to think that the theatre should have stopped letting people in?

[TheWitTank]

Went to the theatre tonight to see a big Broadway style show. Got there, was seated and ready got the show to start, it actually ended up starting 15 minutes late so plenty of time for everyone to get in and seated. Performance started, half an hour in the theatre staff were still admitting late comers -shining their torches along the rows, people having to stand and move over blocking the view, shuffling, noise. It was so annoying! 5 minutes maybe, but half an hour in! So disruptive for the audience and performers. AIBU to think you are either on time or you wait until the interval? Maybe I'm just annoyed at staring at someone's arse as they spent 2 minutes removing their coat during a big scene

Are you actually on Broadway? Or perhaps elsewhere in the US?

I went to New York this summer and saw a couple of Broadway shows and was absolutely astounded at how many people were admitted late and shown into their seats with torches. Then, after the interval of one show, there was no announcement; the show just started and people were filtering in all through the first 5 minutes of the second half.

I've never seen anything like that in the West End.

YANBU. If you're late you should have to wait.

I agree, in the West End they are fairly strict, you can all wait in a group for a good long while until some uneventful period of singing about 30 mins in and that's them being nice to you. You're lucky you're not just sent packing for being late!

No, not actually in the US, just a big production, fully sold out, huge theatre..I'm still really cross about it! I think it's very rude to traipse in so late disturbing everyone and disrespectful to the actors. I think admittance should be closed as the curtain goes up, late comers can enter at the intermission if they want to wait.

depends on the arse you were staring at No - I'm surprised: I thought it was standard not to let latecomers in until the interval? Has been ages since I've been to the theatre, though.

I think it's stonkingly rude, no matter what your excuse it, both to the actors and the rest of the audience

I think it was rude people night -also has a bunch of pissed twatsladies behind us who talked between themselves throughout the show, screeched with laughter at inappropriate times and made loads of rustling/eating/adjusting noises. The lady a few seats down from me turned and told them to shut the fuckup twice, everyone in our section was getting annoyed. Some bloody people!

YANBU. Theatre costs £££s too so why would you want to miss anything by walking in late?

Yaaawn - is that all you've got to worry about? Really?

Personally I think both cinemas and theatres need to tighten up on late arrivers and disrupters. It's not fair on the other patrons and in theatre the production (not just the actors a lot of people work very hard to stage a show).

I have a small local independent cinema which I much prefer to dd's choice of the multiplex an hour away! Because they won't take any nonsense. Nobody's allowed in after the film actually starts (during ads n trailers is fine) and anyone being too disruptive/noisy (excepting children at family films within reason) is ejected without refund. They still get plenty of business and there's rarely problems as locals know the rules.

Complain and ask for a partial refund/gift voucher - bet if more people DID this they'd clamp down as it'd be eating into their profits!

In our central London theatre We show people into the auditorium during a break on the performance I.e applause. I don't think people deliberately arrive at the theatre late. I hope you are never unintentionally late because of security alerts on public transport or delays due to traffic accidents. Just put the boot on the other foot and get some perspective. As for a refund/voucher, it's not going to happen.

For people to be coming in so late and for the start of it to have been delayed I wonder if their has been some major traffic disruption locally?

YANBU. We were late to a play (not west end) and had to wait until the interval.

Luckily the theatre gave us free replacement tickets so we came back another day intead of missing half the play.

Yanbu. This boils my piss.
As well as at gigs and stuff people holding up their mobile phones to film the performance. When are they actually going to watch that? shaky, poor sound quality.. Just enjoy the gig and put your fucking phone away.

My local theatre doesn't allow latecomers until a suitabl point in the performance. In the meantime you can watch proceedings on a small screen in the foyer. Seems fair enough.

Were you in London?

It's up to the director / producer to decide if latecomers will be admitted to their show; some mind, some don't. Personally I think latecomers should be made to sit in the corner and think about how they've behaved, but if the show is happy for them to be let in

...then I suppose they haven't done anything "wrong ".

(pressed send too soon. Are we ok to shorten that to PSTS yet?)

I've noticed this too in cineworld since they introduced pre-booked seats. People just wander in whenever they feel like it now, often when the film has started. Not that hard to be seated on time.

We got fed up with it at our school production (runs in a proper theatre) and now we don't allow anyone in until intermission if they're late. It's amazing how people suddenly started arriving on time when they missed seeing little Suzie on stage.