Something which I've been thinking about recently is what makes going to the theatre feel really special and makes each performance feel like an event rather than one of eight a week. Over this summer, I've had some really bad theatrical experiences and wondered if anyone else has an opinion on this.

The first was The 39 Steps. Having recently gone to see things which had recently opened, I decided to see something which had been running a while. It was a Tuesday matinee and there was a noisy group of school children. Now normally I'm excited before a show starts, but here not. I actually thought the show was very poor and was glad to leave the theatre and get away from the school group.

Avenue Q was another show which to me felt flat. I was really shocked by how lacklustre the performance was and that ruined what I think could have been a great show.

I went to the second preview of Othello and the audience was incredibly badly behaved. In the row in front, a woman with two empty seats next to her decided to take her shoes off and put her feet up on these seats. I cannot understand how anyone thinks that is acceptable behaviour in the theatre - it is not your own living room! The same woman decided to take a look at the programme during the play (why pay to see something and read the programme during it?!) Another woman beside me jiggled her leg up and down constantly in the first act, wobbling my seat, and then in the second, sat with her feet up on the chair. A man in front felt it necesary to lean forward despite a huge rake, completely destroying my view. Another woman was still on the phone when Act 2 began and then went on to eat a whole pack of Rowntrees Pick n Mix rustling the packet every time. I also couldn't understand how people cannot go for an hour without taking a drink of water! A person two seats from me took three sips of water in the first act. A ruined play!!!

I saw La Cage Aux Folles in May and absolutely loved it! So much that I went back in September. The theatre was not full as it had been on my first viewing, in fact there were only seven people in my row. I still enjoyed it, but somehow there wasn't the same atmosphere as before.

Thoughts???

I hate seeing a show in an empty theatre, really brings down the mood. I saw Shawshank on thursday afternoon and the upper circle and gallery were shut and the stalls only about 2/3 full. Shame since it was actually very good.

On Wednesday I went to We Will Rock You for Jon Boydon's last performance as Galileo. He was fantastic, the cast were on top form, it was such an emotional and fun performance, but the audience were pants and the theatre was half empty!! It wass such a shame because he deserved a better send off. Good job he had us in the front few rows!!


Avenue Q is one show where I always find the atmosphere a joy and they cast brilliant. Sorry you didn't feel the same!! I have so much love for that show.

If a play isn't holding my attention, nobody is going to make me feel guilty about reading my programme during it. Why are you paying to see a show and watching the audience anyway? While some of the behaviour described would disturb anyone, is someone taking a sip of water really that distracting?

I'm not quite sure what you're asking for our thoughts on, to be honest. Is this a more genteel version of the Badly Behaved Audiences thread? I'm having difficulty finding a thread to follow in the original post. :/

I love it when the audience is lively and jolly like at The Globe for example and then the actors create total silent attention with a gesture and a few words...and all those people begin a journey together. And I love it when an audience gasps say when they don't know the ending of the play or realise which way it's going. There's a feeling I can only describe as being 'sucked in' when everything comes together. I think you can have this anywhere, outside, in any kind of venue but much harder to get in a large open place like the Barbican or the New London theatre or a wide staged venue.

A person two seats from me took three sips of water in the first act. A ruined play!!!

God forbid they should have been trying to prevent a tickly cough from emerging - I'm all for audiences having respect for each other and the performers on stage, but if someone sipping water is enough to "ruin" a production for you, I'd have to say either you are too easily distracted or the play wasn't much cop in the first place.

Last time I went to the theatre the person next to me had a very distracting heartbeat, the selfish bastard.

I really was once told off in the cinema for breathing too loudly! Since this had never happened before (or since) I was a bit baffled as to know what to do...

Haha, my former housemate had a real bugbear about audible breathing. I ended up getting quite a complex about it, and am now hyper-aware of the volume of people's breathing and have trained myself to breathe as quietly as possible. Keep your mouth shut, go about it slowly, don't exert yourself, and you should be fine.

It's probably quite sad that someone else's foible has seriously affected the way I breathe, isn't it?

Playing devil's advocate for a minute, there was a whole catalogue of misbehaviour detailed in the paragraph ending in "sipping water - play ruined!". Perhaps it was all these behaviours combined that ruined the play and not *just* the water sipping.

Heh. Having ushered in a couple of big west end theatres, you'd be surprised at the amount of people that think this is acceptable behaviour.

I wouldn't say that I have ever been distracted by someone drinking water but most of the other incidents you have described show a real lack of respect and consideration.

I have a real problem with people who have no respect for others. I was brought up to show others consideration and respect and still get told by my Mother if I am talking too loudly on the train on the way to the theatre ("you are talking to me not everyone else in the carriage!").

I find people talking at a normal level rather than whispering in the theatre (during the performance) a real pain. I know they are sharing the experience of the performance with their friend/partner but either wait until the interval/end or whisper! This is particularly annoying when they express an opinion or a grievance loud enough for the cast to hear!

Richard Griffiths was it ?

Nah..but I know what you mean!

Maybe you should have taken off the Darth Vadar mask.

So that's why the chap behind me was tapping the back of my head and complaining about sightlines...

Maybe it was verging on "heavy breathing" and they got worried!