Booze in theatres

[Conniebygaslight]

We go to various theatres probably about half a dozen times a year to see different things, musicals, comedians, plays, audience with....etc.
Every single time over the last couple of years there has been groups or couples who are constantly shouting out from their seats, always women (usually middle aged) and always off their faces drunk. They completely spoil the show.
We've had women fighting in the foyer, or passed out drunk and/or just generally being very loud and obnoxious./aggressive
We went to see comedian last night and again the 2 women behind us were ridiculous and we had to move.
When did boozing in theatres become the norm?
For reference I'm a middle aged woman who is also a drinker but I can manage a night at the theatre without one.
AIBU to say that alcohol is becoming part of everything nowadays and nowhere is safe from drunken louts?

Oh I'm so jealous. I saw this at the cinema and admit I stumbled to the bar in the interval and demanded alcohol because I was so utterly broken. That play was amazing.

And it blocks the view of people behind you.

Conniebygaslight · Today 09:25
leafybrew · Today 09:25

😂😂

If only we could all be properly cultured - these things would not occur
Show quote history

Obviously not high-brow enough...🙄”

Not at all! I enjoy musicals too but the behaviour is decidedly different. I’m not sure I’d go anymore because of it.

I’ve had similar experiences OP, although thankfully yet to witness an actual fight. It seems to happen more often in the big musicals but I’ve had several performances ruined by people who are too drunk to be there.

Yes, drinking has always gone on in theatres but there is a major difference between a G&T at the interval this. People (as you say, mostly middle aged women) arriving at the theatre already half cut, staying in the theatre bar until 20 seconds before the show starts and then going out at the interval for more. They get increasingly rowdy and then spoil it for others. Theatre etiquette in general has gone downhill the last few years but I think the theatres should do more to monitor this behaviour. If people are tipsy on the way in watch them and then stop serving them alcohol if it’s obvious they’ve already had too much. Tickets and travel are expensive enough for me without having my day out spoiled because Pam and Marge need to get drunk.

It used to just be to drink at the interval. Now people are drinking in the auditorium from start to finish.
I haven't seen awful behaviour but I have had to step over pints and glasses of wine when getting out of my seat as people just leave them (sometimes spilt as there is nowhere to put them) on the floor.

Oh no, do they keep letting the riff raff in?

Thank you, this is exactly my point. I have no issue with someone having a drink but it's ridiculous. They get absolutely sloshed and are a bloody nightmare.

Theatres have always sold alcohol.

People who are hammered at the theatre have done most of their drinking at the pub or in a restaurant beforehand, not at the theatre bar.

I personally have never seen any rowdy or aggressive behaviour at the theatre, ever 🤷🏻‍♀️I know there’s supposedly an increase in antisocial behaviour at certain shows - usually jukebox/movie-based musicals, which are marketed as a big night out and a good time for a group of friends. They therefore attract a crowd who aren’t necessarily familiar with the theatre and have potentially travelled a long way, so they treat it like having a day at the races or going to see a band play Wembley.

I never go to that sort of show because they’re not my thing, but I go to loads of other things and I’ve literally never seen/heard fights, people being drunk/rowdy, calling out during the play etc.

Also someone wondering which Theatres you go to ? . We see at least 6 to 10 shows per year and have done for last 10 years approximately. Only once did someone, ( probably drunk ), slightly spoil the performance by singing along with the songs from the musical , for a while before they were asked to stop .

Yes the drinking in the theatre at some shows - cabaret was one - was distracting. It's a shame as I like a glass of wine to go in with some shows....but the bottles being passed backwards and forwards and people dropping stuff - it can take the shine off.

The rise of jukebox musicals has had a big impact on the rise of drinking and bad behaviour in theatres.

I worked front of house at Les Mis back in the 90s and you could get a drink before the show, order one for the interval or battle to the bar and that was it. No plastic cups to take drinks inside the auditorium.

I'm WC in Liverpool. I'm on disability benefits. It's a big day out to go to some pantos. To be out with your primary aged kids, in our city centre, rat arsed, is scum bag behaviour. In your world is your right to get pissed, above the rights of young children not to get swilled with ale, in a panto/show designed for children under 11?
It's just part of the increased anti social behaviour. The areas of Liverpool I've lived in since a child in the 70's, were rough and poverty stricken, but you didn't see the behaviour and the lack of respect for others, of today.

