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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2019 13:09:00 GMT
I've definitely done it, but I am aware that I'm not supposed to and if a member of staff were to return me to my original seat, I would do so quietly and apologetically.
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Post by anita on Jan 8, 2019 13:55:42 GMT
The only time I have done this is when I was taken in through the stage door by a cast member & told to stand at the back of the stalls until the lights went down, then to sit in any empty seat. I was told that if anyone asked to say I was "Press".
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2019 14:16:49 GMT
I've definitely done it, but I am aware that I'm not supposed to and if a member of staff were to return me to my original seat, I would do so quietly and apologetically. This is my approach too. Usually only within my “section” but sometimes I admit not. I’ve certainly done the “shuffle along the row for more space” many times. Usually ushers won’t bat an eye, but if spotted and asked to move back I just politely say “ok sorry” and shuffle back.
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Post by poster J on Jan 8, 2019 14:37:16 GMT
I've done it at the Proms before when the person next to me spent the entire first half falling asleep and falling on to my shoulder as a result.
Also been upgraded by the ushers there without having to ask!
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Post by The Matthew on Jan 8, 2019 14:47:22 GMT
"I'm terribly sorry for sitting in the wrong level. I must have misread the ticket." "Sir, this is a bus ticket. You've written 'stalls' on it."
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Post by 49thand8th on Jan 8, 2019 15:45:47 GMT
I've seen people move, but for sure I'd fall into the type who asks the box office or ushers if I wanted to do that. Love the idea you can tip to be moved in the USA. I knew you could do that in Las Vegas, but not on Broadway. I've never tipped to do this anywhere OTHER than Las Vegas, although usually the tip happened after they'd say, "Tonight only, we can move you to..." and you knew for sure it wasn't "tonight only," and these poor young ushers had had to deal with drunks all evening.
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Post by Marwood on Jan 10, 2019 15:43:45 GMT
Not 'bad behaviour' as such, but did anyone on here manage to see this 'spectacular' over the festive period? BBC
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Jan 10, 2019 18:40:52 GMT
Not 'bad behaviour' as such, but did anyone on here manage to see this 'spectacular' over the festive period? BBCNo, but I saw The Lehman Trilogy at the National which was quite similar
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jan 10, 2019 20:08:44 GMT
It’s a difficult one isnt it I’ve moved seats many occasions when theatre is half full etc is guess the actors would rather see faces than empty seats ?? I remember when the play that goes wrong first toured I had 6 empty rows in front so moved forward Some theatres if you ask are fine but some get really funny about it . I like it in USA if there’s empty seats as you go in the ushers ask If your happy with your seat .... u can tip them and they take you to available seats. For Bette midler I paid $60 for the gods and then got moved to $250 seat for $30 tip same with jersey boys got moved from balcony to stalls for $15 Ooops, didn't know I should tip. I'm so British
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Post by poster J on Jan 10, 2019 22:45:19 GMT
Loud (presumably drunk) woman in the Circle at Company last night who decided every single line deserved her 100+ decibel laugh, even if no-one else in the theatre was laughing.
I also need to report one of the ushers in the Circle, as their radio went off during a moment of complete silence in Act 2!
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Post by lakeside on Jan 11, 2019 17:22:14 GMT
Not sure it really really counts as bad behaviour, more of a 'why are you saying that' but:
Several weeks ago at War Horse, I was mid row and had to get past a few people/a few empty seats to get to my fairly obvious single seat. The last two people to get past were a couple reading their programme: Me: 'excuse me sorry' Man: 'do you want to get past?' Me: 'yes please' Man: 'are you here by yourself?' Me: 'yes' Man: 'oh, that's sad' Somewhat took me surprise so I didn't reply. Had a nice chat with his wife(?) during the interval though.
I've been theatre-ing in London by myself for years and he's the first person to remark on it. Usually I'm fine sitting alone or chatting to the person next to me.
Then at a play this week there were two men near me who spent the interval graphically discussing (and not quietly either) what one of them would need to do to collect a sample for their STI test. From the looks of it they had brought the test kit along with them.
