Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Taking babies (under the age of 1) to the theatre?

61 replies

user1493715321 · 02/05/2017 10:08

So....
I know this has been discussed before but I wanted a more up to date opinion of how people feel towards taking your lo to the theatre?
I recently took my daughter (she is 9 months old) to a show at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, it was an adult show not a children's. Luckily she was very good and made hardly any noise, and when she did I would leave to ensure no one was disturbed (i was sat near the door).

It got me thinking that there should be a specific viewing, like relaxed performances, for parents/carers who want to go to the theatre but feel they can't because they have a young baby.....
What is everyone's views on this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

WindwardCircle · 02/05/2017 15:09

I used to work in theatre, and I honestly can't see there being enough of a market for this to justify the expense (it would be a whole lot of overtime pay) for a special parents and babies show.

soupmaker · 02/05/2017 15:14

I live in Glasgow. Subsidised theatre offers child friendly performances of a variety of productions. Despite taking my 6 mo to the ballet I do think that expecting a baby to cope with the length of an adult production a pretty big ask for most of them. My first would never have been able to cope - she was a fidget, had silent reflux, and hated being held unless upright - so no way would I have taken her to the theatre. I suspect most mums wouldn't attempt it, hence the lack of a market.

I'm a feminist, but I'm also a realist. Life changes dramatically when you have a baby. Life can be very lonely at home with a baby, so you need to find things to do that are baby friendly. And BTW my partner, now DH, did stop some of the things he did before DC were born.

Floggingmolly · 02/05/2017 15:17

I'd love to bring my baby to the gym!
Why would you?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

6-9 months old 9-12 months old Babies & sleep Families

Original poster

user1493715321 · 02/05/2017 15:18

I know and the money side of it is a shame, but if it did happen soupmaker I have read of babies that are able to sit through a performance and as mentioned before if it was a tailored one some noise would be expected by both the audience members and the actors?
I know its a far stretch but surely if you have a small baby that sleeps a lot they would last, I mean cinema's so it and it seems to work well for them?

OP posts:

Original poster

user1493715321 · 02/05/2017 15:19

Floggingmolly, because then I could actually go to the gym more often she would probably love it too providing it was a safe environment ... although this is a sepearate argument and one Im not really arguing, it was just a passing comment

OP posts:

MorrisZapp · 02/05/2017 15:23

Sorry but you're being ridiculous. Some cinemas do offer baby friendly showings, these are usually once a week in the morning. Vastly more people go to the cinema than the theatre.

By all means ask your local theatre to put on baby friendly showings but if it takes off in any meaningful way I'll eat my hat. Life with a baby is limiting but it doesn't last long. Most people with babies are happy to sit out a few cultural activities for a short time.

MerlinsScarf · 02/05/2017 15:25

I absolutely loved the baby cinema showings when I had tiny DC but I was surprised by how few people went and how many mums didn't know they existed. I would love it if there were more screenings of theatre productions and regular cinema screenings but they don't attract great numbers. Not sure if it's down to lack of promotion or something else, maybe it could do well if someone made a strong brand out of it.

Original poster

user1493715321 · 02/05/2017 15:39

Yes deffinitley MerlinsScarf and MorrisZapp I don't think its ridiculous to ask these questions I am not demanding only suggesting on a webiste generated for mums to ask questions, that I think it would be great if it did exsist no need to call that ridiculous?

OP posts:

MorrisZapp · 02/05/2017 15:45

Well you can of course ask.

Hermagsjesty · 02/05/2017 16:40

I think you're getting an unnecessarily hard time OP! But that might just be because I agree with you

Also, contrary to the opinions expressed above most theatres are not businesses, they are funded by local councils and the arts council as well as charitable foundations not to make money but to provide arts and culture to as many people as possible. So, although they have to make ends meet lack of profit isn't a reason for them to not do something - the model in most theatres is that some big selling shows help fund other projects which aren't necessarily money spinners but which are socially/ artistically valuable.

And although it's true that the baby phase is short, I'd say there's a strong audience development argument for getting new Mums into theatre. So, the kind of mum who doesn't usually go to the theatre (but maybe loves cinema or novels) is attracted by a baby friendly show and loves it, and thus becomes a life-long theatre lover. I think you'll find many actors are absolutely passionate about getting more people into theatre and would therefore potentially be supportive of this kind of initiative...

CrazedZombie · 02/05/2017 16:53

I'm a mum of 3 school kids who's watched loads of school plays and trust me - not all parents remove noisy babies and toddlers.

I think that a parent and baby performance would end up with a lot of requests for refunds after one person spoils things by not taking out a noisy child.

Original poster

user1493715321 · 02/05/2017 19:35

Hermagsjesty thanks for your agreement and everything you say is 100% correct in my eyes anything that welcomes mums and babies is positive because if anything it gets them together and supports them!
Also in response to your comment CrazedZombie I read an article recently where a woman made the comment that she would rather see the majority of a show and miss some of it due to a crying baby than not seeing one at all I feel like people assume that all babies cry all day long but that's not the case most babies especially when they are very young sleep a lot and only cry when they are hungry no?

