AIBU to ask you if you've been to a London West End theatre...and if people were wearing masks?

[Glassyellowbottle]

Taking DD to see Six at the weekend (Vaudeville Theatre) but understand it's not a theatre that mandates masks.

So, if you've been to the West End theatre lately, what was the mask wearing like?

Went to Six this weekend, they had an announcement requesting mask wearing and the majority of people near me kept them on throughout.

@NellWilsonsWhiteHair

Saw Frozen at the end of Oct. We wore masks, got into the auditorium and saw nobody else was. There was an announcement before it started, asking people to wear masks and very, very few people put them on in response.

Probably didn’t have one with them. I didn’t have one with me when I went to see Frozen a few weeks ago.

I went to Wicked a couple of weeks ago, everyone wore them going in but sitting down and moving around inside was about 30%
Same for Cinderella a few weeks prior to that.

@ThePoisonousMushroom I would have thought most people had needed one to get there by bus/tube/cab!

[quote NellWilsonsWhiteHair]@ThePoisonousMushroom I would have thought most people had needed one to get there by bus/tube/cab![/quote]
Barely anyone was wearing them on public transport when we were there for Frozen. Less than 20% I’d say. I was surprised as I though it was compulsory there still 🤷🏻‍♀️

Saw only fools and horses/ no one was wearing a mask and no lat flow or Covid pass checks on entry- can’t say I cared much. It was an old enough to want to be vaccinated crowd

I went to see Back to the Future last week and about 90% of people were wearing masks. Staff were coming round with signs to remind people as well.

We saw Frozen at the weekend and 90% of people were wearing masks. They also reminded everybody before the start and after the interval. We also had to show Covid passes for us and negative lateral flow tests for my daughters. All the staff were wearing masks throughout.

I went 2 weeks ago. Hardly anyone was wearing masks.

@parentallyadept

We saw Frozen at the weekend and 90% of people were wearing masks. They also reminded everybody before the start and after the interval. We also had to show Covid passes for us and negative lateral flow tests for my daughters. All the staff were wearing masks throughout.

Wow that must be a rule change, we saw it 3 weeks ago and there were no covid passes, no test requirements and no masks!

I went to see Six about 3 weeks ago. No masks, no checking of covid passes, no test checking, nothing. It was great though!

Wow, the low percentage of mask wearers is shocking!

But SIX is coming out ok...

My understanding is that it really depends on the theatre - SIX is owned by a theatre group who don't mandate. I read others are insisting on masks and tests.

My concern is not for me, per se - I've double jabbed and boosted - but for DD, given that there'll be lots of kids there

I don't want to mess Xmas up for her

At Come From Away last week and also at Cabaret on Friday - people wore on way in, but not when seated. Which was joyful & heartening, because masks really make very little difference and we all just need to enjoy our lives!
And I second the comments about Cabaret above - it was amazing.

Went to see six last night and they asked at the beginning for masks to be worn, I'd say the majority of people I could see from my seat were wearing masks, bar a couple. Definitely the majority in masks x

@Hbh17 - please don't say masks make very little difference because that's a completely baseless opinion scientifically

Cabaret, about 50/50
Pretty woman, virtually none
Cinderella, maybe about 20%

All during November

@blackcurrantqueen - oh, that's cheering. Thanks

I went to see Six on Halloween & would say maybe 20% of people had masks on. On the other hand went to see Mamma Mia which is a theatre that I believe does enforce & would say 80% had masks on! Enjoy Six, it’s brilliant!

For Six we sat in a box so it was just us as felt more comfortable that way. Might be worth checking to see if one is still available.

Saw Hamilton over the weekend. Most people wore them walking around, almost everyone took them off when the show started.

We had to show covid passes but no masks atg group policy. But this was just before omicron was announced

I had a big day out into London on Saturday.

• Train into London c. 50% mask wearing
• Tube, almost everyone
• Pub, no one
• Theater, a few couples but on the whole not. Staff and customers did wear them to be served at the bar.
• Comedy club, no one
• Tube home far fewer
• Late train home almost no one

I went before all the Omicron stuff kicked off and only saw a handful of masks being worn. My husband went more recently though and said masks were being strongly encouraged, and that lots of people were wearing them.

Went to see Hamilton the weekend before last. Masks worn by almost everyone, mandated, from stepping into the building to stepping out again after the show.

Have been to see Katherine Ryan stand up recently and masks only when walking around.

@ComtesseDeSpair

I think more people will be masking following it becoming compulsory again in shops and a bit more caution around Omicron. But I also think to some extent it will be guided by the age of the audience and something like Six which attracts a younger and less serious one will probably have a lower proportion of maskers than more highbrow productions with older audiences. I went to see the Aurora Orchestra perform at Printworks in early November and would say mask wearing was less than 5%. Also went to see Comedy of Errors at Barbican at the end of November and it was slightly higher but still not many. But went to see a local chamber choir on Saturday and would say about 90% of the audience were in masks, with no prompting or signs saying it was encouraged etc.

What's A Comedy of Errors like? I bought Black Friday tickets on a whim after meeting to a couple on the train who were going for their 3rd time.

I've never actually seen a Shakespere play and now I need to try and find someone to come with me. Wondering where to pitch it!