mum tore a strip off me at the end for daring to hush her darling child! This inability to behave in a theatre is being passed on to the next generation, who won't know any different as they've never been taught how to sit and watch quietly. I just don't go any more as I'm not prepared to gamble that amount of cash on getting a seat surrounded by like-minded theatregoers.😔

So unbelievably selfish

My guess is drink was involved but it's no excuse. For gods sake some people have no manners or sense of occasion.

I hope they get fined snd banned from theatres uk! Treat like football hooligans

I'm despairing of society, what happened to decent people who know how to behave? These people will probably have paid near enough £100 a ticket too, did they not want to sit and enjoy it? I'm more of the view that all anti-social behaviour, including feral kids that can't behave and bullies should be publicly named and shamed. There was a town that did this, the families causing anti-social behaviour were named, local shops stopped serving them and they were basically ostracised from the town, the behaviour soon stopped.

I agree that it seems people are pushing the bounds of acceptable at theatre now. Whether it is unwrapping sweets every two mins, using their phones, taking, sitting forward (which is my pet hate as it just makes it so much harder for people behind to see as as I guess the perspective becomes broader or something) or taking umpteen loo breaks.

if I went to a musical, I wouldn’t want to hear others singing along. I’ve paid to hear the cast.

Other end of the spectrum, went to a sing-a-long show (advertised as sing a long!) and I watched three groups leave within the first ten minutes. I assume they hadn’t read the description properly before hand. So maybe, being generous, some visiting regular shows think they are sing a long.

Had that when went to see Jimmy Carr. This woman kept shouting random things out and you could tell he was getting more and more annoyed. So he just stopped. Tried to explain to her nicely what people have paid money for but she wasn't haven't any of it so off she went out...pretty quick audience reaction as she did...

... what the fuck has happened to the notion of public spaces? where one moderates one's behaviour so as to cause least disturbance to others? Shared, public space. Tossers.

Cinema, theaters are bad - especially when you've paid a fair bit to see something but it is wider - we've had since covid many more bad long distance train journeys stuck in carriages with people screaming none stop and playing loud music or kids on tablets at full volume - even in restaurants behavior seems to be declining.

Someone did that to Rosie Jones last week. She called her out on it too. The woman apologised and we didn't hear a peep out of her again.

To some extent comedians expect to be heckled, but some people take it too far.

Hmmm, well plenty of witness say the6 were singing not miming. I’ve seen a video where one of them is lunging and trying to hit/hitting someone else. Security are there and they’re arguing with security.

witness said there were loads of announcements about not singing plus signs and someone had been booted out soon after it started for singing.

but there’s always some thickos who think the rules don’t apply to them and they’ve paid their money and will do what they want. They just don’t get that others have paid money to hear professionals sing, not Doris from Oldham doing a bit of karaoke.

I am not keen on musicals but we saw Hamilton before lockdown. Brilliant positive experience. Couldn’t manage to get tickets to take DC post covid so took them to a Saturday matinée of Matilda. It was horrendous. Really drunk people singing loudly throughout and getting up and down to get more and more bottles of beer. Just felt like a crap experience. Weird demographic too as half lairy drunks and half little kids with red hair ribbons. I don’t think I am their target audience but never going to a musical in the U.K. again if I can help it. Tbh I thought Matilda was better as a film anyway. Less singing.

Me and DH used to love going to the theatre and cinema but haven't been to either for over a year now.

Tickets for the theatre are expensive and we are just not prepared to pay that amount and have the show ruined by selfish idiots.

Every time we have been to the theatre or cinema for a good few years there have been people talking loudly, people looking at their phones, people rustling food wrappers. Even had people talking on their phones! If you say anything most times you get abuse.

I also can't understand why some people can't go to watch something without having to drink alcohol. They go in and out getting a drink then in and out presumably going to the loo. Drives me mad.

I thought my opinion of the awful Alison Hammond could not go any lower but after reading how she thought it was ok for people to sing along and the theatre were in the wrong. She also said she is not going to go to that show now! Well I bet the cast are happy about that

There seems to be no concept of how to behave inside Theatre now.I would baulk at spending £100 upwards and have it ruined! Soon word will get about and Theatres will struggle to get the bums on seats they need .I would imagine that its already difficult with COL and so on .They need to make it Crystal clear that any sort of "singing" wont be tolerated!

Absolutely not surprised that it's drunks, basically. 99% of sober people will abide by requests to not sing along.

Hell truly is other people.

I went to see Moulin Rouge when it opened and a drunk couple sang all the songs really loudly and really badly. During the intermission several of us asked them not to sing. Luckily they were mostly quiet although couldn't stop themselves and did it again towards the end.
It was really annoying. Literally every time we go to a show we seem to be sitting near drunk people, must attract them!!

Some are singalongs (eg rocky horror) and some are not and people should know and respect the difference and if they won't stfu they should be booted out.