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 02/05/2017 23:04

Why are you so obsessed by this, op? How often do you actually visit the theatre??
Anything that welcomes mums and babies is positive because if anything it gets them together and supports them!
Perhaps baby/toddler groups might cover this aspect of your social life for the time being?

Most people don't go to the theatre to meet other mums and their babies

Pansiesandredrosesandmarigolds · 03/05/2017 03:57

I've been to two. One in the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park and one at the Hackney Studios theatre in, well, Hackney. Both about 90 seaters. From what I gathered the organisers in both cases planned to do more. It worked very much like mother and baby cinema: everyone tolerates the noise because everyone is there with a baby, so if there's crying your glad it's not yours, and a couple of people leave mid way to change a nappy/deal with proper howling. Tough gig for the actors, I'm sure, but OTOH they got thanked very sincerely afterwards.

GinIsIn · 03/05/2017 04:17

It's a completely non- viable proposition - cinemas can afford to screen mother and baby screenings because the overheads are comparatively low, so it doesn't matter that there is a smaller audience. The costs would be prohibitive in the theatre.

And it's not ok to take babies to regular performances. Theatre tickets are expensive and people don't want to be disturbed by the fact you have chosen to have a child. Even if you sit near the door, your getting up to go out repeatedly is disruptive. You've chosen to have a baby, why on earth can't you get a babysitter?

And I say this as someone who has both worked in the West End, and has a baby.

Pansiesandredrosesandmarigolds · 03/05/2017 05:19

Tbf, I doubt the OP means a big West End theatre - if you're a small local theatre you might well be able to sell out a Tuesday matinee or two to new parents.

GinIsIn · 03/05/2017 05:57

Small theatres still have high overheads, and people are still paying high prices for their tickets.

SouthWestmom · 03/05/2017 07:59

Isn't the difference thought that relaxed performances are aimed at the audience , especially disabled people who are still getting something out of the show and are having their needs catered for. So the performers are working with their audience to provide an experience.
Whereas a parent and baby show (as opposed to a family show where the kids are watching the action) means that the performers and audience are putting up with noise and disturbances from babies who aren't getting anything out of the experience.

Hermagsjesty · 03/05/2017 09:45

Funnily enough, I was at the Theatre last night and got chatting to the ushers and Front of House team (I used to work in the same theatre so I knew them already - I wasn't making a random approach!) and weirdly they'd actually had a relaxed performance of a Shakespeare play that afternoon (they do them regularly there). They said that there'd been at least 8-9 mums with young babies in the audience (as well as people with various other needs). So, I think - as Pansiesandmarigolds also suggested above - this is actually a thing already. Different theatres will obviously have different attitudes but I think it's definitely worth asking around locally, OP.

purpleshortcake · 03/05/2017 09:48

Wouldn't babies and small children usually be in bed for evening theatre performances. Isn't that what matinee's are for?

elephantscansing · 03/05/2017 09:49

IMO theatres are completely inappropriate places to take babies/young dc (to see adult shows, obviously).

People have saved up to go to the theatre, it's expensive and it's a treat. I do not want to hear somoene's baby crying or making a fuss or a noise during the show.

Get a babysitter.

You can always go back to the theatre when your child is older.

Completely entitled.

If you're talking about relaxed showings, that's different. (There was a huge thread on this topic a while ago.)

elephantscansing · 03/05/2017 09:51

in my eyes anything that welcomes mums and babies is positive because if anything it gets them together and supports them!

How is everyone sitting in the dark quietly watching a show supporting them or helping people to bond? Mums would be better having a film afternoon at a friend's house, where they're not bothering anyone else and there's no pressure to be quiet.

You don't always get quiet sleeping babies - they can be the oppoiste, even when very young.

JigglyTuff · 03/05/2017 09:51

Take your baby to autism-friendly performances - the Marlowe does them for children's shows. But there are not going to be enough new mums to fill the theatre on their own.

Try being a single parent - then it costs so much to get a babysitter/pay for theatre tickets that you won't get to go for the next ten years!

NotCitrus · 03/05/2017 10:01

Increasingly theatres are doing relaxed performances though not billing them as autism-friendly because (sample size of two) the amount of background noise and unexpected behaviours from other audience members was harder for my boys to cope with than a normal performance where the audience is expected to be quiet. Dn loves theatre and ds is terrified of the dark and sudden noises and people shouting, so having lights on doesn't help if audience members are unexpectedly noisy.
Like babies.

purpleshortcake · 03/05/2017 10:08

I went to an evening performance of Cirque de Soleil recently. I would have loved my 4 year olds to be there but knew they would be super-excited and constantly asking ...what is that man doing Mummy? Why is she up in the sky? So whilst endearing for me I thought it would be distracting for other audience members so didn't take them. There were quite a few children there and they mainly seemed well behaved so maybe in a couple of years...

I love taking them to the theatre and am lucky enough to be near Cast Theatre in Doncaster where they have loads of performances for kids ...small intimate "tent" type storytelling through to full blown stage performances. I get a lot out of these shows and Mums with babies are certainly not frowned upon. I wouldn't enjoy having children or babies to worry about at an evening performance though as I'd be too on edge about disturbing others.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread