Just sit down. It’s not *that* good

[InformEducateEntertain]

I live in London. I go ‘up West’ fairly often and visit the theatre. All sorts. Musicals, one man shows, classics, whatever looks interesting really.

I love going but what really annoys me is the apparently compulsory standing ovation. Most shows are good. Occasionally they are brilliant (seen Kenrex anyone?). But whyowhyohwhy do audiences now stand up and clap? Always.

They never used to.

I’m middle aged and grumpy I know but in the good old days the standing ovation was reserved for the truly outstanding performance (Kenrex springs to mind). Now you are seen as a weirdo if you don’t partake.

AIBU to think the theatre going folk of today have lost it or am I the one with the problem?

Every single thing I've seen recently has had a standing ovation, including ones that most definitely did not deserve it. It completely undermines the point of them. It's OTT and somehow seems a bit "look at me" but I can't explain why.

The funniest one was the most recent one I saw. The curtain dropped and a character walks about in front of it. It's obvious not the end but people started clapping and even standing up. 🤣 It was an enjoyable show and the set was clever but it wasn't standing ovation and especially not before it had even finished!

I remember going to see Blood Brothers many, many years ago. The actors kept laughing at each, one of them kept forgetting her lines, something broke on set... it was something you'd expect from a bad am dram and one of the worse things I've seen. However they got a standing ovation and I've never understood why.

Do you think standing up shows respect to the people behind you though? Particularly those who maybe are not able to stand.

Has it crossed your mind to change your behaviour when in a different country? I tend to think it is respectful to take my cue from those around me when abroad

You’re right. I guess mostly the wheelchair spaces are at the front of a block but that doesn’t always apply, and there are many people in standard seating who can’t just leap to their feet. Anyone who ‘ovates’ without consideration for the people around them really isn’t behaving in a civilized manner.

Right show and threater, but I wasn't there Wednesday so it looks like it might be a commen occurance there!

To be fair I did think it was ovation worthy and was happy to join in - I try to go to the theatre at least once a year, 2 or 3 times if I can manage it and it's my favorite thing I've ever seen. I am fan of Inside number 9 and Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton in general though so might be slightly biased. It was the speed that they got up that ammused me - usualy it seems that the ovation kind of grows, whereas they shot out of their seats immediatly both times

I'm a regular theatre goer too @InformEducateEntertain and completely agree.

Things I've seen recently which really didn't deserve a standing ovation:
Elektra
Wicked
Hades Town

Things which did
The Picture of Dorian Gray

There are a few borderline ones but I rarely stand unless I'm blown away.

I am am ambulatory wheelchair user, I would never take up a wheelchair user space from someone who wasn't able to get out of their chair at all. And plenty of disabled people don't use a wheelchair.
Standing up actually makes me very ill faster than walking does.

(in fact, if anything, I feel less disabled when I use my chair, because I don't get ill as rapidly)

There’s never going to be a way to behave in the theatre that’s perfect for everyone.

I imagine/hope it will transfer, it was so well reviewed

I go to the theatre a lot and can't remember the last time there was a standing ovation. Maybe the things I see are really dire then.

I've found it really depends on the theatre (and I guess therefore the audience type).

For instance.

Locally, we've got a "traditional" theatre, the sort that West end shows tour to eg Life of Pi (one of the few shows that deserved the standing ovation!) and it feels like an old fashioned show. It has an older "theatre going crowd" and is bloody expensive. That always ends up with ovations whether deserved or not.

We also have a theatre that does "quirkier" shows, doesn't have curtains etc. I guess you'd describe it as a modern indi theatre. It's not much smaller than the the other one but attracts a huge range of people and every show is at least 75% full I reckon. Probably because tickets cost about £40 maximum even when big names are playing. I prefer this theatre and have seen some amazing productions here but I've never seen a standing ovation. TBH I really hope I don't.

Behaving with consideration for all but particularly for those who most need it is never wrong.

Who is standing up better for then? And why are their needs more important?

Interesting about the ballet… was this in London?

I was initially with the OP but the more they post they more they come across as a self-righteous snob. Perhaps the theatres need to employ her to hold up signs towards the end of each performance, such as TRANSCENDS THE NORM/HIGHEST ACCOLADE/SUPERLATIVE in green to signal that the standing ovation is permissable, and MEDIOCRE AT BEST/RUBBISH/KEEP SEATED YOU FERAL UNDERCLASS in red to signal that the performance has not reached OP's expectations.

OP is fine with standing ovations as long as she feels the performance deserves it. So either nobody ever stands up or it’s okay to stand whenever, surely?

I haven’t said it’s better for anyone - but OP says herself she’s fine with a standing ovation when she deems it acceptable.

I would personally be fine if nobody stood up but that’s not the rules.

This is my impression too. OP is fine with standing as long as she deems it worthy - but why is her opinion worth more than anyone else’s?

Either nobody should be allowed to stand or everyone should be. It’s not down to some random audience member to decide

Is it called the Lake Woebegone effect? Theatre audiences are making the same judgement of the play/show they visit because they have visited it rather than because it stands out.

Not every show can be so amazing that it is deserving of a standing ovation unless theatre craft has truly transformed in the last few years. It has little to do with my objective assessment of whether something is good or bad (did I mention Kenrex yet?). More an annoyance that audiences seem to be saying that all performances are amazing by using the one audience tool available to indicate superlative - ubiquitously.

But what is an 'exceptional performance' is entirely subjective. My previous post about my DS14 who has never been to the ballet and most certainly did not want to see anything like Cinderella was completely bowled over. For him it was exceptional. So yes he did a standing ovation. And since then he has been looking through the forthcoming events for the theatre we went to to see what else we can go to. We have already booked 2 more performances- one of which is not until March 2026!

I can think of worse 'breaches of theatre etiquette' than an audience member demonstrating their absolute enjoyment of the production by standing up and clapping.

But if you don’t see live performances regularly, or the level of live performance you see regularly is amateur/ropy lower end of regional theatre, then yes, the performance level of a live west end theatre quality performance will be unusually high for you.

This is all part of the problem of higher ticket prices, theatre is more of an event.

The show is over....what are you missing?

And maybe to that particular audience, the show was amazing? Why do you think your opinion is more valid than theirs?

Unless the same 500 people attend every single show you do, then audiences will be different and opinions will be different.

Blood Brothers used to be known as the standing ovation musical because almost every performance received one and this was unusual.

I'm another grump who hates people standing during performances but I can cope with it at the end (might not join in though).

But maybe they did think it transcended the norm and the acting was of the superlative? Why is your opinion the only one that counts? It is subjective, there is no formal rubric/assessment of whether or not a performance meets
your specific criteria. Other posters have mentioned that this can be contingent upon place too, wrt expectation.
I think you are annoyed by this as you think that the riffraff (who aren't aware of theatre etiquette, as you see it) shouldn't be allowed to have access to theatres.