Annoying audience members in the theatre

[beverleybass]

Does anybody else ALWAYS seem to have seats right by the worst people in the theatre. I must just be unlucky.

This year saw Come From Away and was directly behind 3 women who kept chatting all the way through, including during really emotional and key moments and solos. Someone tapped them on the shoulder and told them to shush in the end which improved things slightly.

I also saw Cinderella and more chatters as well phones coming out constantly with their shining lights.

What is the point spending all that money on tickets to look at your phone or chat to people??

Anyway saw Mamma Mia as a birthday treat today and it was honestly the worst of the lot. People on my row playing musical chairs, people arriving up to fifteen mins late (and still being let in) the man to the left of me kept singing along with the songs, the people in front chatting and constantly zipping/unzipping bags and rustling noisy bags of snacks.

How hard is it to sit still and be quiet

It’s terrible. I had to tell people off at the lion king a few weeks ago. They had their phones out constantly. Walking about and disturbing everyone. I had to shout to them because they were about 4 rows ahead of me. I told them to put phones away.
Then last week the people in the row behind us chatted constantly because they couldn’t understand something in the play so they kept talking to each other about it.

I go to the cinema when it's quiet. I wouldn't go to the theatre. People can't behave.

Yes, unless they sort this they are going to lose audience. Prosecco for the audience - crazy -

I went to see an opera at the Leeds Grand the woman in front kept turning round and scowling at me. I eventually asked what was wrong and said thatcI kept kicking her shoulders. My feet and knees were firmly tucked under me. If I was kicking her shoulders my knees would have to be up near my chest withmy feet on the back of the chair. She went on and on until I shush her loudly. Then she got up half an hour later and complain to an usher who had sat behind us on his seat and came to my defence saying that I had sat nicely the whole performance and my feet hadn't been anywhere near her shoulders.
She turned around again a while later and got up saying come on I'm going outside. I said nothing thinking well she would be waiting at least an hour then . She came back in then minutes later saying " come on then we need to talk" . Again ignored then she was moved away by the staff. She had really wound me up but it was glorious ignoring her while she made an idiot of herself. Her friends were flabbergasted and tutted at me saying that I'd ruined it for them all kicking her like that. WTF

I think it's ok to sing along to the songs in Mama Mia...

No, it isn’t. It’s not Ok to sing at any musical. Unless it’s a special sing-along show, or you are specifically invited to sing along - maybe for a final song.

Every single show, gig or film I have been to see in the last few years has had people who cannot behave present. DH won't go to the cinema anymore because of it. I will say something usually, as the ushers are generally useless. Loud drunken idiots ruined Aussie Pink Floyd, of all things!
Fed up of the incessant eating, seeing and hearing mobile phones and the need for commentary. The commentary has been especially bad when we've been watching comedians. Tickets are not cheap - the venues might wonder why their business is dropping off when covid is not the excuse!

@Polyanthus2

I’m generally nervous about getting an usher

It would be useful to have a complaints phone number you could txt from your seat. Giving your seat number and who and where is the problem.

Except then the backlight of your phone would disrupt the show for everyone behind you too. Terrible idea.

Also how can a theatre crack down on mobile phone use during a show if they encourage people to use their phones to report antisocial behaviour?

I think lots of people are just not remotely considerate of others. I was brought up to always think about how your behaviour could be viewed by other people. All these social rules - being quiet in the theatre, speaking in a low voice on a train, not eating smelly food in an enclosed space in close contact with others - are about thinking how your behaviour impacts on other people. Now we are constantly encouraged to think that we should be able to do whatever we want to do because it’s what we want, so you get behaviour that is just horrible to have to put up with. I haven’t been to the theatre for ages (except the National, where folk seem to know how to behave), but inconsiderate twats on trains listening to music without headphones, bellowing to each other and feeling it’s necessary to drink cans of beer/bottles of wine at 9.30 a.m. just because they are on a train (this mystifies me - how can you enjoy a day out if you’re plastered before you even get there?) really fuck me off. Not to mention those sappy parents who let their kids run around trains/cinemas/theatres because the little moppet is just ‘expressing himself.‘

Everyone needs to sit down and bloody shut up!

Not theatre but years ago I went to a gig where people kept chatting among themselves to the point that the singer stopped and asked them all to shut up.

When I saw Mamma Mia it was definitely only encouraged to join in at the very end. Long time ago though. At Jersey Boys we had a singer next to us - one beat behind and usually the wrong words. I usually only go to local theatre now where our ushers are really good at dealing with bad behaviour.

