1859 replies to this topic

[Latecomer]

Front Row Dress, on 04 November 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

Wish there was a "like" button for xanderl's post above

I'm stating the obvious but ....there is!

[richard2711]

Soul Sister at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry on Saturday night. I couldn't believe it, but the majority of the audience was badly behaved. During the domestic violence scenes, people were booing Ike and cheering Tina, like a pantomime! There were people shouting out comments in response to lines throughout the performance, and also wolf-whistling at inappropriate moments. There were sections where this type of behaviour was appropriate (and actually encouraged) but I don't think this is during an emotional, sensitive scenes. When comments were made, many audience members either laughed loudly for a prolonged time, making the lines which followed inaudible, or shouted out responses to the comments! I overheard a few people during the interval when I left the auditorium, and it would appear that there were many many drunk people in the audience.

For Tina's performance at the end, the audience didn't need much encouragement to get on their feet, but there were two girls to my left who had left their seats and had come to the front (I was on the front row) and they were screaming and whooping really loudly. They were trying to clap their hands in time but kept missing, and were even smacking me in the head throughout one of the numbers where they were missing the claps. Because the music was loud, they were shouting a conversation at each other, and one of them was trying to persuade the other to get on stage with the performers as there were some steps right next to us which led up to the stage. The more drunk girl kept saying how she "wasn't allowed", and then proceeded to beckon to a band member on stage to come over to her, and kept licking her lips at him.

I enjoyed the show, but was genuinely shocked at the behaviour of the audience. I have never experienced anything quite like it before. I wonder if that happened at the Savoy?! My friend and I were actually quite scared at the end of the show, as the aforementioned girls' behaviour was so unpredictable that we didn't know what they were going to do.

[Becky La Rou]

JonnyBoy, on 14 June 2010 - 07:16 PM, said:

When I saw Blood Brothers, a lady behing me talked through the entire opening scene.  Presumably she thought this was ok because there was little dialogue.  To hell with setting the scene and creating the atmosphere; it was as if she was trying to get through everything she had to say before the show 'properly' started.

This thread should carry a health warning.  I can see myself getting worked up over these selfish idiots (the guy with ridiculously wild hair that blocks half the stage, the girl with jangly jewellery who thrashes her arms about, the people who pass sweets along the row, the texters, the people who have to bring alcohol in and can't get through a show without it, the whistling breathers, the one who falls asleep and jerks his head about till he wakes himself up, the ones who lean their coats over the seats in front and don't bother to move them when you try to rest your head back, the man translating for his partner then tilting the programme to the light to see which one was in Holby City etc...)  Admittedly they are a minority but in a half-full theatre, there's bound to be one selfish, oblivious fool and it just takes one to disturb an otherwise excellent evening.
For heaven's sake, people, just watch the damn show!
(time for my blood pressure pills...)

Hilarious! I feel inspired by your rant to write a play focused on these rancid characters alone! I used to work as an usher at the London Palladium (whilst between jobs) and I have seen these creatures with my own eyes! Also might I add that as technology continues to grow, these issues are only getting worse! I went to see The Lion King last month (worst mistake of my life as the audience totally ruined it!) and one lady proceeded to get her IPAD out to photograph the elephants coming through the audience. What is an ipad other than a BIG glowing distracting square of light!

One thing I will say is that I think alcohol in a show is perfectly acceptable! Plus a wine helps numb the pain of the kid kicking your seat behind you. Merlot and theatre are always a winning combination!

[cat123]

Talking during the overture. DON'T DO IT!!

Top Hat interval post...

[*Michael*]

At The River last night:  phone vibrating loudly next to me - owner did nothing about it.  Then towards the end of the show, a mobile on full blast started going.  Miranda Raison paused as was nobody made any effort to turn it off - a woman finally realised it was her's and instead of just turning it off, starting saying "how could this happen, I turned it off" before accidentally activating Siri when trying to turn it off.

Completely ruined the atmosphere.

[timbo]

At Dangerous Lady (Stratford East) on Friday evening - 2 x mobile phones going off with one person answering it and telling the caller she was at the theatre and would call back, one person who chatted loudly for the first 15 mins despite all around her "shushing", and one guy using the light from his mobile to read his programme. A member of staff had to disturb others to tell him to turn it off only for the guy to indignantly say he would "in a minute"!! What is wrong with these people?

[Matthew Winn]

timbo, on 11 November 2012 - 04:18 PM, said:

What is wrong with these people?

I can't remember where it was, but I recently read a comment on this issue pointing out that if mobile phones were new technology there might be justification for not realising how annoying they are, but they started to become commonplace as long ago as the 1980s so there's really no excuse for being unaware of the irritation they cause, leaving nothing but an "I'm more important than everyone else" attitude as an explanation.

If I ruled the world the law would be: If your phone rings in a theatre, cinema, or similar place then it is confiscated. If you answer it, make a call, text someone or otherwise initiate any activity on it then it is confiscated and destroyed. No appeals.

[SHk]

What would the best one-liner to say to those selfish people who INTENTIONALLY queue-jump at the bar? Am I the only peron in the UK who reminds them that they have just skipped the queue?

It's so annoying that those offenders seem to know that polite British people wouldn't challenge them if they skipped the queue. Also, a good indicator of whether the queue jumping was intentional or accicental is how the offenders respond to the peroson (usually me) who is pointing it out to them. If the offender says "Oh, sorry." and just moves to the back of the queue, he/she is innocent. If the person reacts aggressively or rudely, this person knows full well that he/she has jumped the queue because his/her time is so much more precious than the rest of the world's.

[Lynette]

Matthew, destroyed? Yeah...

[Michael H]

SHk, on 11 November 2012 - 06:51 PM, said:

What would the best one-liner to say to those selfish people who INTENTIONALLY queue-jump at the bar? Am I the only peron in the UK who reminds them that they have just skipped the queue?

Reminds me of a time at a motorway service station some years ago, where someone skipped the queue, and someone else tried to complain to him.

"Oi!  There is a queue you know!  Q  U ..."

And he realised he didn't know how to spell the word.