Alcohol has always been available in theatres but I agree people drink too much and behave like yobs no matter where they are.

I’m with @MrsSkylerWhite - it’s not disparaging you as lowbrow, it’s acknowledging that some forms of theatre get lairy while others don’t.

Jukebox musicals, comedy, aging pop stars on anecdote tours etc tend to have more seats sold to large groups of mates on a Big Night Out who rock up half cut.

In the same vein, midweek matinees of classic plays are packed out with high school students. You know that’s the likelihood when choosing your ticket.

That doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. Behaviour in public is dreadful, see the many threads started by people working in cafés, shops, restaurants.

Theatres sell overpriced alcohol as part of their bid to keep open. They are financially hamstrung.

I don’t know what the solution is. I sometimes wish we had a giant parental figure telling us to grow the hell up, behave more respectfully and stay at home if we can’t be civilised.
(Maybe that was the appeal of religion after all)

We go to the theatre 1-2 a week (London) and the culture has definitely changed, though I've never seen it to the level OP originally described. I've seen a couple of people asked to leave but never a fight! But the availability of alcohol is definitely higher, some theatres will now deliver it to your seat.

Most theatres now allow drinking at your seat, though as someone previously mentioned the Royal Opera House is an exception; (as is the Barbican sometimes) and there are a few others. The National and many others only allow plastic glasses, but I was also surprised at the Savoy allowing glass - we had champagne and I was expecting to have to decant it but didn't.

They say phones must be turned off. Have a warning that annoying behaviour will result in eviction. And mean it.

The royal opera house do have roving ushers who will come down on those with phones, but most theatres aren't as hot unfortunately. Fear of the response they would get maybe.

We go to the theatre loads and I have never seen this-have never had a show ruined by drunk obnoxious people and have certainly never seen a fight at a theatre! Where do you live?!

I’ve had performances affected by really tall people sitting in front of me which is really annoying (though not their fault for being tall-I wish they’d sit still though!).

People in the cinema annoy me more, to be honest, with too much talking, phone use and noisily eating nachos or crisps throughout films -now that should be banned!

The PP was complaining It's one of the issues with reduced ticket prices, works night out, were the employer has paid etc so basically it's one of the issues of making the theatre accessible to people like us - working class, can't afford £100+ a ticket or travel to the fancier theatres.
I'm perfectly capable of turning up sober to the theatre and behaving, irrespective of my income of background. You're perfectly capable of turning up sober and behaving . So should everyone else.

And don't even me started on the mess left even at more "high brow" shows. My four year olds know better than that.

Yes I've seen this. Saw sunset boulevard earlier in the year and 3 friends behind me were making their way through two bottles of wine and being really loud. The man next to me told them to shut up. It was really uncomfortable.

I've gone to the theatre since I was a little girl and don't remember this 20 years ago.

People nearly always get louder the more they drink so it's inevitable but it does ruin it for others.

Though I imagine theatre in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries was a very roucous affair with shouting and booze!

I’ve never seen this either, and been to several theatre events recently.

More of a problem is people taking photographs or recording g in their phone. Save it to the end!

I do think theatres and venues need to crack down on this more though.

I go to the theatre a lot too. I've never seen that. I saw a few people a bit drunk at Mamma Mia, but that's the nature of which a shit piece of theatre. They were a bit loud but nothing like you've said.
I like a glass of wine before the show and another at the interval. It's part of the experience (and of course I could 'manage' without, but why should I?). Theatres should police it better maybe, but I wouldn't say it's widespread from my own experience.

I've never been to. Theatre where that would be allowed. I visit lots of London and regional theatres.

Don't tar all musicals with this. Lloyd Webber shore or the likes of Mamma Mia and other juke box musicals maybe. Not the real thing. I go a lot.

I work in theatres and I can assure you that we all brace ourselves for comedy productions. The crowds are rough. Some shows also attract a harder-drinking crowd. The audience has paid a lot of money to “have fun” and feel the need to drink to oblivion to justify the ticket price. One (unfortunately very long-running show) has almost given our staff ptsd. Aggressive, entitled patrons, more vomit bags handed out than I have ever seen in my past life as a flight attendant, fighting, blow jobs, shagging in toilets, passing out in the foyer, head injuries and fractures from falling down the stairs - you name it. Well…. Nobody died, I guess.