The last time I went to a theatre, there was a woman and her young daughter behind me. It wasn't a kid's show. This woman spent the whole of the second half explaining to her daughter what was happening as her daughter didn't understand the show. I kept scowling at the woman but it did no good.

God I bloody hate this too! Can’t bear inconsiderate people who talk and use their phones.

I don’t know why ushers don’t do more TBH. Yes you can complain but why should you have to? Ushers can see and hear people talking and using their phones. They should intervene at the first hint of disruption.

The last time I went to the cinema, the woman beside was on her phone constantly. She ignored me when I whispered that the light was very distracting and so I started to make it very obvious that I was reading what she was typing and reported back to my family - oh, she's thinking about a stirfry for dinner, oh, she doesn't think much of the film - until she put her phone away.

I went to see a play in London which I was really excited about. Right before the start the guy behind me spilled almost an entire can of beer over my head. Hardly any apology, and I stank of beer for the rest of the night. Ruined what was meant to be a great evening!

CognitiveDissolver

Twice, but reverse, and in the cinema, not the theatre. Perhaps I should add that I do go to the opera before I am accused of being crass...

Anyway, once with a friend who looked at her (digital watch with a light) a few times. Its a habit of hers and I barely notice.. But she really just glanced at it for seconds, and not often. The woman two seats away from us boomed out giving her a telling off. I nearly jumped out of my seat. Very, very loud and went on for quite a while. Far more off putting than anyone glancing at a watch. At the end I actually said to her I found her shouting at my friend really off putting and unwarranted, and that it ruined the film for us as we were nervous of setting her off again.

Also in the cinema, I ate maltesers and the woman next to me got really annoyed and gave me a row. I told her to suggest to management that they banned the sale of maltesers and eating in the cinema if she was that bothered, but until it was, I would continue to eat quietly. (I think she thought I was a child though as I'm quite young looking for my age).

How young do you have to look for someone to mistake you for a child?
And why would anyone tell a child off for eating Maltesers quietly?

I think it would be interesting to have the story from the point of view of both women who spoke to you. Most people won't have needed to be spoken to about their behaviour in a cinema and/or theatre once, let alone on two separate occasions.

Having walked out of Mamma Mia, just six months ago, there’s definitely not supposed to be any singing along in the first half at least!

@DoctorSnortles I completely agree with you. Good manners and consideration for other people has gone out the window. Nobody cares, they just do as they like. On occasion I’ve asked someone politely to please stop talking at the theatre as I couldn’t hear. The obvious response would be an apology and to stop, right? No, they glare and carry on. I would be mortified if my behaviour was negatively impacting someone else.

I wish cinemas and theatres could use signal jammers, that would at least sort the phone issue out

What are signal jammers @PrincessPaws?

YANBU. People don’t seem to have any idea how to behave in the theatre any more. I never go to matinee performances as it’s to be expected there will be more noise with younger children there, but in the evening I do expect decent level of behaviour. I find adults make more noise and disruption than the children! It’s disrespectful to the performers and other audience members. Why go if you’re just going to talk throughout the performance? As for sweets etc, they should not be allowed outside the interval. People don’t need to continually stuff their faces surely?

Few years back paid 300 to take family to Dirty D just before Xmas matinee.
Loads of boozed up huns, in and out to bar, screeching and spoiling tense scenes. Couple in front of me knecking and blocking my view, including the lift scene. Told them to have some manners, he said I should have paid for front row if I wanted to see the stage! She started crying and he said I had spoiled their night. Never again. It is a certain age 40 ish huns, some were crawling , so drunk. I complained to theatre but waste of time. I am. Very careful now what I pay to see as I know certain musicals attract those who think it is a rave.
Total lack of manners and consideration for anyone else

I agree with all of these comments!
People eating or using phones should just be chucked out.
I know theatres need to make money, but selling bottles of Prosecco is just asking for trouble.
Yes, you do need to carefully pick your show & time, but I have certainly asked people to put their phones away before now.

@bendmeoverbackwards

What are signal jammers *@PrincessPaws*?

They stop you getting any mobile phone signal.

@StartupRepair

I always think people just do not get out enough. They think the whole world is their living room.

It's just a lack of self awareness which alcohol fuels.

This is the same in every theatre nowadays! There is a general rustle of packets, low level talking and people bloody up and down like yo yo’s. I think when you pay around £50 (or more) for tickets then you should have the mentality to be quiet and considerate of others.
I do sometimes email the theatre and say it’s a shame the performance was spoilt due to the rustling of sweet/ crisp wrappers. Just wait for the interval!

It's just a lack of self awareness

More a 'I do not give a monkeys for anyone else'