Old theatres in London not fit for purpose

[Theatredisappointment]

I went to the theatre last week for a birthday treat and now remember why we stopped going.

in the past I have paid hundreds of pounds only to have people in front of me wearing hats and obscuring the view, people wearing huge puffer coats who are about 7 feet tall again obscuring the view. I’ve had people squashed up to me in the next seat making it uncomfortably and impossible to move, as a short person even I noticed the lack of leg room which means people behind you have their legs pushing into the back of your chair constantly.

This time I saved up and purchased a seat in the circle with no one in front of me. Amazing I thought I won’t have to worry about getting a tall person in front of me. Of course I hadn’t anticipated there would be a morbidly obese person behind me. She’d bought 2 seats obviously aware there wasn’t room for anyone next to her but instead my family and I and the person sitting next to me had to endure her body pressing into the back of our seats her stomach was hanging over onto my neck. Every time she moved which was constantly the whole row of seats moved and people were complaining.

It was a horrendous experience. I said nothing to this woman as obviously she couldn’t help it. During the interval I and the lady sat next to me asked a member of staff if we could move, explaining the problem, but were told the theatre was full.

I don’t blame this woman I blame the theatre (The Ambassador) who have squashed as many seats in as possible with zero leg room. They knew she’d booked two seats and would have seen why when they checked her ticket and yet they allowed everyone in seats nearby to suffer.

The whole theatre needs a refit. It’s unacceptable that you pay hundreds of pounds to be put in a tiny seat with zero leg room and the seats aren’t even staggered making it OK for only the tallest people to see the stage! Never again.

What did you want them to do when she appeared and they checked her tickets? The theatre was sold out.

They can't just clear out an entire row in front of her and magic up extra seats for those customers.

The seats are too small with not enough leg room. The only way to improve it would be to raze it to the ground and build it on a bigger site.

Every time she moved which was constantly the whole row of seats moved and people were complaining.

Give over!!!

I think you've jumped the shark with someone so big her belly was rubbing your neck!

Either her belly stuck out further than her knees in which case I doubt she'd be able to walk or get in the seating at all, or she was draping her legs over your shoulders! (I say this as someone who has been morbidly obese and also has very short legs, and still my belly never stuck out THAT far when seated).

What show did you see?

dripAmazing how because YOU haven’t experienced it you think it didn’t happen. Were you there? No you weren’t.

At the interval a man around 7 seats down stood up and loudly exclaimed about how one person was making the entire rows seat move.

Whats not to understand? The woman said to her friend/partner “ they’re talking about me” yes he was! I on the other hand sat there in huge discomfort and said not one word to her.

Being morbidly obese probably is considered a disability for benefits.

This is the weird thing about mumsnet the majority view seems to be oh well get over it. Who cares it was your birthday, who cares you saved up for months for a treat, who cares you were in agony the entire performance, just shut up and put up!!

Everyone I’ve mentioned it too in real life has been nothing but sympathetic and said how unlucky I was. But nope on mumsnet we’re all meant to just put up with things and never complain.

You need to use Seat Plan to work out where best to sit. My DH is 6ft5 and I would never buy a ticket without checking where he can actually fit in a seat. You are very foolish paying hundreds of pounds without checking seat reviews first. Seat Plan

She definitely had booked 2 seats and was spilled over onto the second seat.

How do you know she definitely booked 2 seats and that the person who'd booked next to her, just didn't show up?

I’m not sure how buying two tickets in a standard theatre would solve this issue. In my experience unless the seating is bench style, as it is in some theatre like The Globe, buying two seats separated by an arm rest isn’t really going to provide extra room for a larger person.

At the interval a man around 7 seats down stood up and loudly exclaimed about how one person was making the entire rows seat move.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

How many people in Rl have you wanged on about this??!

So fat and tall people shouldn't leave the house and breach societal norms?

I mean I just assumed she’d booked two seats because the seat next to her was empty in an otherwise full house. There’s no way another person could have sat next to her.

But yes maybe that person didn’t turn up in a way I wish they’d had because the theatre would have had to do something.

I have a joint condition and I find some of these old theatres so painful I sometimes can’t face going if I’m flaring. Getting seated next to just frankly a normal sized man who has no option to expand into your chair and then I suffer from sitting awkwardly. I’m going tonight funnily enough to a concert and don’t feel up to it 🤣

the problem of course is a lot of these places are broke (look up the English national opera eg) so there just isn’t the money to do this

Goldilocks over here understands you completely

Pricey though tickets are, theatres aren’t exactly rolling in money.
I think you just need to choose your theatre. I love going to the Barbican and the National, and seeing things in both of those locations as the seats are incredibly comfortable and spacious and well spaced apart.

Actually that image is of the old seats that they were offering for sale/disposal in 2022. Cannot find an up today picture of post 2022 (ie, it would suggest, ironically, that the theatre HAS had a recent refit).

Christ, this has taken a turn. Fat = disabled and claiming benefits. You mustn't get out much if you've never seen a fat person at work or in the community.

Maybe it was this woman’s birthday, maybe she saved up for months for a treat, maybe she was in agony the entire performance. Why do your needs trump hers?

And no I am not the morbidly obese woman in the theatre. I’m just clarifying as you seem to think that is an appropriate response to someone who disagrees with you.

I think you are partly right. I noticed lack of leg room the last time I went to the theatre, but I assumed this to be because it is an old theatre and people are possibly taller now than in the past. In my view the theatre really needed upgrading and refurbishment to take this into account.
If it is a new theatre or already refurbished, then yes, I would agree that they were trying to rake in the money by squashing in as many poeple as possible.
But I had not noticed this on an earlier occassion I went to the theatre.
However, I hardly go and this is one of the reasons.
Of course, you cannot accuse the theatre if there are unreasonable people around you.

You really don't like fat people do you OP? Do you speak in such degrading terms about any other group of people.

"Spilled over"
"Flapping around my neck"

She's a person, a human with feelings just the same as you. Not a subhuman who has failed morally because of her weight struggles.

Have a word with yourself.

The lady booked an extra seat because she was clearly aware of her weight. It is a shame about the fixed arm rests, being able to move the arm rest may have helped a lot. I’m not sure what else you expect her to do given the circumstances. I think she did what she could. She has every right to enjoy the theatre too.

Which theatre was it, OP? It may be a listed building, so a refit may not be possible.

Well I’m sure this woman did have a good time she was talking about how she was off to see Hamlet the next week. I on the other hand and the people in the row I was in did not have a good time.

How many people does this woman need to trump? Why is ONE woman more important than the several people she caused discomfort to?

Ok so you meant you 'just assumed' but typed "She definitely had booked 2 seats and was spilled over onto the second seat."

Right.

Now think hard, is there anything else in your post you haven't been truthful about?

We'll wait...

I used to be a morbidly obese size 26 and a regular theatre-goer, including to the Ambassadors. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but I didn't "spill over into two seats" (the armrests don't move, anyway, so anyone who would "spill over" just wouldn't be able to sit down!) and I certainly didn't reach the seat in front of me with my stomach! What absolute nonsense.

I'm a size 14 now and very much enjoy my hips not touching the sides of the seats at the theatre. Leg room still leaves a lot to be desired at the older theatres, obviously.