Rude people in the theatre

[Katrinawaves]

What goes through people’s heads when they behave poorly in the theatre? We go quite regularly but it’s becoming more and more common to have people chat through the performance or arrive late or leave early.

Last night we went to see Punch at the Apollo which is a really emotionally challenging play which relies heavily on the audience investing in the main characters. There was a woman in the row behind us who had dropped her phone just as the play was starting and was loudly asking everyone around her if they had seen it over the top of the actors performing and moving around and craning in her seat. When she finally found her phone she didn’t bother switching it off, so of course mid way through the first act, it rang loudly and then she couldn’t find it again to silence it quickly so she swore loudly and huffed and puffed until she could! After the interval when she got back to her seat, she again chatted loudly to her companion for the first few minutes of the performance.

it’s so rude and disrespectful both to the performers but also to other theatre goers who have paid £150+ for a seat to watch the play not to listen to somebody’s mundane life dramas!

There was even a spoken announcement at the beginning of the show asking people not to talk or eat noisy food and to switch their phone off so in the unlikely event she didn’t know what normal social etiquette requires she was actually told seconds before she started to act like a toddler.

AIBU to think the theatre staff should ask anyone who makes such a disturbance in the first half of a play to leave at the interval as a deterrent to others and to ensure that they don’t spoil the whole play for others.

I saw Oppenheimer at a venue with big comfy seats and drinks for sale throughout, for which you go to the bar. The couple in front of us had 4-5 drinks each during the film, now ok it's long, but every single time they were up and down, very annoying. They also kept talking during the film; I couldn't hear them, to be fair, but the constant leaning together and apart right in my sightline was very distracting. Just get a drink and the start, another part way if you must, then sit back and watch the film!

I tend to agree but was at the Edinburgh Playhouse for Miss Saigon on Friday night and the audience was very well-behaved, just a couple of people going for comfort breaks.

At the Steps musical recently in Aberdeen, I sat near a man with Downs Syndrome who did all the arm movements to every song and it was wonderful! So many other theatre goers complimented him and most of the cast acknowledged him but I suppose some people may have found it distracting.

There were lots of warnings there would be no remittance during the performance of Evita yet the staff let some man in towards the end of ‘don’t cry for me Argentina’ - he was in the middle of a stall row and the most disruptive during such a key moment in the show.

I was absolutely raging at him and the staff for doing it. No re admittince should mean just that. Im sorry if he had toilet issues that meant he might not manage to sit through a whole act but I. That instance book the end of the aisle near the back of stall so as not to disrupt 100 other people by blocking their view

Perfectly handled.

I understand at concerts, people wanting to make memories, and maybe having a better view on their phone screens (held up) than what they can see directly in front of them. But at the theatre, or cinema, it's a huge no.

I think people have forgotten how to behave since Covid. I went to the theatre a few days ago and 2 people popped in and out out by walking in front of the stage, right in front of the performers, distracting them and the audience and blocking the view of everyone watching.

I would ban eating food including sweets during performances.

Went to see Six recent. Person in front row on phone and trying to take photos got a rebuke from one of the leads without her breaking character and in the middle of a dance too. Was impressive.

Despite previous posts, Shakespeare isn't immune. I had to ask person in front to get off their phone and I had to further explain why it wasn't an excuse that they were following an online synopsis just because they didn't understand what was happening 🤦‍♀️

Also this year I have had to endure a
Seated concert where person in front was video calling someone the whole way through . At the same concert we also had a child on a tablet lighting up the whole row and distracting everyone.

I do think it's slowly getting better though. Far better than 2022, when everyone seemed to think the theatre was their own living room.

What I really don't understand is it seems to be middle aged people and older who continue to be the worst for talking loudly and using phones....they would have gone to the theatre pre covid so I can't work out how they've forgotten how to behave.

I haven't been to a concert since the phone explosion, but surely the same applies - you're spoiling the experience of other people, in this case by blocking their view. The experience at the concert is what everyone should be there for, and that's how you "make memories", not by filming.

To my shame I have also been part of the group that ruins it for others.

1. friend was very drunk and a total nightmare.
2. friend hadn't been to theatre in decades and started checking her phone during the performance (I was able to stop that one)
3. Friend talking loudly during a concert despite getting shushed by me and others.

Mortifying every time. 2 out of the 3 have been fine since. I don't go to shows with the first one anymore.

Another one I've started seeing recently is a mass exodus after the best known song. Why pay loads of money for a ticket if you only care about 1 song?

Oh and overly loud laughter. Hamilton and Evita really suffered from this. Lines that would usually result in a wry smile ,or titter at most seem to cause some men to loudly guffaw.

Yes this is exactly what we had in the Importance of Being Earnest.

Man next to Dd in the second half overly guffawing and really spoiled it for her.

