To think children should be made to behave in a theatre?

[Sziasztok]

Went to an amateur pantomime on a Friday, that a friend was performing in. It was in the theatre of a local school. During the entire performance, kids were running all over the theatre, including climbing up on the stage to scream at and prod the performers. They paused the performance twice to ask parents to keep their children off the stage (at one point, one little shit, who looked to be about 8, was at the front of the stage, kicking and trying to smash the lights). Two kids stood in the aisle and had a screaming competition. Again, they paused the performance as no-one could hear anything.

I asked my friend if it was always that bad. She said that the matinées that they did for schools were fine, as the teachers didn’t allow bad behaviour and any disruptive child was either told off or removed. But the evening performances always had to be paused at least once to get kids off the stage, and parents seemed to think it was cute/funny.

To be clear, it wasn’t just one or two kids who were disruptive, it was the vast majority of them. And it wasn’t the normal interaction with the cast (“He’s behind you!”) or inviting the kids on stage, it ruined the whole performance. Is this normal behaviour these days? Mine would have been removed or read the riot act if they had behaved like this.

I didn't think I went to the best of areas to see pantos each year, but I have never seen this behaviour, ever!

If you spend any time overseas, it's really noticeable how badly behaved kids in the UK actually are. Other nationalities seem to manage to produce well behaved, well mannered and engaged children.

Thats nonsense. You get badly behaved children in every country. French teenagers I encountered in Jersey were a particular delight, (Not)

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It’s always the parents fault. No one has to go to the theatre, do they?

We went to a performance yesterday and family behind had 3 children, oldest looked about 10. Talking loudly during quiet parts, playing with an empty plastic bottle so he was scrunching it to make sounds and generally being a pain. So frustrating how parents let children behave.

I haven't been to a performance with a large number of kids in years, I find it hard to believe it was that bad. Surely no one would let their kids behave like that??

We have been given free tickets to what should be a relatively professional panto by the local performing arts college. I was looking forward to it, now I might be dreading it!

From your title I was thinking you may be a tad unreasonable, depending on the age of the child(ren) in question and possibly any struggles they may or may not have. Your OP shocked me a bit though! YANBU!

This is such indulgent parenting. Not as bad but at the cinema last week the mum sat next to me kept up a running commentary of explaining the plot to her small child through the whole film. It was so annoying! Like if your child isn’t old enough to understand the story, why have you brought them?

They should be asked to leave. No exceptions.

allthatfalafel · Today 12:17
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I mean this is just all kids at all events. I don't have kids and would never go to a pantomime or anything else that was obviously kid-based.

It really isn’t. The majority of children know how to behave appropriately.

I’ve seen awful behaviour from adults in theatres.

I have found that the parents of such pupils end up pushing for a SEND diagnosis.

Yes agree. Frontal part of their brain not developed, must be overwhelmed with all the excitement of Xmas and other shit excuses.
I really think a smack needs to be done sometimes. Some children are utter shits. I went to the park recently and heard the child next to us speaking to her mother. If ever a smack was needed was then. Absolutely everyone around us was stunned.

This is what's needed I think.

Not at the theatre but I was Aldi last Thursday and a 3 year old pulled around 5 loafs of bread from the shelf and started jumping on them. The mum just stood on her phone and done bugger all. I was gobsmacked. The staff were fuming. I don’t blame them. Utter shit parenting

I wonder if it's at all related to the ticket price. Went to see a mâtiné performance of a pantomime yesterday with my child. (Well he's 37 and had his wife with him, but he's still my child.) We were in a proper theatre and yes, there were toddlers in tears when the baddie frightened them and fairly constant low level conversations as parents explained what was happening to small children. Several parents took upset children out and one family comprising a full half row left at the interval, (not so surprising as the smallest child had been saying "I want to go home" right at the start!). All was to be expected and no children were shouting or screaming when they shouldn't have been and there was no running about. We all enjoyed it.

Sounds like Lord of the Flies.

That’s dreadful behaviour theatres are not playgrounds!

Wow I've never seen behaviour like that at any theatre. That's outrageous

Omg I would have said something. You pay good money to see professional singers, it's not a singalong.

I do despair for the future. Gentle parenting=lazy parents.

I attended a matinee performance at a London theatre several years ago. Many children were well behaved. However, the behaviour of the children in one school group was shocking. They shouted, threw things at each other, and even poured water on people in the stalls below. We were sitting a few rows behind them and as far as I could see, their teachers did nothing to stop them.

I went to see Wicked and kids were running around the cinema, others were doing cartwheels, others were sitting in a group and having a really loud conversation. Parents all ignored them.

I think it’s the modern way - I rarely go out these days and every time I do, it’s like nobody seems to know how to behave.

YANBU, it’s dreadful.

Not just ask, but it should be insisted.

Never heard of this before myself.

But surely the little darlings must be allowed to explore boundaries and validate their feelings (and other such buzz wordy shit) because otherwise they might be scarred for life. We don't want that now do we.

who then wonder why their children are awful teenagers.

That is awful behaviour and as a performer I would refuse to go back on until they were removed or under control.

However in decades as a performer, including lots of children’s theatre, and many years taking my own children to shows, I’ve thankfully never encountered such bad behaviour from audience members!