1,848 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jun 7, 2018 11:21:41 GMT
Can usually determine if someone is open for a conversation as soon as they sit down, experience of hundreds of solo visits over the years. When they occur they usually always add to the experience, had a wonderful conversation with lynette at the Donmar which was reprised at the Park a few months later and hopefully again when our paths cross again. Weirdest one was a few years ago, got chatting to a nice Canadian sat next to me, she was unsure how to get back to her friends in a nearby restaurant so gallantly offered to be her guide, when we got there turned out she was part of a Canadian trade attaché and spent the evening being entertained by the Canadian government.
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4,973 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 7, 2018 19:37:00 GMT
Lovely Tokyo native in the seat next to me today. Number 1 on my places I want to visit, and I now know just when to go, and a few sites "off the beaten track" into the bargain. Is it ever since you watched that wildlife documentary about the monkeys at the hot springs in Japan?
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4,631 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 7, 2018 19:52:01 GMT
I've had endless chats with people seated around me over the years. One of the oddest was at the Wimbledon panto a year or two back, when I was alone (work, review) and the mother in the family next to me adopted me... and I ended up "minding" the kids at the interval for her, plus we had a dance together in the second half 'audience participation' bit. Are you sure they weren't behind you!!!
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4,631 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 7, 2018 19:54:08 GMT
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4,631 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 7, 2018 20:38:21 GMT
I am a very affable guy and have been known to indulge in a chit chat. Love helping tourists with advice when I can. Such as; if seeing another show, how they might get tickets a bit cheaper, or getting around.
On the last point I mentioned I was in the Dominion for Bat Out of Hell and speaking to two guys from South America, who couldn't find Soho on the Tube Map, so were going to Uber it instead, they didn't do that in the end and as it was on my way to the Charing Cross I walked them down, gave them loads of other advice, mainly how to combine what they wanted to do when in a similar area, like they had tickets to see The Lion King later on their trip, I said "cool combine this nicely, with a visit to Covent Garden" etc, they bough me a nice coffee in Caffe Neros to boot. I got a free coffee, they ot a trip schedule where they can fit more stuff in and were looking to slot in Everyone is Talking About Jamie.
Another tourists from Finland in Dreamgirls and opined that London is killing him with all the walking, after the show set them on their way on the 'Boris Bike', which I am a member of.
Also in 42nd Street someone let off how much they felt ripped off, paying a lot of money for their ticket about £80, I kept my mouth shut, or I would of made her show a that little bit more terrible.
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4,973 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 8, 2018 13:01:10 GMT
I've found a picture for you, TM. It's a monkey's life!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2018 13:07:28 GMT
I had a nice man next to me at Wicked a few weeks ago. The theatre had no cloakroom and I had 2 big bags. He saw me struggling to cram them under the seat (not sold as restricted legroom but it really should have been) and then offered to put them under his seat which was nice.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2018 16:21:05 GMT
I have a nice little postscript to to my story which started this thread. (And I hope Phantom of London will enjoy it, after he was a little disappointed with my lack of punchline last time...) I’ve just received a private message. “It’s me!” it reads. “I’m the guy at the Southwark Playhouse!” He’s a poster too, although I wasn’t aware of it, and he’s only just read my story. I’ve been found! And it turns out we’re both seeing Fun Home on the same day too! He’s made my afternoon...😀
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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jun 8, 2018 17:32:48 GMT
I met an extremely chatty chap at Southwark Playhouse and was trying to pluck up courage to ask if he was a board member, but then some friends of his arrived so I left them to it.
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196 posts
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Post by rockinrobin on Jun 9, 2018 7:21:08 GMT
I remember this one guy... He was really lovely, a massive fan of theatre and we had a very nice chat in the interval - about the show, other shows we enjoyed, price of jynnan tonyx et cetera. Standard theatre chat. And then, all of a sudden, he says: "You know what, I was watching you a little bit during act 1 and noticed that you kept your eyes fixed on one actor. You fancy him, don't you?".
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 8:25:36 GMT
I sat next to a lovely solo lady at Tina last week, who had booked for her birthday as a treat to herself. I’m not one usually for instigating conversation, but if it’s started by someone else I’ll likely join in. She was looking for Kinky Boots tickets at a reasonable price so offered my advice. She then encouraged us to dance during the medley at the end, and her presence definitely heightened our experience.
