[Parsley]

I had two very different tastes of the above subject this week.

The wonderful Private Lives was a full house on Saturday evening. There were a number of late arrivals in the dress circle. They clattered their way noisily into their seats and there was much rustling of bags and removal of coats for several minutes after they were seated.

Those who had been on time gave angry glances towards these sinners.

I must say, at the time I was also midly irritated and scathed that people weren't as organised and timely.

Then last night the same happened to me.

I managed to be one minute late for Disconnect at the Royal Court Upstairs.

First time I have ever been late for a show anywhere.

Was refused entry (although the show hadn't quite started) and was told that I could only watch the performance from a monitor.

The box office advised the the director had decreed no latecomers were to be admitted at all. There is no interval in the show and my pleading fell on deaf ears.

I am sure we will all have mixed view on this subject, but as a loyal theatregoer and a very loyal Court fan I was really miffed by this. I appreciate that performances start on time and that it can be disruptive to come in late, but I felt most upset. Surely it's not that hard to accomodate one latecomer? I thought it was a pretty cruel stance and sometimes we are late for really valid reasons.

Anyone have any other experiences relating to this matter?

[Ian]

A third way, when the house is not full, is to allow latecomers to be seated at the back / side where their arrival does not disturb others - coats removed and instructions to keep quiet given before entering the auditorium!!

All too often it seems latecomers are seated at the front in the middle of a row and are allowed to take their booked seats to everyone else's annoyance.

"No admittance" should be the rule, with common sense over-riding this where appropriate.

[CaityGlinda]

When I saw Wicked last July, there were three girls in front of me who arrived about 10 minutes late. It says on the website/tickets of most shows that latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break. These people, however, arrived as What is this Feeling was about to start so therefore, I missed viewing the majority of that song. I didn't feel that was a suitable break at all.

[VelmaMaureen]

I've never been late myself, but the family in front of me were late for the Little Shop of Horrors tour - they let them in even though it was in the middle of the opening number, and the man tripped over and swore really loudly, which was so distracting for everyone. This was front stalls, so the whole theatre saw it.

[Greeneyes]

I agree with the no entry or sit at the back suggestion. Pretty much every time I've been to see Les Mis there's a group of people who are let after Valjean's soliloquy. As has been pointed out, these people never are never quick or particularly quiet, and the disturbance goes on well into At the End of the Day. I don't understand why these people, having paid for tickets, don't make a special effort to get to the theatre on time; if they haven't they shouldn't be allowed to bother everyone else.

A related topic is post interval lateness, in both Les Mis and Wicked, there are often people clambering back in the dark with ice clanking in their drinks. As far as I am aware, neither show rings bells or makes annoucements like other theatres do, or, like phantom, just play some music with the lights up - the show restarts immediately. In Les Mis it's particularly annoying as this part of the show is dramatic which much going on.

[freckles]

Latecomers should be admitted at a suitable pause. I think it a shame not to be allowed in at all, but I'm sure this is rare. Although the OP has my sympathy & I think was treated harshly, it is good to hear of a theatre & staff treating their production with respect and making an effort to police the audience.

So many don't & once curtain is up, all FOH staff disappear. I particularly hate the free for all that is the audience of Wicked. People are frequently late - and late back from the interval, surely its not beyond the theatre to warn the audience that things are about to start and try & get everyone seated. The stalls arent too bad, but any further up and it almost feels like you are in the audience at the cinema, people passing food around, wandering in & out to the loo etc. Last time I was there a member of staff even walked right across the front of the dress circle during the early part of Act Two, trailing a black bag of rubbish!

So, some balance needed here. The important thing to me is that both the theatre & the audience are respectful of the performers & the rest of the audience.

[Lynette]

I'm amazed that latecomers were allowed into seats in the middle of rows for Private Lives as the beginning of the play is very important and quiet. [ though who knows, maybe Coward wrote it that way because he knew people come late!] They should have waited at the side standing or until a break - there are a few I think when the characters go out and in sort of thing even before the next act. But....we are talking major West End here and there is a different vibe. They may have come from hospitality or be guests or whatever, or just punters but the business is everything, the play subservient to that. I was disturbed by people coming in late at Jerusalem - just a few people can disturb the whole section of seating. It's cruel not to be let in when it was the bus or the train and I am very tolerant at the National when they clearly wait more than a few minutes when they see that seats are not taken because of adverse weather. Theatres need to be more sensitive about this and let people in but have a place they can be so as not to disturb the rest.

[MrsDoyle]

As I mentioned the other day I was at the Rose for Midsummer's thinghy (a sellout) a couple of Sats ago and I noticed two seats in front of me were empty and two seats alongside me (hmm I get the message). A good twenty minutes into the play there was a slight break and people squeezed in to the front seats. As the seats are double tipups this did cause a bit of upheaval. A few minutes later to my right there was quite a commotion as more people were trying to get in and an elderly lady was heard saying three times that "It was disgraceful". Whether she wanted to be let in or didn't want to move I don't know but the two seats next to me weren't occupied until after the interval (which was a shame as I was planning to spread myself;)).
I do think it's unfair to completely stop somebody going in if they are late but I really think they should just stand at the back until there is a decent interval.
I work in a small theatre/cinema and if there are latecomers I tell them to sit in the nearest empty seat rather than upset everybody although this isn't quite so important in a movie as a live show. Also we wouldn't start the show until we were sure the majority of people were there and obviously when the weather was bad added a few minutes onto the time.

[lizziett]

I saw Legally Blonde on Sunday and throughout the first half, large parties kept coming in late and were sat right in the middle of the first 5 rows - very annoying. One of them didn't even say excuse me and tried to barge her way down the aisle while people were seated - rude much? About 5 minutes before the end of the first half, they let another coach load in - surely they could've waited until the interval because they'd already missed most of the show anyway!

[Allie]

Ooh now this is a bit double-edged sword really.

As a rule, I'm always on time or stupidly early if I am going to see a show. I'd rather sit and have a coffee, and a leisurely stroll over to the theatre than the manic run, run, run to get there on time.
There's been times when I have got very annoyed with people coming in late, especially if it means I have to get up to let them get to the seats in the middle of the show thus meaning the people behind me can see nothing but my back.

Someone mentioned Wicked second act, the problem I find is, I spend the entire interval queuing to get into the one set of toilets in the stalls, so by the time I actually manage to use the toilet, The second act has usually already started and I have to quickly find my way back to my seat so I have to ask people to get past.

I do sympathise with the OP though, it seems a very harsh way of dealing with late-comers. I'm all for letting people come in late, but at a suitable place in the show! Public transport in London dictates that everyone runs the risk of being caught up with particularly the rush-hour traffic. So, if you are late, I think you should be admitted, but at a suitable time that isn't distracting for the audience or the actors.