Actor stopped because of emailer in audience

[ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks]

I just read about this in the guardian, I'll put a picture of the heading of the article.

He says he "thought" the audience member was sending emails on his laptop. I wonder how he knew that, presumably he couldn't see the screen, and signal in theatres is dreadful. I would take a punt that he was in fact playing minesweeper.

I'm going off topic. The reason I wanted to post this is because it leapt out as me as a parallel to typical behaviour in many of the (Good!) schools I've taught in. Low level disruption. Except it's not one audience (class) member, it's most of them.

So I had to smile wryly to myself that this made the national news.

Either the audience member had very good reason, or this is a natural follow on from the deterioration of respect and good behaviour in schools.

Oh actors, come teach the dear children!

I think you are right about increasing rudeness and the covid effect. Being locked in for months on end has made people more selfish and less considerate of others.

I don't pretend there is no issue in schools today, and there is a real behaviour problem I accept - and it is unacceptable for teachers to feel threatened - I just have an issue with the myth it used to be all sweetness and light.

Violence in 1950s schools was awful - you would never bother to tell a teacher if a pupil hit you, because the teacher would probably just hit you as well.

It just changes all the time.

Oh the youth of today and their bad behaviour...

Afaik first complained of by the ancient Egyptians. No doubt there were ill mannered people reading scrolls (or tablets) at inappropriate times then too.

Phone wouldn't be ok - bit it is small and most people carry one as a matter of course.

A laptop, though - it signals intent!

Don't reply to them, then.

You have posted anything that isn't patronising or answer-avoidant anyway.

Yes and the Greeks!

I would also be so fucking irritated that they were breaking the atmosphere of everyone being in the same world of whatever I was watching, if that makes sense.

It does make sense - you go to the theatre to be transported into the world of the production - not be continually dragged back to reality by some twit disturbing your concentration. (And you pay a lot of money for the privilege, too)

I suppose he might have had his laptop with him because he’d come to the theatre straight from work, but that is no excuse for actually getting it out!

It's probably those "We've ticked this box" courses, where you get a certificate just or turning up even if you sit and play World of Warcraft all the way through.

They are non-courses in my book - just office politics stuff.

He's an actor saying a few lines! honestly we aren't talking about a surgeon performing open heart surgery here and the theatre staff wheeled in a karaoke machine and started doing the conga. Perspective is needed.

Oh I so agree! And I know it's considered normal now.

I can't travel without my noise cancelling Bose earbuds

He's an actor saying a few lines! honestly we aren't talking about a surgeon performing open heart surgery here and the theatre staff wheeled in a karaoke machine and started doing the conga. Perspective is needed.

The only perspective needed is that it's completely unnecessary and bloody rude of anyone to open a laptop in a theatre. wtf would anyone defend it?

Everyone has come to the theatre to listen to those actors saying those lines, and in the case of that production of Hamlet, they’ve probably paid a lot of money and might have made effort to get the tickets. He’s totally entitled to think of himself as the centre of attention because he literally is, and he’s performing the most intense and emotional part of the play. He’s entitled to professional pride, and to want the audience to get the very most from what they are seeing.

In the UK "Quiet Coach" usually ends up meaning "please don't play music on loudspeaker". In most European countries I've visited, that's the case for all train carriages and the Quiet Coach is expected to be like a library - woe betide anyone who so much as eats noisily.

A friend's 3 month old baby died last year, she was a 23 weeker who had been doing really well until the day she died and took a very swift turn. At the grave side a woman (MIL of bereaved mum's friend) got a phone call, answered it, and loudly starting chatting away. Absolutely zero self awareness at all.

This was the funeral btw

His job is important to him and the vast majority of the audience who paid £££ to see him act.

'He’s totally entitled to think of himself as the centre of attention because he literally is, and he’s performing the most intense and emotional part of the play. '

Yes yes in which case he should've thought of all those who had paid for tickets and were heavily invested in his lines and carried on. Fine to have a moan after but to sulk and strop and actually stop the show is beyond arrogant.

Yep so the show really should've gone on. I hope they issued refunds for him spoiling it.

It’s not arrogant at all. It’s entirely what that ignorant philistine deserved.

@Janiie You've got to be a troll getting a rise out of people, and doing it very well I might say. I can't believe that you really think these things 😁

"Yep so the show really should've gone on. I hope they issued refunds for him spoiling it."

You are so funny! 😄😄😄

How do they go on holiday then?

There are some absolutely insane comments on this thread

I am a professional adult who is capable of making appropriate choices around prioritisation. Sometimes that will include checking my email or stepping out of a training course, or conference or meeting to deal with something more pressing.

if as a consequence of doing so I was subjected to PA sniping or -ludicrously- told not not return, damn right I’d complain/decline to use the service provider again.

fortunately it’s been years since I’ve had to deal with such childishness, I honestly thought such behaviours had died out.

So the trainer has to put up with people disrupting their course?