Food and drink in theatre

[Lookforthegoodthings]

Taking my Dd, 6, to The Nutcracker at the weekend. It states that there is no food or drink to be consumed. The show is 90 minutes long. Surely you can bring a bottle of water for children? (and I will need to take a small snack)

What have you done when taking Dc to see a show?

Anyone?

Why will you need to take a small snack and a bottle of water for 90 minutes? Children are capable of lasting for an hour and a half without hydration!
I have taken my DC (now 4) to many shows over the years, most recently a ballet which was about 2 hrs long. No-one ate or drank, and no-one had a problem with that.

Eat before you go in and you won't need a snack.

Not sure about why you'd need water either, but in London they're normally about £3 if you really need a bottle.

I'm sure that you can get away with if you want to but why do you need to?

Do they need to eat for medical reasons? Otherwise it's not really a long time to go 1.5 hours without a drink or snack? Have one when you come out. We've never had food or drink inside the theatre, only in the intermission.

Presumably there will be an interval? The last time I saw a theatre show in London (last weekend) water was offered, I presume for free (a jug of tap water and some cups) as well as paid-for drinks. They sold crisps and ice cream as well. I avoid drinking during a show as it’s such a pain to need the loo (queue).

But why do you need a small snack in an hour and a half production? Unless you have some major medical reason I would think you can survive. If you give DD a drink in the interval that should be fine. Check with the theatre if there is any water offered.

Why do you need a snack? And why can’t your kid last an hour and a half without a drink?

It's 90 minutes. Why can you and your 6 year old not go 90 minutes without food and drink?

Are you sure? Most theatres do bag checks and you can't take bottles in with you but they have jugs of water for people to help themselves and see all sorts of drinks and snacks.

Just take a water and a small snack. For the interval.

How is she going to get that past the bag search?

You can often take an empty reusable bottle through then fill it up inside at the water filling station.

It's 90 minutes. I don't understand the issue?

I don’t need a drink or snack really, but surely they won’t stop a 6 year old having her water bottle in my bag? That seems crazy, bag searches do too

Why is it crazy?

Children don't need water inside 90 minutes any more than adults do.

But why can’t I bring my child’s water bottle that I take everywhere, as do all my mum friends etc. I don’t understand the issue, if a kid needs a drink, they need a drink 🤷🏻‍♀️

They might get thirsty and want their water, that’s not that unusual

I have never been stopped in a London Theatre with my water bottle in my bag, it’s normal to have a water bottle. The searches are for security reasons.

Surely what they mean is, no food or drink to be consumed in the auditorium during the show. There is always free water available at the interval and have a snack then.

If you start rustling and fidgeting with snacks during the performance… well, not on.

So bring a plastic see-through empty bottle and fill it when you're in there.

Do please make sure she doesn't have to keep getting up and down to the toilet like a yo-yo though.

Bag searches are a security measure if at a major theatre like most venues in London, terrorists and the likes of Extinction Rebellion make it necessary (don't buy Heinz tomato soup to eat later as they definitely won't let you in). They don't do them at our regional ones and no one's ever actually said anything about having a small snack or water in my bag unless the water was unsealed in which case I was asked to empty it and directed to the water available inside.

If you go out to the toilet they probably won’t let you back in

Hey? If a 6 year old needs a wee, they won’t let us back in? This all seems so over the top. I don’t remember it being like this years ago

Every theatre I've been to in London does.

I can't imagine them stopping anyone as they might have a hidden disability, or end up peeing themselves on the seat?

OP, take your child some water and a small snack, Of course your child can survive but it’s much more convenient to have something if you are out and about with a small child, just in case.
I would take a small cartoon of juice or a small bottle of still water rather then your own reusable bottle in case if you’re not allowed to take it in. A couple of time I wasn’t in various venues, probably 1 out of 4. I never argue just throw it away and move on.
I also take a small snack e.g Babybel or small individual pack of crackers. It’s usually ok, the key is to take a small one, not a bag full of food 🙂

it probably depends on the production, where you are sitting and timing. We were late to the theatre recently and were told at first that they could only let us in after 15 minutes but then checked our tickets and lets us in after 5 minutes, we had aisle seats.