Drunk in the theatre?

[LilacFrost]

Aibu to be pissed off?

I paid £70 each for me, my mum and my aunt to see a show. Delayed originally because of covid so really looking forward to it.

First act was fine. Second act these women a couple of rows behind me started talking so loudly, shouting odd things out. Talking and laughing so loud it distracted from the music. One person in the audience did eventually shout at them to shut up.

They were clearly drunk. What I’m annoyed at is your bags are checked so unlikely to have brought alcohol in themselves. They must have been drinking during the interval and maybe before, surely if someone is showing signs they are being drunk and loud they shouldn’t have been served?

This is becoming increasingly common. Friends who work FOH are finding some audience behaviour increasingly challenging and ruining things for everyone else. There's lots of stories on twitter of similar problems (including physical assaults by audience members and blatant racism at Frozen).

YANBU to be annoyed but they presumably weren't drunk on arrival because they were quiet through the first act, and they wouldn't have had time to get suddenly as drunk as that from interval drinks in the bar, so my guess is that they had smuggled booze in. I know they check bags but booze isn't what they're checking them for, and it's not difficult to put 500ml of vodka in an Evian bottle so it looks like water. I don't think this is the theatre's fault.

It's so tricky with theatre if people start being loud during the performance, because it's hard for the staff to shut them up or make them leave without just causing even more disruption. It's massively annoying, though - I'd be livid too, just not with the theatre staff.

YANBU. God I would be furious if I had paid that sort of money for a ticket only to have the performance ruined by selfish idiots like this. I do think people causing a disturbance should just be removed but I appreciate that may be asking a lot from front of house staff who may then have to deal with aggressive behaviour and could cause a further disturbance to the rest of the audience.

Probably had wine / alcohol in their insulated water bottles rather than water.

I remember seeing Dirty Dancing years (10/15 years ago) when it started touring and there was some very obnoxiously loud drunk women a few rows in front. One had her camera out and was showing people her holiday photos during the show!! She then kicked off at the usher when she was asked to put it away and be quiet.
put me off theatre for quite some time, especially that theatre (luckily I live near a few big cities so can choose different theatres to attend)

Same happened when I went recently, think a hen party had been to a bottomless brunch, they arrived late and were then rowdy. I don't think they should have been let in!

I once ordered two glasses of wine in a West End theatre and they told me a bottle was cheaper, then poured the whole bottle into two glasses (because you're not allowed to take the bottle with you)

I don't think I behaved obnoxiously, but I was definitely drunk by the interval, so they don't need to have smuggled anything in.

I know this sounds terrible but I have found that it depends on the show you're watching - for example I went to see 'Only Fools and Horses - the musical' and it was just gangs of drunk middle aged people (U am also middle aged!) singing / talking (repeating the lines) - TBH the atmosphere was great!!
But I wouldn't expect this in 'Phantom' for example!

It’s not just the theatre, it’s all sorts of public venues. At racing recently, people speaking so loudly ( not about the race) that they literally drowned out the race commentary in the stands. I haven’t been to the cinema for years, but a friend has just stopped going because other patrons talk, look at their ( brightly lit ) phones etc. Public transport is horrid , even in the ‘quiet’ carriage.
We seem to have lost the sense of behaving considerately in public spaces, part of the rising importance people,put on themselves and only themselves.

you don't need to sneak booze in to get drunk in the theatre!
drink in the bar first, take a couple in for the first half, order a couple of interval drinks to take back in with you.
They also don’t know how many people your ordering for at the bar.
our local theatre gives wine in the little bottles so it’s very easy to take into the auditorium with you if you want a few.

They were dicks but it wasn't the theatre staffs faults.

I don’t know why there are so many mentions about sneaking wine in, you can just buy it in the theatre and have it in your seat.
YANBU to be annoyed that the show was ruined but you are sort of being unreasonable to complain about it now when it’s over. If it was so annoying you should have mentioned it to a staff member on the night and the group could have been told to pack it in or leave.

We had exactly the same happen at Chicago beginning of year, six people all pissed. All had got drinks from bar plus bought alcohol in with them even though bags being checked

Two of them talked all the way through first half. Then at end a couple so drunk didn’t know to stand up to let people in row out so everyone had to climb over them

Why pay so much money to waste it

First half guy in front turned round and shouted at them and then he and I spoke to them in interval which did mean at least they were quieter in second half but still ruined it for me

We had very quick usher last time we went. They were on everything within seconds.
Some people just don't beling in public areas with their behaviour

I went to see a show on Sunday with DH and had the same thing happen to us with a bunch of rowdy woman behind us drinking prosecco and shouting through every song (it was a musical) and chatting and laughing loudly together obviously there’s a difference between having a good time and being totally oblivious and uncaring of those around them

I went to see a comedian as well one evening and one drunk woman kept shouting things out to him and everyone was getting pissed off at her. Comedian entertained it at first then you could tell he was fuming as she kept going on and on. He told her she’d be kicked out if said another thing

TBF, pre-covid I had to ask a lady behind me at Les Mis (on tour in our regional theatre) to please stop singing - she was so loud and COMPLETELY out of tune, it was utterly ruining it for people umpteen seats around her in all directions. She was in her 60s and apparently sober 🤷🏼‍♀️. The man with her (assumed DH) looked mortified when I asked her. The tickets cost a fortune, I didn't pay for a singalong!

People are just awful.
We had a drunk guy shouting at a show recently and an old lady who hadn't switched her phone off. It kept ringing. About 4 times! Why they didn't take it off her I have no idea! They need bouncers to throw some people out imo.

you don't need to sneak booze in to get drunk in the theatre!

Have you seen the prices of drinks recently?