My DH and I are tall and dared to go to the theatre.

[MangoSeason]

I’m 6 ft 1. My DH is 6 ft 4 and very broad. We went to see Hamilton at the Sydney Lyric Theatre yesterday and were subjected to a tirade of passive aggressive invective by the lady sitting behind us, for the whole show. The Lyric Theatre has very roomy seating, but a very low incline. This is beyond our control. We were not trying to thwart the woman! We were very close to the stage and everyone has to look up here anyway. I don’t think she missed as much as she wanted to make everyone around you believe. The lady behind me offered to swap with her but she loudly announced that “she is just as bad”. Sorry for my tall self exiting in your world.

I mean I do get it. It would be frustrating to be seated behind a couple like us. However, I’ve been at shows that I have looked forward to for years and have dealt with unexpected issues- the man with the very loud vocal tics two seats down, the lady who had to go to the toilet 6 times in a show. It is frustrating but I don’t carry on like a pork chop and I certainly don’t direct any invective towards the person for issues beyond their control. I may privately sigh or have a whinge afterwards but that’s it. DH and I can’t shrink!

We are both used to the under breath FFSs when we sit at shows. We really try to avoid sitting in front of people if we can. But at a sold out show with allocated seating, we are not doing it to upset you. We weren’t wearing hats, wearing scarves or big collars or high hair styles. We were simply existing, sitting quietly within our allocated seats. It was a matinee show with dozens of pre-teen kids around us. They would have had the same issue as the woman and none of them were carrying on at all. They were just enthralled, like everyone else.

Fully prepared to be massacred by the shorter people now!

sorry dd was beside me not behind me.

We didn't say anything to them or even passively aggressively about it but they must have known as we were standing and contorting ourselves!!

I'm 5'10" and rarely go to the theatre anymore because I find most of them uncomfortable. I've been to theatres in various cities and countries and the seats are all too small and cramped. My knees are pressed up against the seat in front so I have to sit perfectly still so I don't bump that person's chair constantly. I do worry if a child or someone short is sat behind me as well. I think nowadays I just expect more comfort for my money.

@Adultingin2021

What’s a pork chop?

It’s an Australian expression. Like having a hissy fit. Which is also an Australian expression so that might not help!

@Fembot123

I’m short but the only time I get frustrated is at the cinema where tall adults and children have booked the row in front and put themselves in front of my kids instead of their kids in front of you see what I mean, other than that it can’t be helped. I’d be internally frustrated not to be able to see but I wouldn’t say anything, what it there to say 🤷‍♀️

Yes, this is the worst!

As a short arse I try and book appropriate theatre seating e.g. front row of grand/dress circle so no one is in front of me.

@emilyfrost

I do think given that tall people know they cause others a lot of problems, they should be considerate and sit at the back.

Haha! You reckon? Unbelievable!

I'm short and, like a pp have twice in my memory spent an entire performance having no view of the stage at all. On two other occasions only half the performance as we didn't go back after the interval. Just too annoying. I know my local theatre well enough to have sussed that the inner aisle seats in the stalls are virtually impossible to block and there are usually enough to bags if I book early enough. It's really off pissing when you've spent a lot at a London theatre, though I've never loudly complained. Present company cannot be blamed.

YANBU obviously you can’t help how tall you are!

I was at a concert once, I’m 5ft 1. Was standing (no seating) and ended up wedged behind an ENORMOUS man. Easily 6ft 4 and rather wide.

After the first song he turned round and was like, you can’t see fuck all can you😂 he literally picked me up and put me in front of him!

A really tall man once swapped with me in a theatre in London. I couldn’t see a thing over his head; and he offered to slouch as low as possible but man that sounded uncomfortable.

I’m 5 ft 2... it’s a pain when you get sat behind someone who means you can’t see, especially if you’ve paid for the more expensive seats and then essentially end up with a restricted view ticket anyway, but it’s one of those things. It’s irritating but not the individuals fault.

But I was very grateful to the man!

Damn tall people. I'm just jealous, being 5ft 1. I always seem to get stuck behind tall people at shows. Which isn't hard because virtually everyone is taller than me. Just one of those things I have to put up with while seething internally at my parents for not being tall.

