Noisy theatre picnickers

[DustBunnyFarmer]

DH and I took the kids to the theatre yesterday as a special treat. It was a 2 hour show with a 20 minute interval half way through. The large family in the row behind us and adjacent spent the whole 2 hours extreme snacking - new bags of Quavers and popcorn appeared solidly from a large noisy carrier bag throughout the 2 hour performance and - my God - the RUSTLING! It was deafening. I struggled to hear the music from the stage at times. It ruined some of the quieter romantic scenes. It wasn't just them, though. It was all around us.

Why the fuck can't people eat before they go into the theatre or hold fire until the interval? I mind it less at the cinema because the surround sound is deafening and covers it, but it's really starting to put me off going to the theatre.

Am I alone?

YANBU

It is absolutely never acceptable to eat in a theatre in my opinion (okay rare exceptions like a diabetic in a hypo aside). It is the height of bad manners to both the audience and the cast.

I don't like it when people eat in the cinema but accept that this is my issue as the cinema is a socially acceptable (and encouraged) place to eat. The theatre however, I don't feel is. It is quite rare for me to see people eating during a show (and I go to the theatre a lot).