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

I wasn't talking about whose fault it was they were there. The poster I was answering certainly felt they should be there and people should put up with it for "a couple of hours".

I'm sure if venues were honest about it they would admit that their heart sinks when the are forced to accept bookings from people they know will disturb the entire audience and the performers.

There’s no evidence that the man in OP’s scenario wasn’t subject to the same failures and just got on with it. He’s paid his money over too

@ThreadGuardDog OP said this show does/did offer relaxed performances but for whatever reason the person with disabilities (or possibly the carer) booked for a 'standard' performance.

Have to agree with this. The key word here is ‘reasonable’. If venues were really arsed they would make a quiet room with a screen available for those who are having difficulty and require a quiet space. More and more places are catching on to this so there is hope.

Difficult to comment without knowing the full story and whether the venue were contacted in advance to explain the situation.

They are not forced to accept anything of the sort. If there is genuinely no reasonable adjustment to be made then legally there is nothing stopping them from refusing the booking. As I said upthread, the key word here is ‘reasonable’. How hard is it to provide a quiet room with a screen for someone who may experience difficulties during the performance and need to de-stress.

My aunt has said the stadium in question has a brilliant sensory room with soundproof glass windows

Just doesn’t meet cousins needs but i don’t believe it’s possible to do so so he can’t go

same as in OPs example maybe for that man, theatre isn’t possible for him to attend as his needs can’t be met without negatively impacting staff and audience

If they’ve agreed in advance to accommodations on the day and haven’t followed through with that, then yes, asking the person to leave would be illegal. It’s also my experience that very often venues and service providers are not aware of their legal obligations under the Equality Act until it bites them on the arse. That’s how much the integration of disabled people into society means to them.

It's about using your common sense so that your child can enjoy those things with the least disruption to your child and other people. So when do you take them to those places, in the middle of the day when it's busiest or early or late at quieter times when it will be more enjoyable for your child?

I think you're just being deliberately awkward.

I noticed this at a performance of Matilda, just a couple of times and it wasn’t too distracting but it could have been. Normally I get really uptight when people make noise during a performance but as it was a Saturday performance and it’s aimed at kids I went in knowing it was incredibly likely that there would be some noises, fidgety kids and people getting up to go to the loo so I was able to prepare myself for it, but most shows nowadays do relaxed performances and record the shows, and I think with the price of theatre tickets if you can’t sit quietly then really you ought not to go and ruin it for several hundreds of people.

If they are disrupting the business and ruining it for other patrons?

I'm asking you and the other know it all OPs just where are all these relaxed performances that you are all saying the disabled should go to. So where are they? How often are they on? When is the next west end relaxed performance for Lion King, Matilda, Wicked seeing as the majority on here have a problem with disabled persons having equal access to the same places as you.

It’s not the job of a theatre to integrate people into society at a quiet event where others wish to concentrate or listen without interruption. It is upholding their duties to make special performances available. Most do if it’s a long enough run and suitable.

Here's where you can find the next relaxed, chilled, signed or captioned performances of Matilda.

https://uk.matildathemusical.com/assisted-performances/

I wonder how many other complaints the theatre got, because I’m sure op wasn’t the only one who felt disappointed.

Here's Paddington's....

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/paddington-the-musical-relaxed-performance/savoy-theatre/

My local club has sensory rooms you can book where you can sit outside and watch the live game but also have access to an indoor area if the person needs a break from it all.

Does the person have the mental capacity to understand and enjoy a theatre performance? Like I genuinely don't understand. If they are that severely disabled what do they gain from the theatre?

Shocking. 🙁

You haven't misunderstood them, that's exactly what they are like. My autistic son won't go to them because for him they are the worst idea in the world and he has no desire to be around the disruption when he craves calm and order. You can't lump all autistic people into one bracket, which is what those screenings try to do.

If the person has the mental capacity to understand how their actions affect others they should have looked at a quiet room for themselves. Since they need carers the carers should have planned this better and honestly thought if the theatre was the correct place.

I went to see Cabaret recently. Due to my condition it was recommended I skip the pre show immersive experience.

They were right.

and there was no adjustment possible to make it feasible for me to experience the pre show stuff without totally changing it for everyone else.

To make it inclusive would have meant it not existing.

if anyone has been to cabaret they will understand

Not everything is for everyone and the sooner we realise that the better.

I’d love to climb Mount Everest but I’ve got a terrible fear of heights so I can’t. I accept it just like if you are noisy then you shouldn’t go to the theatre or if you hate noise you shouldn’t go to a Metallica gig. We all don’t do things because they are not suitable - disabled or not. It’s life.

Maybe if the person that threw that kid to the crocodiles had accepted (or the carers did) the zoo wasn’t for him then a whole families live wouldn’t have been ruined.

With no other people in it? The one in question is available for those who need it and not on an exclusive basis

Which this doesn't come under the heading of as the staff and performers were clearly fine.

If op complained at the time there may have been something the venue could have done, or would have alerted staff that some customers weren't happy. As it stands they aren't psychic and so nothing was done.

Removing someone because of behaviours due to their disability will always be a very grey area with a lot of nuance and the customer could have potentially taken it to court. Not saying they would win, but that's not to say they would lose either.

Proves my point. The next relaxed performance for Matilda in the west end is June 2027! And you and the other know it alls are suggesting the disabled should only have access to the theatre one day a year if at all. .
It is this backwards mentality that obstructs the disabled from leading a full and active social life.