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.

Well i hardly think shoving us in the back row is a reasonable adjustment to enable someone with a disability to enjoy the event in the same way as someone without a disability.

I remember being at the theatre 20 years ago. A man answered his phone and said, very loudly, " I can't talk now, I'm actually at a rather good play at The Royal Court Theatre". What. A. Knob.

Lol oh no

How would all the theatre texters feel if the actors kept breaking off from their performance to text their babysitters? Can you imagine?

Thick , rude and ignorant.

Because you’re an asshole.

Thats what intermission is for - to check your phone. Let’s be very honest the exceptionally small chance of an actual emergency that needs immediate attention isn’t why this person did it. The chances are too small and it’s too convenient an excuse.

Deary me. There are some right selfish so and so's in this world.

The absolute determination of some people to believe that they, and their situation is so unique, and so special... It's not. Everyone has shit they could be checking on, everyone has responsibilities.

If it is so, so time-critical that it cannot be ignored for an hour = do not go to the theatre. It is clearly too urgent and too critical.

If it is not so time-critical that it can be answered in an hour, go to the theatre and answer it in an hour.

Do the committed Theatre Texters never go on flights or have jobs where they can't be texting constantly?

Can’t you do it in the interval or don’t you care about wasting £££ annoying other people and looking stupid ?

Well me and my autistic brain would happily be shoved in the back row (or anywhere else) if it meant I was surrounded by people who didn’t make endless noise or sit on their phones throughout. In fact I would pay more for it.

Nobody is entitled to go to a place where professionals are doing a job that relies on intense focus — and that if they screw up or lose the ability to do it well that night, will ruin the experience for everyone — and distract them or the other people present.

If you truly can’t rule out that you will be checking your phone at the theatre, and there is no relaxed or accessible performance available to you, of course you shouldn’t go. You can still choose to go and end up getting your phone out obv, but it’ll be disrespectful and annoying behaviour, not ‘brave survivor of hard life circumstances’ behaviour. Part of being a reasonable adult is recognising your limitations. Literally none of us can do everything for a variety of unfair reasons. Tough shit.

And stage acting is a job and a craft ffs, not just a ho-hum thing narcissists do for attention of an evening.

If a type one diabetic NEEDS to be able to text during a play, that person needs to stick to National Theatre At Home. I've had to, at times. I have disabilities myself.

You can't have a phone screen illuminated during an actual play. Everyone else has paid an immense amount of money to be there. They may also have had travel and hotel expenses. They deserve better than your phone light puncturing their engagement.

The actors deserve your attention. You can't interrupt their focus. It's disrespectful.

If it's that's important they should just step out to check the message/reply.

Like say it's.only an hour..

What do they do when driving anywhere or somewhere else they can't immediately check/reply?

Phones should not be on in the theatre or cinema.

No I don't care about any of those things when my children's wellbeing is a consideration.

So your children’s well-being is most important to you - either don’t go and annoy everyone else or wait an hour to text at halftime.

Going out is fine but using the excuse that you have to text more than every hour abiut your children’s well-being either means they can’t be without you or you can wait an hour.

I’m a single parent and if I’m ever alone somewhere my dc are fending for themselves and may need me - we also have a pony and have a group chat with others at our yard. There are frequently questions or issues that need dealt with immediately so I can never just switch off. Would be lovely if I could though. It must be nice to have that! I’ll be discreet though

But they don’t need to text, just quickly check a figure on their phone screen. Held low, hand cupped, brightness at a minimum. The objections are to people flashing bright phone screens around and that leads to a ‘ban all phones’ situation when there are definite nuances in the situation.

No, all phones should be switched off - if your life is so precarious maybe don't go to the theatre, there is no excuse for ruining other people's enjoyment, which is not cheap these days. Unacceptable

If you can’t put your phone away for two hours because you are just so essential for work then don’t go to the theatre.

I have two chronic illnesses. My brother is a type 1 diabetic. We put our phones on vibrate and book aisle seats. If I need to actually look at the screen, I leave the auditorium.

Would you really be texting about your pony through a theatre performance??

No. If you can't ever switch your phone off don't go to the theatre and ruin the experience for scores of other people who spent good money to enjoy the play. Try being a grown up.

But there was a disturbance to the cast. That’s the whole point of the post! It is annoying to be sitting in the audience and some moron distracts you by looking at their phone.

Of course if one of your children was being taken to hospital I would assume you would immediately leave the theatre and go to them. But if they are just texting you because they can’t work out how to work the oven for example that can wait until the interval surely? They aren’t going to starve.
Similar to the pony. If there’s a full blown emergency surely you’d leave the theatre to deal with it. If someone is texting a question and you are responding by text it cannot be that urgent. Because what if you were driving? Or were in a doctors appointment? Or asleep? Or on a train stuck in a tunnel with no signal? You couldn’t reply immediately in those situations so why can’t you wait an hour until the interval?

Don’t go to the theatre or the cinema in that case.

They were probably bored and now we have an instant fix for our boredom

not saying it’s right but I don’t think it was likely anything more than that