Embarrassed Edinburgh family 'told off for miming' along to Annie at Playhouse- how can they think they're in the right?!

[MichelleScarn]

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/embarrassed-edinburgh-family-told-miming-26567374

How on earth can they think that this behaviour was OK?
Bloody rude and probably spoiled it for people around them!

No. That’s what drunk people do in pubs. At musicals people pay to hear the show not some delusional asshat in the aisles.

Edinburgh playhouse staff have zero tolerance. The last couple of shows I’ve been there (Bat out of hell and The Commitments) audience members were ejected, no idea what for because I wasn’t sitting near them.

First they should stop allowing drinks inside. If you are coming to a performance with a drink in your hand, you are probably not going to take it seriously.

@potniatheron NO you are not!! Singalong shows are fine ( the clue is in the description) - but for Actual Musicals people have paid good money to watch a show and hear the artists in the show - not other people behaving like they are in their own living room.

This lot were miming to each other and moving around, spoiling things for the people behind them

Not at the Playhouse. They are very clear with expectations and very quick to kick people out. Scottish people are not cave men. It is not normal to behave like a drunk “lad” at a musical theatre performance.

Why, can people not behave just because they've had a drink?

At the Edinburgh playhouse they warn you before any musical starts not to sing.
It costs a small fortune to go to the Edinburgh playhouse too.

Without fail those who sing along sound like a strangled cat.

We paid a fortune for Phantom tickets and had the misfortune to sit behind a Greek family. The teens clearly lost interest quickly as they were on their phones. Really annoying.

This weekend, at the Empire, they put several announcements out to the audience that singing, talking and heckling in the performance was not allowed and there would be a chance to sing along at the end. After the interval (and, I'm sure, linked to additional alcohol consumption) there was a bit of shushing going on from someone. The reply from the noisy party was to noisily shush back about 5 times - all while the actors were still acting, until one bloke loudly told them to shut up, which they thankfully did.

I've been at the empire and narrowly missed a punch up because people were annoyed that they'd paid a lot and had the show ruined by others.

I really only want to hear the professionals singing when I go and have frequently gritted my teeth when someone right by me has sung along to every song.

I came here to mention Dirty Dancing! I went when it first opened and it was crazy, people in the audience actually shouting out the lines over the actors (“I carried a watermelon!”) let alone singing at the top of their voices

Yy I think there might be regional variations in expectations  I'm guessing the steward in the article was an out of town student because it's not unusual for the audience in Scottish theatres to be quite 'lively'.

I'm Scottish and I would not expect there to be random people screeching along and neither do I want to hear it.

I was at the Playhouse to see Chicago in 2021 and there were quite a few people singing along early on. Thankfully it didn't get too bad and I don't recall anyone being asked to leave. The first time they sang the line "And All That Jazz" it sounded like the whole theatre joining in though.

I'm going back again soon to see Six and while I'm looking forward to it I'm dreading the thought of people singing along since it just seems to have got worse and worse there recently.

No. If you want to squawk along yourself do karaoke in the pub. Don't drown out the professional trained singers I've spent a lot of money to see!

Having worked in a theatre, this is exactly the kind of group that would cause the most trouble. Being an almost middle aged woman myself, I’m afraid we are the worst demographic for being pissed/talking/singing along in theatres. They’re exactly the kind of group that come in from a boozy afternoon tea or bottomless brunch and act like they’re at a hen party. And if you try to ask them to keep it down you’ll get a mouthful of abuse and “we’re only having fun!” Even the school groups were generally better behaved.

I’m glad I don’t do that kind of work anymore because friends who are in the industry are saying it is getting much worse.

This. They were having such a lot of bother with complaints about people spoiling other's enjoyment because they were singing, clapping hands etc etc during musical numbers - and FOH staff being abused when they tried to say anything that they have said, clearly, that they are employing a zero tolerance to that kind of behaviour.

Drink has a lot to do with it too. The Jersey Boys on at least one evening when it was on recently was stopped twice on one night because there were fights while the show was on 😵

Well that's the point. You're not

No, you don't sing along at the theatre.
People pay to hear the professional actors singing and performing.

The only time you sing along is if invited to by the cast. This often occurs in popular musicals in my experience, for the final song.

I had the misfortune to see Mamma Mia at the Playhouse pre-pandemic. Great show. Amazing cast.

Pity that Jeanie in the row behind me thought that she was better than all the cast and we'd all paid to hear her warble her way through the songs. Luckily a woman a couple of seats along told her to "shut the fuck up" and she complied.

Many musicals have a "finale" where audiences are encouraged to get up, sing, dance. That is entirely different from singing and "miming" throughout and people who don't understand that are too stupid to be in a theatre.

I hope Distant Worlds was amazing other than that weapons grade tool. Always wanted to go to that!

No.

This was to previous poster who went to Distant Worlds. Phone took a crap and wiped the quote 🙄

Whilst ATG staff sometimes move between venues it’s a National company and rules are broadly the same at each of its venues. An out of town student would not randomly be covering a shift.

This reminds me of the stand-up joke, 'I went to see Pavorotti at the weekend... He's a miserable bastard. He doesn't like you singing along...'

Whaaat. No way. I live (and am from) Edinburgh and I'd be raging if these bozos had been anywhere near me. Top marks to the steward for trying to keep up the standard.

To be fair I will have a glass of wine in the interval or before hand in the bar. It doesn't mean I'm going to be rowdy - and definitely won't be singing along.
Having a drink doesn't have to cause an issue.