Appalling audience behaviour or is it me?

[Proudmum17]

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?

We went and saw Six and the people next to us stole the binoculars. They were a group age late 50s! I’ve been taking dc to the west end theatre from age 5 and never have we had to get up for the loo.

Another very bizarre example of behaviour was when we went to see phantom last Easter. There was a disabled lady who had booked seats in a part of the theatre that didn’t have a lift. She was next to us and despite the theatre staff being amazing and offering to swap her into stalls, she refused. Everyone waited while she struggled up the stairs and she was then moved to seats at the end of our row so we had to enter from the side which staff had to unlock specially. She honestly seemed totally oblivious to the amount of effort everyone was going to, including those of us in that row having to navigate some uneven back stairs including at the interval as she couldn’t be moved without 3 staff members supporting. She wasn’t even grateful and just moaned the old theatre didn’t have a lift. The lady with her was apologetic and looked embarrassed. Staff were amazing but very confused why she wouldn’t let them upgrade her seats for free.

@Proudmum17 we were also at the RSC Friday night and noticed there were a fair few audience members popping out and coming back in again. More so than normal. We usually sit in the stalls and I wouldn't dare leave unless it was an absolute emergency - all the exits are also stage entrances and you stand a fair chance of colliding with an incoming actor!

Our main issue was the loud crisp eater behind us and the chap doing the performatively loud laugh for any remotely amusing lines. There's always one...😬

I didn't even think they were allowed back on until the interval if they left part way through. But no in and out they were!!!

@Proudmum17 that's what I was surprised by. It must be so distracting for the actors if people keep bobbling in and out. As for the whispering, if you don't know the plot, it's a lot easier to follow if you read the synopsis beforehand!

The bloke next to me also had a strong aroma which was slightly off putting but not much to be done about that 😂

We didn't have smelly people thankfully. There was a lady right behind me who couldn't stop coughing. She was clearly embarrassed about it but you can't help that I think she managed to get a drink at the interval.

When the ushers told the couple with the chatting lady there'd been complaints and to be quiet they man out of the couple had a right go at the people sat near them for complaining. It was like they thought it was their own personal viewing and everyone else was spoiling their personal show. What on earth goes through the minds of these people? They were clearly articulate and educated just entitled and rude.

Surely it’s more that if you want to arse around whilst movie/ theatre is on you can’t be that keen in the first place -save your money

People are rude on social media -maybe they just continue it in real life

Did you see the couple standing on the stage chatting at the end of the interval that blocked the entrance for the witch entering?

I wonder if it’s partly the SM effect. People who don’t really want to be there go anyway to say they’ve been/ check in so that other people think they’re more interesting and cultured than they are.

So annoying OP! DH & I went to see the Tina Turner musical recently & some of the first half was spoilt for me by a guy further along the row talking. I was “ terribly British” & didn’t say anything but if it had carried on longer than it did, I would definitely have had words with the woman next to him! It’s like people think they’re in their own front room! So inconsiderate!

A good observation

That's awful. I'd love to see the Tina musical though it sounds great!!

Maybe. But they were all older.

I went to see Barbie recently. A family a few rows behind (2 adults and 2 or 3 kids) repeatedly let a 3 or 4 year old be taken out to the bathroom by a slightly older sibling. Cue youngest wandering, talking loudly, stopping in front of screen etc. I constantly come across these instances in which the parents can’t be bothered to teach their children how to behave, or actually don’t realise the effect they have on others

@Proudmum17 no I didn't see that 😵

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.

We had exactly the same experience a few years ago when watching the Nutcracker. Loud woman in the next box along doing a running commentary. When saw her in the passageway when leaving our box and she smiled. I'm afraid I told her she'd ruined the performance by talking, then walked away. She didn't respond but I hope it made her think twice for another time.

Another occasion a couple sat in our seats and refused to move, seemed to think we were being unreasonable for not sitting in an unoccupied seat further up instead. They moved after I said I'd fetch the usher. Then they proceeded to talk throughout the performance.
I made a passive aggressive comment at the end about rude, entitled people who sit in other people's seats and talk throughout the performance. I don't think they could have cared less.

I've ignored far more bad behaviour as it feels worse to challenge it, somehow; Phones, talking, someone applying lotion (!) singing. The smaller theatres are usually the worst for this, in my own experience. I don't know if others have found that. Actual productions I'd say the Nutcracker (both examples above are Nutcracker) has been the worst for bad behaviour, but not the children. Also musicals.

It’s awful. We went to see Top Gun - Maverick and there were two dads with a posse of tweenage boys. The dads parked the tweens in the back row with drinks, sweets, popcorn etc and then went to sit elsewhere. Kids misbehaved from the start, one dad came back after half an hour or so and scolded them, which made no difference, then ignored them. As they were near us, I went across myself and told them off in no uncertain terms and told them if they didn’t shut up I would have them removed. They improved slightly but I noticed that when the lights came on they had strewn their popcorn and drinks bottles all over the floor. I gave their whole group a very hard stare as we left.
When it comes to theatre or opera, I take absolutely no chances and always book a box. It’s a much better experience and no more expensive than other decent seats.

Sorry for typos! I think I've missed the edit window.

I'd be really interested how you get on. I'm hoping it was just a weird one off I don't want future visits ruined like this.

It really was. I only went because DH was keen, but the talent of that cast! When Margaret T entered for real ...

Some of these stories are appalling!

Have to say that we were at the RSC lat night for Macbeth (it's ok, I am not in a theatre ) and the audience were immaculately behaved, certainly near me. Apart from ridiculously over-the-top laughing at the Porter's rewritten joke "oh you're doing this for GCSE are you?" - ooooh a contemporary reference, I will guffaw loudly but otherwise no issues.

The problem for us (apart from some elements of the show I did not like - the final fight going on for about five minutes for instance) was that there was no legroom in our £62.50 circle seats. I was unable to move my legs at all - and I am not tall. If any of the men in my family (heights range from 5ft 10 to 6ft 7) had been there they would have been unable to sit down I suspect.

Why did he bother going in the first place? And what's happened to people over the last few years to make them like this?

We went to see The Bodyguard on Saturday and I am glad to report the audience behaved beautifully, mind you we did have a warning about phones off, no recording, no singing or noisy eating! It was great show and we really enjoyed it.
My friend was telling me they had gone to the theatre to see a musical, can't remember which one. A woman in the audience insisted in singing along with the performers, and she had a terrible singing voice.
When she started on the third song, a bloke bellowed,
"WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP"
And she did! My friend said the woman didn't make another sound.

I was at Wigmore Hall a few days ago and someone downstairs was humming so loudly we could hear it upstairs - I'm used to coughing, dropped programmes and whistling hearing aids there, but this was a first.

I saw a very emotive musical recently. I hadn't been to that theatre before. When we were all seated, a staff member made an amusing but firm announcement that anyone on their phone would be removed, as would anyone talking, that anyone who wanted to leave must put up their hand and wait to be taken out by an usher, they would not be allowed back in until an appropriate time and not at all in the last twenty minutes. That theatre also thankfully does not serve popcorn or snacks (honestly keep it in the cinema if you must but not live performance) It saved the experience for all, including the actors. Perhaps theatres will just have to start treating adults like children in school?

A previous play was ruined by a disinterested teenage boy sitting behind me, munching and crunching and snorting and rustling, with his dad performance-parenting explaining the plot. Then a woman ahead scrolling her Instagram. They should have been removed imo.