Apart from that, audiences this week were remarkably well behaved, quiet and non-rustley!
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Xanderl
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Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Jan 11, 2019 17:50:25 GMT
Obvious riposte:
(to his companion) You: Are you here with him? Them: Yes You: Oh, that's sad
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Post by wickedgrin on Jan 11, 2019 18:39:44 GMT
Obvious riposte: (to his companion) You: Are you here with him? Them: Yes You: Oh, that's sad Oh, that's brilliant but I would only have thought of it about half way into Act One!
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Post by lakeside on Jan 11, 2019 19:04:59 GMT
Obvious riposte: (to his companion) You: Are you here with him? Them: Yes You: Oh, that's sad Oh, that's brilliant but I would only have thought of it about half way into Act One! Better than anything I could've thought of during both acts (and and the several weeks in between then and now)!
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Xanderl
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Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Jan 12, 2019 19:27:51 GMT
Had to kick some cheeky sod out of my £15 restricted view seat she’d sat in “by mistake” at the Pinter this afternoon and back to the top price seat she’d paid for
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 19:17:12 GMT
Was delighted when a tall bloke sat directly in front of her. God, that's so satisfactory when it happens.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 14, 2019 19:33:40 GMT
This isn't deliberate bad behaviour but if certaily caused a lot of disruption for the entire audience. I was at The Other Palace yesterday to see the last London performance of Murder For Two, starting 4om. Literally about 1 minute into the show there was a noise from somewhere in the audience & the house lights came up and one of the FOH staff called out to stop the show & for us to all leave the studio. As we filed out I could see someone lying on the ground, having evidently collapsed. We then all had to wait in the lobby for about 40 minutes until the paramedics, who had arrived after about 25 minutes (which seems rather a long time for an ambulance in the middle of a city), had removed the person in a wheelchair (he was conscious & looked okay). Since it finally re-started about 4.40pm and runs for 2 hours then had to make a mad dash to get to the Criterion for the 7pm start there. In future I'd really appreciate it if people could only collapse in matinees when I have at least 2 hours between shows!!
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Post by Backdrifter on Jan 15, 2019 8:31:11 GMT
Was delighted when a tall bloke sat directly in front of her. God, that's so satisfactory when it happens. I hope it was a broad-shouldered 6'7" coldstream guardsman, WITH his bearskin hat on. And sitting on a booster cushion.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 15, 2019 9:27:11 GMT
I'd hesitate to put this in Bad Behaviour, but I was - still am - perturbed by the behaviour of the man sitting next to me at the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford on Sunday night for Ramin Karimloo's first date of the tour.
He shook. Not like Parkinsons, not like cold, but nerves ... with, I believe, his parents who I'd guess to be in their 70's, him in his 40's or 50's. Mum arranged it so she sat one side and I was the other (me on the aisle). His legs just shook uncontrollably, he sat chatting to his Mum, and my seat was shaking so badly I started to feel ill, I really did. It was all I could do to restrain myself from leaning over and putting my hand on his knee ....
At the interval I was in two minds whether to find another seat (I had a lovely front row too ...); spent the last bit of the interval standing in the bar calming myself down. Even in typing this out I can feel the anxiety rushing back over me.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 15, 2019 11:00:39 GMT
I was about to say the same. When I have a panic attack I get shaking, especially in my legs. However I wouldn't be sitting in a theatre under those circumstances.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 15, 2019 11:16:45 GMT
I don't think so - he was sitting chatting amiably with his Ma during the interval and was enjoying the concert. My knowledge of panic attacks is that nothing else registers except that feeling of panic. I wouldn't for the world have said anything to draw his attention to it, or make him feel uncomfortable, but I was a holy mess after an hour sitting through it.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 15, 2019 12:35:23 GMT
Unexplained then. Oh, just thought, was it very cold? Shivering due to Raynaulds, perhaps? Again, no, I wouldn't have thought so. It seemed to stop during a few of Ramin's numbers, he sang along (as requested by Ramin) to "Do You Hear The People Sing", and he'd chucked his coat on the floor (Ma did the pick it up and fold it thing). Just - odd, and unnerving for me sat next to him in quivering chair ....
