Why would you text at the theatre?

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Unless you're an idiot?
Rosamund Pike calls out audience member for texting during show

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0723zgdp0eo

Given how many posters there are here, there must be those who think it's reasonable behaviour to text or film during performances.

We watched RP in this play (Inter Alia) and it's an incredibly intense experience. I just can't understand the mentality of someone who would pull out their phone and text during a performance.

Bad manners and lack of respect. It's widespread. People are so addicted to their phones that they whip them out at every opportunity without thought.

Very ill/possibly terminal person in the family?
Checking in with carer for SEN child?
Fastmoving project work where your time off is never really yours?
Coercive control by a partner?
Relatives in war zone, nervous checking?
Affair partner with set safe time for romantic text?

it may have been someone who was just careless, or it may have been someone whose personal circumstances don’t allow them to be fully ‘off’.

They shouldn’t have been sat so close though.

Labrador ate neighbour's gazebo?

Yes, a fair few people in my family can never be fully 'off' for work and other reasons. I have often been That Person looking at a phone.

Maybe a message to grandparents about a young child they're babysitting. Maybe their first time leaving them.

We'll never know. It isn't something I'd do but I also can't get worked up about it. You never really know what people have going on.

If any of these things were the case you either don’t go to the theatre or check before the play starts and at the interval. There is no excuse for being on your phone in the middle of a play.

As Rosamund Pike said in her speech, if it is one of those emergency scenarios then please step outside the auditorium to check your phone and deal with it.

Their decision to use their phone impacts others though. It is horrible to see the glare of a phone when you are at the theatre and also I had never thought about how it impacts the stars on stage.
This play was hands down the most amazing play and I was engrossed throughout- it’s an insult to RP and her craft to use a phone during it.

As long as there was no sound or disturbance to cast or audience, I can’t see what the issue is.

You turn your phone off in a theatre, for heaven's sake. If you can't be away from your phone for the length of the act of a play, you postpone your attendance.

As long as there was no sound or disturbance to cast or audience, I can’t see what the issue is.
You know that there is more to disturbance than sound don't you? Like the light from a screen?

The light in an otherwise dark theatre, I expect.

If someone knows they’re going to have to look at their phone during a performance they should sit in an aisle seat at the back.

I have a friend that texts at the cinema, when she is talking to me, when we are out for coffee. So fucking rude!!!!

Don't go then. Why should other people pay what can be a lot of money for some, for the performance to be spoiled for them. It comes across as being self obsessed and selfish.

I paid a lot of money for seats in the stalls at phantom of the opera. There were MULTIPLE people on their phones throughout. Man next to me was constantly checking his phone, woman in front was scrolling on Facebook, man on the other side of me was taking photos and filming throughout and at one point let off a multiple flash. There was no noise from any of this but the constant screen illuminations were SO off putting as a theatregoer. Staff told all of them to put phones away and they all continued anyway. These were all middle aged people.

I can't remember the last time I went to the theatre and didn't see at least one person check their phone multiple times during a performance. It pisses me right off
And, the times i can see it's never any of those emergencies. I can often see the screen and the person is scrolling Instagram/ebay/vinted etc.
The Light really distracts me.

If people are going to do something noisy or distracting (e.g. bright light on) with their phone, because they 'can't switch off' it's a pain in the arse for them to roll up somewhere like a theatre.

I'm not sure that texting would be very disturbing though (unless noisy somehow) and I'm kind of surprised an actor made a thing of it.

It's absolutely disturbing to see the light from a phone screen in a darkened auditorium. DP and I regularly go to see classical concerts/ the Proms etc and without fail there is always one bellend who gets their phone out and starts texting/swiping/scrolling. It's so infuriating, especially when going out these days is so expensive.

I’m struggling to believe anyone is bothered by the light from a phone.

it shouldn’t happen but I can’t get worked up about it. My first thought was the play wasn’t holding their attention, although I do keep meaning to see IA and think rosamund pike is a goddess

Well thats most type one diabetics banned from the theatre in that scenario.

Sorry, edited as I can’t spell my own condition this evening.

If by this you mean that you are That Person who looks at a phone during performances please stop. It really is distracting and unfair to everyone else.

At a recent concert I was distracted by a man in the row front of me scrolling Facebook and liking posts the whole way through the show. I watched him brag post about being at the concert! Yet he paid no attention to the act whatsoever. Infuriating!

The vast majority of those things do not need immediate attention.

Fast moving project? Then quite frankly you can’t go to the theatre. It is not an emergency and there is no need to ruin other people’s night out for that. You chose that job so you need to suck up the crap parts.

Checking in with carer for SEN child? Most shows have an interval. If you can’t go 90 minutes without checking on them you really should just stay home. An actual emergency? You’d surely need to actually call the carer and therefore leave the auditorium to do that.

Terminally ill relative? Same applies as above.

Coercive control? You leave to reply. Horrible for the person it’s happening to yes but in theory they could need to sit there and text the entire show.

Relatives in war zone? Again if you need to be in constant contact rather than waiting until the interval you quite frankly shouldn’t be there. How do you sleep if you need to constantly be nervously checking on them every hour or more?

I’ve actually been the person with a terminally ill relative and I went to the cinema. I sat at the end of a row right next to the exit. The hospital actually rang me while I was in there. I legged it out immediately to answer. I did not interrupt everyone else.

I’ve experienced this recently with a woman sat a few rows in front of me. The usher told her a few times to stop it, but she continued.

It’s so distracting for the audience because it really does steal your gaze from the performance. It must be so demoralising for the actors too.