Stop talking at the theatre!

[IwishIcouldconfess]

I can hear you, I don't care how quiet you think you're being. You're not.

Its annoying and you're very rude.

Ive paid tickets to see the actors act.

Not listen to you whisper about what they were in, the outfit, the set, if the time line is correct, what your memories of nights out are.

Just shut up!

People do that for me sometimes because I'm sight impaired.

If you think it’s bad to be rustling sweet wrappers in the theatre try them doing it in church! We have certain families who bring boxes of chocolates, admittedly it’s the “big” services like Christmas and Easter but even so, can’t you wait one house to eat

I used to accompany groups of KS2 school children to the local cinema, along with school staff, as an end of term treat, about 90 children in all.
Luckily we had the place to ourselves but very few children had the capacity to sit and watch a film in relative silence.
Constant talking, up and down to the toilet and constantly wanting a drink.
They had zero social skills in this area and I can only think that their parents are complicit in this behaviour so it’s no wonder that Theatres are suffering as well.

I'd forgotten about the torture of accompanying school groups to the cinema. Nightmare! The children (years 3 & 4) had no idea how to behave and found it impossible to follow a film.
The height of excitement for most of them was going to the toilet. When asked to write essays describing the experience so many featured the air blowing hand driers, no mention of the Disney film!

It really isn’t.

And don't sing a long, especially if you are out of tune and one word ahead of the professionals we have paid to see (and hear) and sitting next to me.

Don’t sing along ever! No matter how good your voice is. I don’t want to hear it. I’ve paid to hear the person on the stage.

The sun has got his hat on! 🌞

not just theatres, cinemas too. Last film I went to watch, someone couldn't even put their phone on silent and then took ages cancelling the ring when it was announcing the call.

It makes me so mad when this happens, and since Covid it’s been ridiculous. Paid nearly £100 for Hamilton, couple directly behind did not stop talking. Moulin Rouge - woman few seats away pissed and prattling on through first half, thankfully couldn’t manage the stars back to her seat for the second half. But then two men had a shouting match. Other examples too - and the stinky onion crisps - people can’t stop eating either! And breathe ….😂

Then you really ought to go to the accessible performances. It's really distracting for people if others are taking through a show, whatever the reason. I say this as an autistic woman with a blind mum, so I do know how difficult it can be going to shows when you have additional needs.

100% agree with this.

But i haven't paid for a ticket to hear your friends interpretation.

I'm sorry. But its not acceptable.

The last show I went to see I knew I was in for a tough time when the family in the row in front let their older teen children use boosters ☹️

Totally unnecessary and blocked the view for everyone behind. No one challenged them because they were loud and looked rough. The kids then proceeded to chat to each other loudly, take photos and videos, which was not allowed and chuck their rubbish on the floor. When someone finally said something the mum shouted “they’ve got ADHD” at them. The usher spoke to them at half time, she then accused the theatre of discriminating against disabled children and there was no improvement in the second half.

I always find it really surprising how rude people are in these situations. I don’t go to the theatre much now but I suppose it’s similar to the cinema. I’ve felt embarrassed about my own Mum talking in the cinema, she’s not rude usually so it was eye opening. Every time we go I am so proud of my kids, they are only 8 and they barely say a word and one is ASD! Meanwhile, there’s grow adults chatting away. I think some people maybe don’t realise it’s rude, how the fuck they don’t I’ll never know!

I went to see Wicked last year, for the first time. I was absolutely astonished by the audience behaviour.

Dickhead in front of me doom-scrolling throughout
2 women to my right whispering, and one kept pointing at the stage
Man behind me with a MULTIPACK of crisps that he tore open and chomped through steadily
There was a technical hitch during which the family to my left decided to take themselves walkabout, and didn't get back until after the play had recommenced, meaning everyone had to stand to let them shuffle past.
Neither that lot, nor the family with the dickhead doom-scrolling dad deigned to clap at the end.

I half thought I must be on some sort of prank TV show. It was just absurd. £100 a ticket!! I went to see Phantom a few months later and the guy in front of me was still on his phone when the music started up. I summoned up the courage to tap him on the shoulder and he hastily put it away. Seriously, I know people are addicted to their screens but presumably they'd paid ££££ same as me!!

See also cinema and music concerts

It's increasingly problematic. A result of being accustomed to entertainment coming via the box at home. A direct approach seems the only solution for people who chat amongst themselves, scroll phones cos they lose interest, or exit and re enter with refills during the play. That or a word with the ushers if they are really misbehaving.

I work in theatre. I can assure the chatters that the actors can also hear you and see you lit up like a beacon by your phone screen.

The recent trend of filming the curtain call is also annoying. I know some shows encourage it, but if everyone is filming/leaving early to avoid waiting/just not clapping because they’re ignorant… then the curtain calls will be taken to silence.

I wondered if that was the case but it’s still not appropriate behaviour.

Yes. This has annoyed me recently. Sit back FFS.

Agreed OP, it out me off going tbh.

Had tickets for my birthday last year but I couldn't relax at all with this older couple talking throughout the first half. I asked if they would mind being quiet during the interval and they were so shocked. Claimed they hadn't been talking... but I had seen and heard them. I started to wonder if they genuinely didn't realise they were doing it?!

Same thing at Wimbledon too. Man in my ear talking throughout. Asked him to be quiet and he became so rude and horrible about me.

We went to see the Vaccines last night at Victoria Warehouse. It was a younger crowd than we usually have at gigs perhaps 20s 30s 40s and they were so different in the way they watched it.

Phones out recording constantly, loud singing almost chanting like a football crowd, pints being thrown through the air, girls on shoulders, dancing without any consideration for anyone around them. You couldn't hear the band at all. I didn't enjoy it as much as I usually enjoy a gig because of the behaviour of the crowd.

It was definitely a marked difference in behaviour due to their generation. My friend was saying younger people nowadays are completely addicted to their phones and social behaviour is suffering because of it.