Why do people do this?

[Wellandtrulypeedofff]

Spend £150 on theatre tickets, then proceed to rustle crisp and sweet packets and munch their way through the whole performance? Even the emotional solos and monologues weren't safe from the incessant rustling and crunching.

Special mention for the man in front of me, who despite having a clear veiw of the stage, sat right forwards in his seat with his neck stretched like bloody meerkat the whole performance giving me a great veiw of the back of his head.

Usually when I go to see a show i like I'm on a bit of a high, but I just feel deflated this morning. Feel like just giving up on theatre altogether.

Theatres should absolutely set out talking expectations in their guidelines. I had can can seats at moulin rouge in June and was SO excited but the two people next to me talked loudly the whole way through. 3 times I asked them to stop but was met with eye rolls and ignorance. Alcohol played its part.

It seems to be more the case in some theatres/shows than others. Moulin rouge etiquette seems especially bad, presumably because of the mass appeal/hen party potential etc.

Noisy food should absolutely be banned. Grazing throughout has never been part of the theatre experience until recently. It's a couple of hours, why do you need to eat?

When I went to see Lk the man in front of me kept resting his elbow on the arm of the chair holding his wine glass up right in my eye line. I asked him to put his arm down, which he did in fairness, but 5 minutes later up it popped again 😠

Annoying fucker!

Some theatres that I have been to close the doors a minute before the show starts and there is no entry or re-entry for at least 20 minutes.

Nope. I don't see that many musicals. I see a lot of plays, ballet, dance, orchestra. Same at every single one.

Totally agree with this - eating in the cinema and theatre is a vile habit. Sadly, venues rely on food sales to bring in some money. And it still wouldn't solve the issue with brought in food, mobile phones etc. If these idiots aren't careful, they will kill live theatre and we will lose one of the great joys of life.

I'm just brutally honest with people in circumstances like this. I won't allow anyone to spoil my expensive experience.

I agree with banning foos in theatre, but popcorn IS half the cinema 😁
There should be rule on noiay packaging.

Yes, theatres have to get strict before they lose more patrons an posaibly performances.

Years ago I bought my husband tickets to see Carmina Burana for his birthday. The man sitting next to me was constantly talking to his wife. After what felt like forever, I leant over and politely said 'I came to listen to the music, not you'. His wife looked embarrassed, he looked surprised and I didn't hear another peep out of him.

Oh such a shame, I saw the Lion King earlier this year and it was magical, I was crying within minutes of it starting. It wouldn't even cross my mind to eat, I was engrossed!

I don't mind snacking so much in the cinema as it's more expected. I went to see A Quiet Place in the cinema when it came out and it was bloody hilarious watching people try and very quietly eat crisps and popcorn in what is a mostly deathly quiet film. More entertaining than the film in the end.

I don't understand the need to snack at the theatre though, always used to be inhale a Fab lolly in the interval and that was your lot.

I think people have always eaten a few sweets at the theatre, but I’m getting the impression it’s more than that. And I think people traditionally chose something non rustly - with thought for others.

Obviously anything that smells (ie is hot) or is noisy should be ruled out.

Meerkat man sounds very inconsiderate. You clearly don’t crane forward and pull yourself upward at the theatre. Shouldn’t the seats also be staggered, so each person looks through the gap between those in front?

Again with cinema- I think popcorn or non rustly (so not individually wrapped) sweets is a part of the experience. But hot dogs, nachos and the like are certainly not on.

They definitely need to do this.

@StupidCupidKeepsOnCallinMe mentioned the translating problem... we also had this. We (4 adults) went to see Les Mis, the man sat next us tried to translate the whole show to his mother! It was so annoying because we were literally sat next to someone chatting the whole way through.

I voted YABU - because you changed the question to AIBU to give up going to the theatre - and yes I think you are, because many times, especially in more local small theatres, all is well and I certainly would miss going if I just stopped

However YANBU for being annoyed about this - and yes, a minority of people can create mayhem and spoil things for the majority - and the minority is getting larger.

Alcohol should not be solved at any theatre or similar venues, as this causes a lot, maybe 99%, of the problems. People then behave like dickheads with the resulting chaos impacting on everyone else.

Also agree with you about people leaning forward so that you can't see anything except their head. I had a similar experience a few weeks ago. We had very central seats in a dress circle, 2nd row - and the female in front of me sat well forward the whole time ( she was in the front row so had an excellent view without doing that). All I could see in the centre of the stage was her head. Really spoilt it for me

My worst experience was in the cinema several years ago. DH and I took our seats ready for the King's Speech then the family in front opened their fish and chips (and swapped saveloys for bits of battered fish so lots of rustling and whispering to add to the experience).

I saw Barbie in the staidest of staid Picturehouse cinemas.

Throughout the film people ordered takeaway pizzas on their phones . Got pinged when they were delivered to the foyer. Went out, returned with stacks of pizzas to give out amongst their party, went back out to get drinks… ate full sized pizzas. At least 3 separate groups did this.

I often do ironing while watching Netflix at home. I might turn up at the theatre with my ironing board and a pile of clothes and stand in the middle of the auditorium.

I decided not to go to the cinema with my sister and our kids again after she let her son rustle packets throughout a whole film. I did trying shushing him but it didn't work.