Drama performance. 2 1/2 hours long!!!!

[toffeeapple]

Hi my dd has her Drama performance at the theatre tomorrow, and I have just discovered in horror that the whole performance is going to be 150 minutes long, dd is first to perform (for about 10 minutes) and after that she is not allowed to leave the theatre. Therefore she going to be hanging around for nearly 3 hours doing NOTHING. Is that common practise?
It seems ridiculous, she's only 5 and it's going to drive her crazy. Not to mention the fact that I will have a 3 year old with me in the audience.
Nightmare.

Surely there will be matrons there keeping the little ones entertained in the dressing room? I have been a matron at the local ballet school and we brought DVDs and colouring stuff and some people played games with them. Some of the children were younger than 5 as well. Hanging around and doing colouring in or watching a film or playing games for 3 hours won't be any worse than hanging around at school for 61/2 hrs.

I'm surprised that the little ones are not allowed to go at the interval - this is what happens at my DD's dance / theatre school productions. What is the justiofiaion for having them stay if they are not in another "number" later in the show?. But there will be Matrons

Is there a general tableau at the end that they are all in? Dd's ballet school used to let the 3 and 4yos go home before this, but the older children stayed.