At the same performance I discovered that sat in the row behind was someone I’d worked with four years ago - which I found remarkable as neither of us have lived in London.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2018 22:14:42 GMT
Not a fellow audience member, but today at Aladdin I did a first - praised a member of the front of house team for a fantastic job. All throughout the time I was in the auditorium she was on the bad behaviour like a ninja. She ensured that a lady with mobility difficulties wasn’t disturbed by other audience members in her row by directing them to walk the longer way round to their seats (not a substantial extra distance but I’m sure it meant all the more for the lady with crutches). She zipped through the aisles quietly deterring anyone recording of with phones out, and even stepped in to stop people chatting during the show. It was a huge relief to know that she had it all covered.
Shout out to Sarah from the Prince Edward Theatre.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Aug 22, 2018 22:34:11 GMT
Not a fellow audience member, but today at Aladdin I did a first - praised a member of the front of house team for a fantastic job. All throughout the time I was in the auditorium she was on the bad behaviour like a ninja. She ensured that a lady with mobility difficulties wasn’t disturbed by other audience members in her row by directing them to walk the longer way round to their seats (not a substantial extra distance but I’m sure it meant all the more for the lady with crutches). She zipped through the aisles quietly deterring anyone recording of with phones out, and even stepped in to stop people chatting during the show. It was a huge relief to know that she had it all covered. Shout out to Sarah from the Prince Edward Theatre. Perhaps she should run workshops for all other ushers - if everyone acted like that, we would soon see a reduction in the things that make modern theatregoing so much of a trial for those of us who know how to behave.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2018 7:37:32 GMT
Not a fellow audience member, but today at Aladdin I did a first - praised a member of the front of house team for a fantastic job. All throughout the time I was in the auditorium she was on the bad behaviour like a ninja. She ensured that a lady with mobility difficulties wasn’t disturbed by other audience members in her row by directing them to walk the longer way round to their seats (not a substantial extra distance but I’m sure it meant all the more for the lady with crutches). She zipped through the aisles quietly deterring anyone recording of with phones out, and even stepped in to stop people chatting during the show. It was a huge relief to know that she had it all covered. Shout out to Sarah from the Prince Edward Theatre. Staff like this should be recognised more. If you get chance, email the theatre to echo the comments!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2018 7:47:20 GMT
^ I found her at the end of the performance and told her how fantastic I thought she had been, and then echoed the same feedback to the duty managers in the foyer too. It’s honestly not something I’ve ever done before, but it was so refreshing to see I couldn’t ignore it. Also, I hoped in some way it might filter the same attitude to at least one other usher too.
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1,115 posts
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Post by Stephen on Aug 23, 2018 16:24:53 GMT
I often go to the theatre alone especially now living in London. I enjoy a nice chat with whoever is beside me. At 'The Girls' I managed to befriend the girl on my left and the whole family on my right. We shared sweets, drinks, and programmes! It probably helped that we all loved the show.
I also had a nice time at Angels in America sitting beside Andrew Scott. He was lovely. My actor friends tell me he isn't a nice person. I could never believe them!
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1,037 posts
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 23, 2018 16:44:45 GMT
I’m very jealous - I also mostly go to the theatre on my own, but find it very hard to strike up a conversation with anyone sat around me (even if they’re also obviously there alone). I’d give anything to be a bit more of an extrovert!
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875 posts
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Post by daisy24601 on Aug 24, 2018 10:52:24 GMT
I’m very jealous - I also mostly go to the theatre on my own, but find it very hard to strike up a conversation with anyone sat around me (even if they’re also obviously there alone). I’d give anything to be a bit more of an extrovert! Summed up my life.
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360 posts
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Post by lichtie on Aug 24, 2018 11:16:11 GMT
I'll rarely start a convesation myself, but if someone talks to me I'll happily natter away for ever... Ended up next to someone at Lehman Brothers who said she worked in the NT Bookshop, and who had had tea with SRB that afternoon. Talking to someone who even in a small way works in the theatre world was quite fun (my own background is very different), and we managed to end up on the Theatre of the Absurd which wasn't something I never thought I would talk to a random stranger about!
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3,107 posts
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Post by Rory on Aug 24, 2018 13:46:20 GMT
I remember this one guy... He was really lovely, a massive fan of theatre and we had a very nice chat in the interval - about the show, other shows we enjoyed, price of jynnan tonyx et cetera. Standard theatre chat. And then, all of a sudden, he says: "You know what, I was watching you a little bit during act 1 and noticed that you kept your eyes fixed on one actor. You fancy him, don't you?". Bloody hell, that would have freaked me out no end! I would have exited stage left!
