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!

Good for Andew Scott.
I remember seeing Macbeth at the rsc once and the bloke playing Macbeth stopped half way through to have a go at a poor bloke who couldn’t stop coughing! Thought that was a bit harsh…

Maybe the person on laptop was bored stiff and only went because partner incapable of going alone?

So what?

If you are at a performance or any kind of event or gathering that you can't really leave early without causing disruption or inconvenience to others, and you find you are bored, is it really the end of the world to just sit quietly and politely until it is over?

Why are some people just incapable of dealing with a small amount of boredom?
Just plaster on your politely interested face and let your mind wander to other things if necessary.

Some access providers (ie, audio describers and captioners) use laptops to view the script they're working on when they preview the show for the access performance. Often they will sit in the AD or sound booth but on occasion do sit in the audience seats, usually as far away from the rest of the audience as poss to avoid distracting them with the glare from the screen.

Some audience members might use their phone (rather than a laptop) to view subtitles of the performance. I remember reading about a deaf lady in (I think) New York who was left very distressed after an actor stopped the performance mid show to yell at her because she was "using her phone". She was following the subtitles on her phone, an access adjustment.

They learn it from their peers first and foremost.

I've noticed people have become increasingly ragey about this in recent times.

This is because mobile devices have made people increasingly selfish and inconsiderate and incapable of simply sitting quietly and doing nothing.

Disagree. Any training course I've been on has had regular breaks every couple of hours. Devices can easily be checked during them. It's so fucking rude when someone disengages with what's happening in the room to do something else.

I think there is so much to be said for devices and on demand entertainment in general.

We just dont know how to be BORED anymore, let alone focus our energy on one activity at a time. The very fact that 'Naked walks' is now apparently a term to describe being able to do anything without headphones on says it all. We cant even stand in a lift for 30 seconds without scrolling our phones.

I think being able to access what we want, when we want is massively responsible. When I was a teen you only had ONE shot at watching a certain film over christmas, so you sat and paid attention. Knowing you can just watch it again whenever makes it lose its appeal.

There is also the lack of social skills coupled with entitlement to generally any activity in public anymore. Chatters at gigs used to be back at the bar, but I had two blokes stand and chat through an entire show. Whats the point of even going?

If you are coughing uncontrollably you should really leave the auditorium until it stops.

Could it be because the link goes on to say the following?
I was pausing and [the stage team] were like, ‘Get on with it’ and I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ I stopped for ages.”
A woman next to the laptop user appeared to alert him to the situation and he finally stopped
In other words, another audience member distracted the actor to bring laptop man to his attention. The laptop didn’t disturb the actor, the other audience member did.

You're asked in cinemas and theatres to put your phone away and on silent, what on earth possesses someone to use a laptop. I agree with him, it's just plain rude

Good Lord

Took the kids to see Wonka over the holidays - some tit was sitting four rows from the front scrolling away on their phone. Light was so bright. It was SO irritating!!

I believe you've misread that.

The woman next to the laptop user appeared to alert him [the laptop user]

Agree about the constant access. Ironically i think it probably decreases our enjoyment, despite seeming to be a benefit. I remember as s child looking forward to something that was going to be in tv and it was an event.

This is how I read it too.

The point is you shouldn't have to ask!

Oh I saw Andrew Scott do this Hamlet also. He was quite brilliant and I am not sure how you could take your eyes off him.

Tbh, he is VERY good at giving hard and very considered stares to the audience. He does look out a lot (he did it brilliantly in Sea Wall where he just started out at the audience as we came in, sizing us up. V unnerving so I can believe he did this totally in character and would have been very at ease with his actions. I would have loved to have been there actually!)

I went to the cinema recently with a couple of people, both of whom got their phones out during the show. One twice and the other probably every 20 minutes or so. I also went to a couple of pantomimes where I suppose you expect some calling out but in one, there was a woman shouting out constantly towards the end, trying to add her own jokes which was just strange and in the other, 2 boys were trying to outdo each other in shouting out silly comments to the cast to the point that you couldn’t hear their lines quite often. Initially the families just said nothing and were laughing then towards the very end, I did see a dad of one of the boys lean in and I assume tell him to stop but that was in the last half an hour. I did wonder if they constantly called out in class and disrupted learning too. It was pretty awful.

All these people who can't organise cover so they can focus on a day's training course.... How do you ever take annual leave?

Definitely a deterioration in public behaviour. People seem to think their own instant gratification or agenda are more important than everyone else. Covid gets blamed for this but it was definitely happening before, technology and the internet are large contributors. Everyone is so instantly contactable and believe they have the right to voice their opinion or be offended at everything due to social media. Look at how many people instantly get their phones out during a time of crisis to film it or film people in distress for a few likes online. We have lost what it means to care for others.

This has trickled down into schools as children see their own parents behaving in a similar way. The issue is I can only see it getting worse and not better.

@forcedfun they don't arrange cover so that they can preen about their own importance. They would find it very stressful not being constantly on line and in the loop. It's very sad.

Or who can’t put their phone on silent and let their calls go to voicemail so they can catch up during coffee break.

Earringsndlipstick - What is so important about your job that you need to check your phone for a few seconds whilst on a training course? Or that you may need to leave the room and take a call? You've surely been sent on the course for a reason, therefore should make sure that someone else deals with any problems in your absence.

If I was taking a training course and you stepped outside to take a call I would tell you not to bother coming back in. You're part of the problem.

Similar has happened before - Richard Griffiths stopped a performance and told an audience member off about a mobile phone.

Good for these actors - it's appallingly rude to both the cast and the audience members.

https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/nov/23/features11.g24

Exactly, I have a phenomenally stressful and high pressured /time sensitive job but if my work have paid for me to go on a training course my view is that they expect me to arrange cover so I can focus on the course. So I set my out of office message and ensure my team pick up anything urgent.