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?

Oh god, you're going to be a bloody nightmare for those around you.

This is what I was thinking. I’ve never been to a theatre show that hasn’t allowed eating or drinking. They really won’t be selling sweets, popcorn, drinks, alcohol? They usually check your bag because they don’t want you to bring your own, but you can buy it inside.

Not popcorn, no!

Theatres showing ballet are not the cinema.

They want an audience who stay focussed on the stage and do not disturb other people. They do sell ice creams and sweets but not crisps. For obvious reasons.

There’s no ‘of course’ about it.

See the National Theatre’s FAQ: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/help-centre-faqs/#:~:text=Will%20I%20be%20able%20to,staff%20will%20readmit%20if%20possible.

They will let you in if possible. I.e if it can be done without disturbing anyone. If the ballet has no suitable breaks and / or the OP has middle seats it won’t be considered possible.

ROH: https://www.rbo.org.uk/visit/attending-a-performance
“If you arrive late, or leave the auditorium during a performance, for reasons of safety, consideration for the performers and the enjoyment of others you may be asked to wait in the foyers until the interval or a suitable break in the performance when lights are raised. This can be up to 90 minutes. You will be able to view the performance via our TV monitors during this time.”

ENO (English National Ballet) https://www.eno.org/terms-and-conditions/of-supply/
“Latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium unless and until there is a suitable break, so admission cannot be guaranteed. Please arrive in good time for the Performance.
Access
Ticket holders may only leave and re-enter the auditorium during a Performance at our discretion.”

So for latecomers include those re-entering.

(They also say “food and drink purchased from anywhere other than our bars or our other outlets; “ is prohibited.

I’ve been to royal ballet performances where all snacks were for sale, Including popcorn, which isn’t just for the cinema 🤷🏻‍♀️ Popcorns not even noisy is it? 🤣 sweet packets are way more rustley.

I have never in all the years I've been attending ballet and opera at Covent Garden seen anyone eating or drinking during a performance. They sell drinks, food and ice- cream during the interval. Possibly people take tubs of ice cream back to their seats, to eat during the interval but I can't say I've noticed that.

Popcorn is unbearably irritating!

I go to almost empty film showings and move as far away as possible from anyone who comes in either popcorn.

I have not seen it on sale at the RIH etc - but I wouldn’t be looking for it, and it is not acceptable, ever, to be munching stuff at these venues. I just don’t see it at ballet etc,

<<tucks into silent mince pies in front of film at home >>

Sadly, too many people think it is!

Perhaps it’s the theatres who struggle more for funding from bums on seats were this happens

I'm in the North East - bag searches include making you leave food and drink at the door, never to be seen again. . Plenty on sale indoors, at ridiculous prices.

Yes but still let in! Not thrown out for needing a wee.

Can your child really not go without a drink for 90 mins? Really?.

Ìf your child can't go without a drink or snack for an hour & a half the you probably shouldn't be going to the show.

I'm sick & tired of people surpling & chomping their way through films (I refuse to go to the cinema these days) & increasingly theatre and similar shows

Read my thread above. Sunset Boulevard and Macbeth not allowed back in,
Macbeth has no break and Sunset Boulevard , you can could back after break but if in 2nd half not at all.
Thats 2 i have been to in last year

My son is a ballet dancer. I've never seen anyone in the theatre eating or drinking (except discreetly if they developed a cough). People don't get up to leave during performances. When he's done the Nutcracker it's always been two hours with a 20 minutes interval part of that time.

Yes I think that is what they mean

I always take stuff in my bag

Absolutely. I've never seen this at any ballet.

They don’t ‘throw you out’ , no, and no one has said that. What they do do is not let you back into the auditorium until a break, which may be the interval, and they let you watch the show in monitors in the lobby.

But they will not let you back to your seat in the middle of an act / movement.

What are you on about? If you decide to get up mid performance many theatres will not let you back in until the interval. They won't throw you out.

Yes, when I go to the orchestra no-one comes in until either between movements or at the end of the whole piece. At that point usually several people who have been waiting outside for the right time to let people in enter. It's pretty standard practice.

If it's a matinee show, they may be more flexible about it, not sure.

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle
Why are you being so rude?
People were saying that if you go to the toilet mid way through the performance you won't be let back in.

I said even if you need to wait until the interval or a suitable time during the performance they will eventually let you back in. They don't throw you out.

I read the whole thread and not one person said they won’t let you back in AT ALL or that they’ll throw you out. Everyone was pointing out that some places will not let you back in until a suitable gap or even the interval. (Actually it could be possible you won’t be let back in at all if you go out close to the end and there isn’t another suitable gap before it finishes).

I think there was only one person before your reply that simply said they might not let you back in. But they certainly didn’t say AT ALL or that you’d get thrown out. Every other person specified that you’d be let in at a suitable gap.
But your first comment just said “of course you’ll be let back in!” So you were the one who didn’t say at first “even if it’s a suitable gap”
So most people were just pointing out to you that there’s no “of course” about it. But then you changed it to being about being thrown out which not one person has said.

To those saying that others should cope with a child of 6 going to the loo/coming back/looking in mummy's bag for a drink/snack in the middle of a performance... absolutely NO!!

ROH ballet tickets are often £100 or more ( even the gods can be £50), and we don't want our performance spoiled.

Many theatre goers become immersed in the action on stage and are "lost" in it. Can you imagine being interrupted during the exquisite beauty of say Romeo and Juliet's pas de deux, by people getting up and down?

If a child cannot cope, then there are usually accessible performances available.

Have you actually ever been to the theatre before? There’s a performance going on, which all the people there will have paid good money for. Neither they, nor the performers, want anyone wandering in and out to use the toilet, slurping from bottles or rustling sweets. It’s not your front room and the world doesn’t revolve around your precious offspring. Ffs! 🤦🏻‍♀️

if a kid needs a drink, they need a drink

It's a theatre, not the Sahara. Tell them to wait. They will cope. If they can't, then you need to get much better at saying no or this will be the least of your problems.