To ask people to move seats at the theatre

[Homemoans]

My 6-year son really wants to see a play of one of David Walliams on Saturday, the only seats they have left are on the front row but they are 5 seats apart. WIBU to buy the two tickets and ask the 5 people sat in between us to either move up or move down?

Yes. There are some places where this wouldn't be a problem at all (when we go to the baseball we try to get seats more or less near each other, but always manage to sit as a group because everyone is very relaxed about seating during the game).

The theatre is not generally like that at all, it's just not the done thing. One time a lady and her husband refused to swap seats with us even though him sitting in front of her would largely obscure her view (he's very tall) because she wanted to sit in the seats that she had chosen

YANBU to ask, but be prepared for the reaction you got from half of the people on here.

I wouldn't care about moving, unless it was to my detriment (i.e. moved me away from an aisle seat I had specifically chosen, for example) and most right minded people won't mind either, especially if they get to move closer to centre.

however, it is risky because all it takes is one person to say no, as they are absolutely within their right to do (even if it makes them a bit Ebeneezery) and you'll be marooned from each other. If this happened, would your DS be prepared to sit a few seats away from you?

Its fine to ask as long as you are willing to accept a polite "no" as a final answer.

I'd also just ring the theatre or box office and explain - it might be that the people aren't even picking their tickets up till the night in question so they'll never even know they were moved up a seat!?

You would be totally unreasonable, either go and put up with those seats or don't go.

If you are asking them to move towards the centre, I think it's ok but to move outwards. Of course you have no guarantee they will move so it's a risk.

I think the theatre should allocate the seats without leaving gaps of one seat tbh.

Cotswoldstrife makes a good point. It might be worth checking what visibility is like on the front row, depending on the theatre layout it's not always great. And one thing which would put me in a strop would be sitting behind a strapping 6 year old perched on someone's knee - I invariably find myself behind the tallest person in the theatre or the person with the most lavish head of hair. If there's a child behind you that would be VU.

Ask them by all means but if they say no you will need to accept that graciously and not make them feel uncomfortable.

He's 6? I tried taking my ds to the theatre and the wouldn't let him in, said he has to be 12-13?

Which theatre was that 2boy?

What were you trying to see, more to the point.

As per your diagram it doesn't look too much of an ask, but some people are fussy about seats. Dh always books an aisle seat because of mobility issue, and he has had to regretfully decline some people's requests that he move up.

Worst cheeky so and so was at fleetwood mac. We had booked tickets near the front way in advance, and the woman next to us said she was separated from her fiancé and would one of us swap with him so they could sit together. This was at the O2 and she indicated a seat about 50 rows back! So she was suggesting that a) dh and I sat separately and b) that one of us got a crap seat as an added bonus.

Probably true that Puppy!

I think it's ok but only if you end up with the 'worse' seats - i.e. The ones closest to the aisle.

If people don't want to move you aren't actually far from your DS anyway.

In that situation I would more for you, but I think I'd probably feel a bit pressured to move if I didn't want to, and that I'd look like a total bitch if I said no, so i think ywbu to book those seats knowing that you're going to ask for different seats.

YABU to book tickets assuming people will move- of course most people would likely be reasonable and help you out, but at the end of the day they're the tickets they booked and paid for so they'd be within their rights to say no, and then what would you do?

People really wouldn't move down one seat, even though it would make no difference to their view and meant a 6yo could sit next to his Mum? Why

And the people saying 'book earlier' have you never decided to go to an event on a whim?? What organised lives you must lead.

I imagine the age limit for something like Avenue Q would be very different than Gangsta Granny!

If it's the Birmingham Stage Co production they are a fabulous theatre company. My daughter was a child 'guest artiste' in George's Marvellous Medicine with them several years ago.

If people would start from a point of 'if I can do something small but kind that will help someone else out then I will' rather than 'why should I' the world would be a much nicer and happier place for all of us and our children.

I really cannot understand those who would refuse you just because they can.

Well, I'm going to go against the grain and say you're not unreasonable to ask, as long as you don't think they're unreasonable to tell you to fuck off!

I would absolutely move up one, but I wouldn't risk asking.

I wouldn't bother, only because they might not move up.

Sometimes in life if you don't ask you don't get, but it's not worth the risk in this case. In sainsburys the other day I asked the man in front of me if I could have his Lego cards because he didn't want them when the lady at the checkout asked him if he wanted them. He gave them to me I don't think I could book some tickets, relying on some people who I don't know to move up. Too risky!

Fwiw, I would move though.