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Original poster

Appalling audience behaviour or is it me?

80 replies

Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 16:25

Watching "the Scottish play" at the RSC in Stratford last night and was very shocked at some of the entitled audience behaviour. One man's phone went off 5 times during the performance. A woman 2 rows away continually chatted about the performance with her partner then decided to stand at the front of the circle for a better view ( the ushers sat her back down eventually- she refused to say where her seat was). Then once she'd eventually shut up another woman started. This never used to happen. What's going on?

OP posts:
fabmaccawhackythumbsaloft · 16/09/2023 16:26

People are now more self entitled dicks than ever before . She,e they just didn't turf them out.

Mylobsterteapot · 16/09/2023 16:28

Not just you. I got my teacher glare out at the theatre recently. At someone who had huffed at my school group. My class were wonderfully behaved, even the child with a copious nosebleed just quietly waved at me, pointed at her nose and left.
Women behind us chatted, fidgeted and were generally annoying.

GCAcademic · 16/09/2023 16:31

Oh dear. I knew this was a thing in the West End now, but hadn’t realised it had made its way to Stratford. I’d stopped going there as have been very disappointed with the RSC’s output in the last decade, and this isn’t likely to tempt me back.

Branster · 16/09/2023 16:33

That's awful, rude beyond belief.
It shows zero respect for actors and entire production team.
I haven't been to watch a theatre play in quite some time and never experienced this in the past.

Lagershandy · 16/09/2023 16:38

My friend and her family went to see Peter Kay, and were really looking forward to it. Behind them sat 3 couples that obviously had a drink, and were talking loudly all through PK's set.
They were asked to keep the noise down, so then the racial abuse started, (my friend and her daughters and their partners are mixed race). My friend felt uneasy, so they left before the end. (No, they didn't make the arena staff aware as they were worried the selfish twats would be waiting outside for them.

People can no longer behaviour appropriately.

MidnightOnceMore · 16/09/2023 16:40

This is infuriating. I think people need to be asked to leave for bad behaviour.

We need bouncers in the theatre!

Original poster
Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 16:42

Lagershandy · 16/09/2023 16:38

My friend and her family went to see Peter Kay, and were really looking forward to it. Behind them sat 3 couples that obviously had a drink, and were talking loudly all through PK's set.
They were asked to keep the noise down, so then the racial abuse started, (my friend and her daughters and their partners are mixed race). My friend felt uneasy, so they left before the end. (No, they didn't make the arena staff aware as they were worried the selfish twats would be waiting outside for them.

People can no longer behaviour appropriately.

That's appalling

OP posts:
Original poster
Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 16:43

Branster · 16/09/2023 16:33

That's awful, rude beyond belief.
It shows zero respect for actors and entire production team.
I haven't been to watch a theatre play in quite some time and never experienced this in the past.

I think it's new. I've never experienced it before but it's like they'd forgotten other people could hear them.

OP posts:
Original poster
Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 16:44

Mylobsterteapot · 16/09/2023 16:28

Not just you. I got my teacher glare out at the theatre recently. At someone who had huffed at my school group. My class were wonderfully behaved, even the child with a copious nosebleed just quietly waved at me, pointed at her nose and left.
Women behind us chatted, fidgeted and were generally annoying.

Absolutely LOVE the thought of 'the look' from a great teacher :-)

OP posts:
Original poster
Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 16:46

fabmaccawhackythumbsaloft · 16/09/2023 16:26

People are now more self entitled dicks than ever before . She,e they just didn't turf them out.

I think they were seconds from it with circle woman. I actually thought maybe she had dementia or something her behaviour was so odd but once firmly admonished she behaved for the last hour.

OP posts:
Teddleshon · 16/09/2023 16:48

It has stopped me going to the theatre. Ticket prices are so expensive that I just don’t want to risk having the experience ruined by selfish people.

I remember years ago taking my 3 very young children to the Nutcracker ballet at Covent Garden and whilst my children sat quietly the woman next to me loudly talked her child through every single detail of the story line. Completely destroyed the magic for all of us.

Thatsmorethanhalf · 16/09/2023 19:32

How can they afford the tickets when many genuine theatre lovers can’t?

Original poster
Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 23:16

Thatsmorethanhalf · 16/09/2023 19:32

How can they afford the tickets when many genuine theatre lovers can’t?

