To be annoyed at disruption in a theatre show?

[shouldwejust]

I appreciate that this is a nuanced topic, and that there possibly isn’t a right answer.

Recently I went to watch a show in the theatre that I had been looking forward to for months. The tickets were my birthday present and something I can’t usually afford, so definitely a one off treat.

Throughout the whole show, a man who had severe disabilities was shouting out and yelling. He didn’t stop at all and continuously made very loud and disruptive noises.

It completely took me out of the show, meant I struggled to concentrate and was just annoyed!

I fully appreciate that everyone in society has a right to enjoy things, and perhaps this man was looking forward to the show just as much as me! But, I don’t think that it’s fair that he disrupted the show for the entire rest of the audience who had also paid a lot to be there.

I don’t know what the solution is to be perfectly honest. That his carer removed him when he was being disruptive? That he attended one of the “autism friendly” screenings that are expected to have more disruption?

When I said this to my partner he was shocked and said that basically we should just accept that our show was ruined for his enjoyment, as that is being inclusive. I don’t feel that inclusivity should come at the cost of everyone else?

I appreciate that I may be told I am being unreasonable here but I’d like to hear other people’s opinions here

@WillThingsEverBeFergaliciousAgain It’s not close to being “less than ideal”! It’s absolutely ruined! Theatres can take action and should.

Because it’s expensive andthe general understood rule in the theatre is that you are quiet and don’t disrupt anybody else’s pleasure.
Why should tens or even hundreds of people have their time, pleasure and money wasted because of one person?
Why do one persons desires trump theirs??
Lets say someone disabled has bladder and bowel problems.
They need to wear protection when they leave the house. But they don’t want to so they urinate all over the seat you are going to sit on at the theatre. Would you like that?
Disability is not a right to override every body else.
Its situations like that that make it harder for disabled people. It’s hard enough as it is but there needs to be more acceptance of disabled people in the workplace/schools etc rather than taking people with ‘shouty’ tendencies to the theatre. It does them (my husband &daughter included) no favours whatsoever.

If you read my posts you'll see that people complain wherever we are.

Some people don't want their kids hearing mine swear in the zoo or park or shop.

It's baffling that you think I should listen to some people and not others because of some line that you've drawn, without taking the wider publics views into account as well.

And the carers who should have been more considerate of the environment around. Ie, the theatre.

Yes they should take action to ban those pesky disabled folk. 100%.

I mean it's not legal or anything, but why let the law stand in the way of your outrage.

Do you really think it's getting more inclusive? It seems to me less so. Ableism is accepted by so many people. I'd sometimes like them to live one day in the situation of someone who really has to suffer with disability-and yes, it can definitely be suffering, before someone acts like language matters more than a human being suffering.

How is it illegal for a theatre to ask someone to leave if they are disturbing the show for nearly everyone else?
If reasonable adjustments have been made, and the theatre are not asking a disabled person to leave because they are disabled, rather because despite reasonable adjustments being made, it is still impossible for the audience to follow the play, do you really think that person has a legal right to stay?

I totally agree with you OP. I would’ve been upset too. It boils down to basic common sense: the needs of one individual shouldn’t trump the enjoyment of 100s of others. That’s not not being inclusive or being ableist. That’s being considerate.
For a while I couldn’t walk well. When on a group holiday, I sat out of the hike because in order to accommodate me would’ve massively inconvenienced the rest of the group.
But MN is very woke and people love to cry ableist when in real life, the majority of people would’ve felt like you (and as the voting suggests!)

Haven’t RTFT.

I have cough variant asthma, basically when I have an asthma attack it doesn’t sound like wheezing, it sounds like a coughing fit.

I’m at a summer school where it’s specifically mentioned that if you have a persistent cough in the lectures you may be asked to leave.

While I would be gutted if that happened, I can’t expect 300 others to not be able to take in a lecture because I have this disability (and before you argue with me, it’s a shocking disability and limits my activities quite a lot).

I don’t think SEN or mental disabilities are any different tbh. We need to be much more inclusive, but that doesn’t mean that one or two of us get to ruin experiences for everyone else. I’m not talking about maybe one outburst (or coughing fit), I’m talking about acting as if you’re at home watching something on the telly when in fact you’re in a public space.

It's illegal to remove someone due to their disability.

Quite possibly, and a lot of the time that is absolutely as it should be.

I still think I’d be an arse if I argued that my asthma attack was a disability (which it is) and I therefore had the legal right to remain in a lecture despite preventing others being able to follow it and probably also distracting the lecturer.

I think sometimes people with disabilities are taken to various (unsuitable for them) venues because the carers themselves want to go. It would be interesting to know if the disruptive male in the OP actually wanted to go to the theater or not.

Of course. But not because of their behaviour, even if that's related to their disability. Venues only need to make reasonable adjustments, they dont have to accommodate everything or everybody.

It wouldn’t be illegal, under UK law (equality act 2010) premises are not required to tolerate behaviour which prevents it from providing the necessary service to others.

it is a nuanced topic but generally it wouldn’t be illegal. The illegal act would be if the theatre refused the disabled person access to start with.

Well as far as I can tell from the op nobody said a word, nobody was asked to leave, argued to stay, or gave the theatre the chance to make adjustments or move anyone, so nobody was being an arse by insisting on anything.

No, I agree, I was just talking from my own point of view.

That would drive me mad, as does any disruption in the theatre - I've done a bit of shushing and 'would you mind putting your phone away?' in my time.
This situation is more sensitive of course, and I'm not sure what the answer is, but wonder if a theatre trip is the best choice of activity for someone who can't stop shouting.

pathetic.

Engage with the conversation or butt out with the facetious non-attempt to find a compromise.

Not everyone can go everywhere all the time.

As it happens i was at a gig on friday and a tall bloke just came and stood right in front of me. I asked him to go behind me, he apologised and did just that. Most people aren't dicks.

I can not say that about everyone who is replying to this thread.

If the performance couldn't continue due to the noise, then possibly, yes, but the performance went ahead.

People on here who believe they are arguing for inclusivity actually aren’t. They are arguing for additional rights above and beyond others.

So man with disability has the right to attend the show. Other theatre go-er who is not disabled (or is disabled but that doesn't manifest as making noise) also has the right to go. But man with a disability also apparently has the right to disrupt the show for everyone else. Thats not inclusion, nor is it reasonable.

do you ask theatres why they don't have more of these? if as (I think it was you) pp said they sell out instantly, that would indicate to me that there is demand.

I'd campaign for more relaxed performances so i could go to shows with my nephew. I only knew about cinemas offering some special showings, this information encourages me to try to find a solution that will make the most possible people happy.

The private venue has the right to decide what does and doesn’t constitute a disruption to their service. If they deem shouting and bad behaviour to be that then they can legally remove whomever they wish from their premises. That is the law.

This reminds me of the man with Tourette’s who shouted the - n word at the black men who had just got an award.

Loads of ppl said it was tough, but I always felt sorry for those men and those at home watching who were unexpectedly exposed to that horrible term.

it might encourage them to put on more relaxed performances? that would be a win, right?

God, what a depressing read