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 24, 2018 14:15:16 GMT
For me, still the most random chat this year was with an usher who is also a trapeze artiste. Yes, but you do go to some very dodgy late night "venues"!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2018 15:59:57 GMT
For me, still the most random chat this year was with an usher who is also a trapeze artiste. I went on a date with a trapeze artist once but I gave up. He kept me hanging around for too long.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2018 20:22:54 GMT
Got chatting to a lovely Australian lady next to me at Pinter 2 last night. She was end of row and she was furious about how the people who sit in the middle of the row are always the ones who come back to their seats at the last minute.
Most of all I liked her attitude to the whole Pinter season. “Who am I kidding? I’m outcome oriented. Of course I am going to see them all.”
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Post by hannechalk on Oct 16, 2018 21:04:55 GMT
I regularly go to 'Blood Brothers' and other plays and musicals on my own, and often end up chatting to the people next to me.
When I arrived at Weston Playhouse one time, I was dressed in fifties-style dress, so skirts and petticoat galore. A nice lady held the seat down for me, so I could fold myself and my skirts in there nicely.
We got chatting, turns out we've been to the same shows at the same time on our own, but had not noticed each other before.
Long story short, she ended up going out for drinks with one of the cast and myself after the show, went to a show in Cheltenham together and are still in touch.
Now this is more before than during a show, but I booked to see Lyn Paul's final performance in BB in Manchester in May. Only downside was that we had to be in church on the Sunday on the outskirts of Bristol by 10am. My wonderful partner said he would drive us to Manchester on the Friday, we'd stay over and then drive back after the evening-show on Saturday.
Another lady from Bristol I knew through the fanpages remarked how much she'd like to go. So I offered her a lift. She ended up in the same AirBnB as well for the Friday. So on the Friday a woman we had never met before got in the car with us for what turned into a 5-hour drive to Manchester. We're also still in touch.
And in April I will be staying with another fan in Salford.
So I made some great contacts, thanks to the love for theatre.
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1,019 posts
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Post by andrew on Oct 16, 2018 22:03:16 GMT
Got chatting to a lovely Australian lady next to me at Pinter 2 last night. She was end of row and she was furious about how the people who sit in the middle of the row are always the ones who come back to their seats at the last minute. Most of all I liked her attitude to the whole Pinter season. “Who am I kidding? I’m outcome oriented. Of course I am going to see them all.” I also had a fantastic chat with someone at the end of the row in Pinter 2- a few weeks ago. Had a great chat before the show, through the interval. I though we might be friends but he left the auditorium when the lights came up as if he was running for his life - escaping my clutches?! In general I'm rubbish at starting conversations with people but do really enjoy them. And if anyone ever sees me at a show you absolutely must say hello, I love making board friends.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2018 12:29:15 GMT
I saw Six at the Edinburgh Fringe and the atmosphere was really good. Had a chat with the 2 women in front of me in the queue about the show and how much hype it’s had, then the woman next to me in the theatre had come up from London to see the show at the Fringe and she ended up being next to me in the stage door queue and we were chatting about how the different types of music in the show worked really well. Normally I rarely talk to my fellow audience members but it was really nice to discuss the show with just normal people who I’d never met before.
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Post by Mr Wallacio on Oct 17, 2018 15:45:08 GMT
On Saturday I was supposed to be seeing the Company evening show with my friend, but missed out on dayseats so went to the matinee instead without my friend and the person sat next to me was the brother of said friend who had got a ticket on TodayTix.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2018 19:15:45 GMT
Hello to the very nice lady sat next to me on the Banquette's at Royal Exchange this afternoon. Great to chat about theatre, the show and cinema - rarely do people seem to indulge me in proper conversation at the theatre, so it made a nice change.
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2,041 posts
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Post by 49thand8th on Jun 7, 2019 13:59:04 GMT
I wasn't really sure where to put this, but here's a multi-part saga on a woman who had a heart attack at Hadestown last night (told from the perspective of the husband of the guy who did CPR):
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Post by xanady on Jun 7, 2019 18:56:35 GMT
Love the bit about the lifesaver being offered free drinks tickets by FOH presumably...
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