I would never say anything because what can you do? Take some tall off? Lend her some of your tall for the night?

Next time put your hair in a massive beehive and make your dh wear a top hat.

I'm 6ft and love the theatre

Where possible I'll book and aisle seat so I can sort of lean over into the aisle

I'll look at the row behind and position myself within my group so that I'm in front of the tallest person in the row behind

I'll swap seats if asked -and this isn't going to move the problem onto the next person

I don't stand up for any encore performance on stage because I know the person behind won't be able to see

But my god, if the person behind me is passive aggressively muttering about not being able to see, I'll sit up straighter!

What's the other option -chop my head off??

Suggest they use a booster seat?

Or the Op could have offered a knee to sit on.

I am 5ft and was once sat behind a lady who had her hair in a big up do like another head on top of hers.

I didn’t say a word because I am polite but quietly seethed that she could have thought about wearing her hair in a slightly less bouffant style for that evening.

& less annoyed if you were both keeping still so that once I’d found a way to see the stage I didn’t have to keep shifting. I was once sitting behind a tall person who kept fidgeting and that was really annoying

The fidgeting is the major issue. DD is reasonably tall, but her height is in her legs. She has quite a short torso and looks short when sitting down. She always manages to get a seat behind a tall fidgeter. The worst one was when we were at the cinema and she sat behind a tall lady who then had all her hair piled up in a tall bun on top of her head , and she fidgeted all evening.

So my plea is if you are tall please sit still

People chatting are worse. I don't understand why someone would buy expensive tickets to just talk all the way through. Just rude.

@Changeychange1

I’ve been in the unfortunate position of being unable to see an entire theatre show because of the height of people in front.. and theatre tickets are very, very expensive. Never have that issue at the cinema though, so maybe theatres are to blame.

I think theatre stalls are less steeply banked than cinemas. So it is difficult when a tall person sits in front of you. As a short person I recognise it’s my problem though.

Pre lockdown I went to a local cinema which was known for being cheaper than the main ones. I found out why - the seats were barely banked at all and my view of the screen was severely impeded by the people in front of me!

I'm just here to ask if you enjoyed HAMILTON

@rainbowthoughts

Did you? Not sure if there is an emperor's new clothes vibe about it

I'm 4'11" and I permanently can't see over normal people, never mind tall ones.

I've learned the tricks, like another poster. Ends of rows onto aisles, front rows, boxes etc. I would never dream of complaining about someone's height. Worst case, I'd have a word with a steward and see if there were other free seats.

If you book a seat mid-stalls, it's very likely to be an issue unless you're above average height.

What drives me nuts in theatres is people talking, using mobiles, chomping crisps, opening fizzy drinks, turning up drunk.... I've all of those happen in the last twelve months of shows I saw pre lockdown. Someone's mobile ringing in the silence of the last few seconds of Cabaret was a particular highlight. Completely hushed and spell-bound theatre... and BRRRRIIIIINNNNG!!! I thought the actor playing the MC was going to commit murder.

I haven't seen it

I agree with them. My heart sinks when I see tall people approaching near to where I'm sitting. Because I know if they're in front of me it will be a struggle to see anything so I might as well have stayed at home and saved my money. And will end up with neck strain into the bargain.

@rainbowthoughts

I'm just here to ask if you enjoyed HAMILTON

OMG, it was the best! Aside from the unsolicited commentary behind us.

Yes, chatting is worse, or constantly rustling sweet wrappers. I agree about the hair up styles, fair enough if your hair is naturally big and bouffant, but when there was a trend for giant buns on top of heads a few years ago that was annoying.

Stupid woman should think herself lucky she can go to the theatre AT ALL!

@MangoSeason, I’m only 5 foot 5, and my main memory of The Mouse Trap is the unbelievable agony of my knees jammed against the back of the seat in front. I was begging for the murderer to be fund out so I could stand up.

It was a really young cast but they were great. Jason Arrow was amazing and I really liked Shaka Cook and Matu Ngaropo too.