1841 replies to this topic

[Honoured Guest]

 Jamiem, on 11 August 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

In the olden days the 'gallery' used to boo and throw things if they didn't like shows....I quite like that

When I saw Edward Bond's Restoration in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, the whole Ground (stalls) erupted with hisses from all the Tory buffers when Pip Hinton beautifully sang a song about an Argentine mother's loss of her son in the Falklands/Malvinas conflict. I wouldn't say I liked that reaction but it prompted one of those revelations that we are surrounded by the enemy.

[Michael]

Someone in the middle of the 3rd row fell asleep, wheezing loudly, through most of Antony Sher's Primo at the Cottesloe on the night I saw it. In a small theatre like that, the actor couldn't have failed to be aware of it.

I've been to many classical concerts where audience members have dropped off. One elderly man sitting in front of me at the RFH kept flopping his head further and further back until it was resting on my knees and facing up at the roof. I jerked my knees to wake him up and he turned round and glared at me as if I'd done something wrong.

[Lynette]

 Honoured Guest, on 11 August 2012 - 07:49 AM, said:

When I saw Edward Bond's Restoration in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, the whole Ground (stalls) erupted with hisses from all the Tory buffers when Pip Hinton beautifully sang a song about an Argentine mother's loss of her son in the Falklands/Malvinas conflict. I wouldn't say I liked that reaction but it prompted one of those revelations that we are surrounded by the enemy.

[PaulT]

I am pleased to report we had a very well-behaved audience at Chichester on Saturday night for 'Kiss me, Kate'.  No phones going off, talking or sweet papers rustling.
A mobile phone went off (in the arena?) last night at the 'Yeomen of the Guard' prom at the Royal Albert Hall.  The man behind me in the stalls was rattling his box of sweets in the time with the music!  Also a lot of coughing: it sounded more like mid-winter than August.

[Lynette]

Yeah, two phones at the Lyttleton on Saturday. And they make an announcement there in a big voice!

[Ruby Sue]

I think along with the mobile phone reminder they should also remind people that they are not at home in front of their televisions!
At The Globe last week there was a couple in front of us that each had a giant cookie in seperate paper bags that they insisted on rustling loudly as they broke off bits off to eat.
An announcement along the lines of..."just because you rustle paper bags/sweet wrappers/crisp packets etc reeallllyy slowly doesn't make it any more quieter, it just prolongs the torment for audience memebers around you" might do it!!

[Lynette]

Why do they sell noisily packaged sweeties at theatres?

[CaityGlinda]

I had an interesting weekend. Firstly was at Sweeney Todd on Saturday night, I had a woman sat behind me chewing gum with her mouth open all the way through the show. It's such an irritating sound when you're trying to concentrate on something! I ended up whispering "Will you please stop chewing, it's very irritating" at her half way through the second act. Luckily she just said "sorry" and stopped. Secondly was at Matilda yesterday afternoon. I knew it was Kids Week (month) so expected the theatre to be full of children and was surprised to find that most of them seemed to be perfectly well behaved...apart from the boy sat behind me who managed to dribble half-chewed wine gums down my arm. Safe to say, I was fuming!

[ABowlerHat]

RE: Kids Week

I saw Singin' In The Rain last week and I have to say the audience was an extremely good one. There were quite a few children (an appropriate show I feel after seeing many children under 10 at Sweeney Todd the week before!) but they were all very well behaved! A complete standing ovation at the end of the show (as always) and so well deserved!

[Michael H]

I had reports of some loud chatting during West Side Story in Croydon this week.

"Ooh, it's just like Romeo and Juliet" during the balcony scene.

"I didn't see that coming" during the death of a major character at the end.

And "naughty boy!" during the taunting of Anita scene.

That last one works best in a strong Croydon accent.