In the first half, lots of people were laughing in advance of the famous funny lines which really did ruin it a bit - Dd didn’t know the play very well so would have enjoyed it more without all the “knowing” pre-laughter - so annoying if if you did know!

There are few things I enjoy more than having a glass of wine while watching a play, and I was very happy when they started allowing it again after Covid. I'm not sure why that bothers you?

A glass of wine is no problem.

The problem is it’s often not just one, or ir is a glass of wine on top of the several they’ve had before coming to the theatre.

Drunk patrons definitely are a problem. But that's nothing to do with whether or not they're allowed to take a drink to their seats.

Yep, then it’s the up and down to the loo/bar as one is never enough for many.

in Germany they get told to leave by everyone around them, and off they go.

Oh god, poor behaviour at the theatre really annoys me.

I went to a theatre in the Midlands last week and everyone was just SO LOUD. Eating, chatting, fidgeting. Why do people leave it until the very last minute to take their seats? If theyre in the middle of a row, the whole row has to stand to let them pass! Phones going off both before the interval and after (did they learn nothing?) The people behind me kept fidgeting and kicking / kneeing my seat throughout the performance.

Ive just booked a West End comedy next year and the tickets are £150 each. I'm really hoping that the cost focuses minds and everyone shuts up, sits down and behaves properly.

Few years ago think during Bodyguard some woman was removed for singing out loud and whatever chaos took place (think Police came?)

Anyway on Facebook posts about it obviously most were sensible and against her. Then you had the 'Ive paid for my ticket I will sing along if I want' people. No!! People around you havent paid to hear you sing!

Surely the bar isn't open during the performance anyway, is it? That's certainly the case at the theatre I volunteer at. Bars are open before the performance and at intermission, but that's all.

It would help if food and drink were banned from the auditorium, or limited to still water in non-scrunchable bottles.

Or at least, no crunchy foods in fucking plastic packets. Or smelly foods.

It’s dreadful. We go the theatre regularly and it’s hard to remember the last time there wasn’t at least one mobile related incident. Not always as disturbing as actually ringing but people who thinking staring at their phone during a performance doesn’t disturb other people.

I just don’t understand why people can’t just sit and concentrate on something for an hour or two without looking at their phone.

Unfortunately, it’ll never end until the addiction to phones ends.

I agree, some people are so fucking rude. I went to see Marian Keyes this year and the drunk women behind me were gabbing through it. I turned round and said to them I’d paid to listen to Marian Keyes speak and not them and they did shut up, but I could tell they were whispering and bitching about me at the interval.

I went to see Tina the musical too and once again marred by drunk people who think they’re at a pop concert. At least the staff were good at getting people to sit down who were standing up dancing before the end.

I volunteer as an usher at a large theatre complex, and I have to say that it's rare that we have any issues with patrons. The vast majority of time they are respectful of other audience members and the performers. Once in a while we have to ask them to put their phones away or be quiet but that's very rare.

Each individual production decides on any holds (times when audience members can't be seated). This can range from there being no holds, so guests can be seated at any time, to a hold for the entire act (if you're not in your seat you can't enter, although this is rare). Often it's for the first ten minutes or so.

I have been doing this for several years now and have never seen an audience member get out of hand. As a volunteer I don't have much authority, but my training is that if there's a situation that I can't deal with or an audience member not complying with my requests, I let my house manager know and they deal with it, escalating to security if necessary, and yes - they will be thrown out if need be and/or police called. I've never seen it happen though.

We go to a lot of live music, the behaviour is appalling, phones out filming the whole time, greasy smelly food, constantly going in and out to get more alcohol and then the inevitable toilet trips. One concert we went to last year there was a group in front of us who could barely stand they were so drunk and kept belching and laughing at each other doing it.

We saw Cat Stevens recently and everyone’s phones were locked in pouches, I think a combination of that and stopping alcohol sales during performances would make a huge difference.

This happened to me at a Stephen sondheim evening. I’d paid £300 for the tickets, which was a lot of money for me.
There was a woman sat about 5 seats to my left who kept using her phone and it was really distracting.
I approached her at the interval and explained how distracting it was. She said she thought she’d left a candle burning at home and couldn’t understand why I was irritated as she felt that was a very good reason to keep looking at her phone?! I pointed out that perhaps she should go outside the auditorium and sort the problem or go home!!!
the girl in the other side of us was texting…when asked during the interval why, she said she was so excited to see one of the stars that she had to text her mum?!! We did point out that whilst texting, she’s missing the very star she’s excited about??!

Maybe this is more common in mainstream theatre. I can only afford to see Shakespeare or indie studio productions like Poe at Burton Taylor in Oxford this summer which was brilliant. The audience are always good humoured but well behaved and respectful, even after a few drinks!