These seemed to be very well off very entitled people who didn't seem to feel they had to abide by 'normal people rules'

OP posts:
Peakypolly · 16/09/2023 23:26

I've never encountered this at the RSC (everyone totally silent and still for Faulkland Sound last week), but Broadway and West End productions seem to attract audiences who are oblivious to theatre etiquette.
I felt I had wasted a fortune taking the family to Les Mis earlier this year.

Mylobsterteapot · 17/09/2023 09:13

Proudmum17 · 16/09/2023 16:44

Absolutely LOVE the thought of 'the look' from a great teacher :-)

Show quote history

We have the power!

Original poster
Proudmum17 · 17/09/2023 14:48

@mylobsterteapot Grin

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 17/09/2023 14:55

A lot more low brow... but on a recent cinema trip I'm pretty sure a guy must have been a teenager due to the authority he talked with to the teenagers messing around.

Doesn't matter if its a £3 cinema ticket or a £100 play... sit down and shut up... or leave.

shortandpaleandoldandugly · 17/09/2023 14:56

It's post Covid OP and I totally agree. Constant adults needing the toilet, chatting etc etc.

YouJustDoYou · 17/09/2023 14:59

I took my child to the cinema for the first time in yonks a few months ago. All going well untli midway through a dad a few rows down got his phone out at FULL brightness and proceeded to go on it. It was so blinding we couldn't focus on the screen - I was about to shout at him (trying to pluck up my courage) when another dad a row over yelled out - "Turn that bloody phone off!", just as I piped up "It's TOO BRIGHT!". The guy deliberately didn;t for another 30 seconds but then did, but didn't dare turn around, I suspect because a guy told him off first. I've been in kids films as well where the parents just let older children (like, 10, 11 or so) just yatter, throw popcorn, kick seats.....the entitlement is just awful.

gingerandsmall · 17/09/2023 15:04

It's everywhere. I went to a comedy gig a few months ago where the guy next to me proceeded to watch a football match on his phone through the entire headline act, complete with OTT reactions for every goal etc. Drove me mad.

Tupperwarelid · 17/09/2023 15:08

I went to a West End matinee yesterday and noticed the ushers running around mid performance telling people to turn phones off. Surely people can manage for an hour without looking at them?

FrenchandSaunders · 17/09/2023 15:08

I paid a fortune for theatre tickets last year and a noisy pissed up group of women were behind me cackling and heckling. I hate confrontation but turned round and told them to tone it down …. there was a few seconds of silence then they screamed with laughter and upped the noise level 🙁. Selfish dicks.

bookworm44 · 17/09/2023 15:09

Thatsmorethanhalf · 16/09/2023 19:32

How can they afford the tickets when many genuine theatre lovers can’t?

Are you suggesting people who are badly behaved are poor?

CardamomGarden · 17/09/2023 15:17

Going to see this at the weekend so this post has me concerned! It seemed a reasonable assumption that Shakespeare isn’t going to attract the sort of people who can’t shut up and behave, but obviously not. Then again, I have experienced a lot of inconsiderate behaviour at my local independent cinema recently and that never used to be the case. Blokes with their knees up on the back of our seats so we moved every time they shifted about, people not just getting up to go to the toilet but jumping up from their seats before RUNNING to the exit and slamming the door, another idiot on his way back from a loo break casually strolling back while staring at the screen so we all got to see his head magnified, seat kicking, noisy food. Totally off putting.

It does annoy me that so many venues ask for donations when they can’t guarantee a pleasant atmosphere. I have heard so many people recently complaining that they no longer go to the cinema or theatre because of other people - as it’s usually a small minority who have a big effect, it would make sense for venues to crack down on bad behaviour so the rest of us are encouraged to go.

CardamomGarden · 17/09/2023 15:21

bookworm44 · 17/09/2023 15:09

Are you suggesting people who are badly behaved are poor?

Show quote history

I read this more as surprise at people parting with the not inconsiderable sums it costs to go to the theatre while clearly having no real interest. While others, who would value the experience, can’t (or can’t justify) the expense.

Why people go out of their way to do certain activities while obviously not appreciating them to the point their spoil others’ enjoyment is a mystery for the ages.

See also people who visit ancient sites and scrawl their names into them and people who go for walks in the countryside while blasting music out of their phone.