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Post by Backdrifter on Jan 15, 2019 13:32:36 GMT
Sitting and chatting etc normally apart from one or both legs jiggling rapidly up and down is a trait I had a lot as a child, and very rarely now although it does still happen until Mrs Backdrifter comments wearily on it. Ditto rapid finger tapping. I still can't stop myself tapping walls, handrails, bins, and any manner of objects as I walk past them. My mum called me Fidget, and regarding the leg-jiggling would say I was "like a damn babu". These were clerks in India who worked at rows of desks in huge offices and who, according to her, jiggled/vibrated/waved their legs (and sometimes their heads too) around en masse as they worked. I'm still quite fidgety even now, though nowhere near as much as when I was a child. Neither have I completely lost my urge to absent-mindedly dismantle things, pick them apart, or tear tiny rips into the edges of beermats. But anyway, even though I do still sometimes jiggle a leg while sitting, I'd never do it in a theatre unless no-one was around. From the description it sounds like this bloke perhaps just has a habit of doing this. It wasn't a nice experience for you and I don't mean to diminish that, but I really like the phrase Quivering Chair. I might have had one of their albums, from about 1974 - I think they supported Henry Cow at the Toby Jug.
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Post by daisy24601 on Jan 15, 2019 13:46:44 GMT
^Ah you're one of them! I was going to say was it one of those leg shakers, nearly always men for some reason, that I always seem to end up next to or opposite on the tube. I've tried it to see if there's any pleasure or comfort to be gained from it, but no. I don't get it and it's one of those things that really irks me (sorry backdrifter!). Would drive me crazy in a theatre.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2019 13:53:39 GMT
I used to be a leg jiggler but I've mellowed out over time. I've always assumed it was a stress thing, as I'm a more relaxed person generally than I used to be and also haven't been a leg jiggler for quite some years.
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Post by Backdrifter on Jan 15, 2019 13:58:40 GMT
^Ah you're one of them! I was going to say was it one of those leg shakers, nearly always men for some reason, that I always seem to end up next to or opposite on the tube. I've tried it to see if there's any pleasure or comfort to be gained from it, but no. I don't get it and it's one of those things that really irks me (sorry backdrifter!). Would drive me crazy in a theatre. No need to apologise, I totally accept how irritating it must be. I have a feeling you're right that it's almost exclusively a male thing. I love the image of you trying it to see if it's pleasurable - sitting there experimentally jiggling a leg, with a thoughtful expression that grows increasingly dismissive and ending with a shake of the head. I must reiterate I hardly ever do it now and I'm sure I don't in public! So hopefully I'm not and have never been one of your tube jigglers.
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Post by Backdrifter on Jan 15, 2019 14:06:00 GMT
The only repetitive physical thing I've ever been annoyed by in a theatre was about 10 years ago at the old Bush Theatre. A bloke about three rows ahead of me had a plastic pint of lager whch he'd more or less finished and put on the floor next to his aisle seat, but had his right hand dangled down to keep hold of the rim and kept raising and lowering it, making a continuous hollow plastic tap-tap-tap on the hard floor. Gaaah!
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Post by daisy24601 on Jan 15, 2019 15:02:34 GMT
^Ah you're one of them! I was going to say was it one of those leg shakers, nearly always men for some reason, that I always seem to end up next to or opposite on the tube. I've tried it to see if there's any pleasure or comfort to be gained from it, but no. I don't get it and it's one of those things that really irks me (sorry backdrifter!). Would drive me crazy in a theatre. No need to apologise, I totally accept how irritating it must be. I have a feeling you're right that it's almost exclusively a male thing. I love the image of you trying it to see if it's pleasurable - sitting there experimentally jiggling a leg, with a thoughtful expression that grows increasingly dismissive and ending with a shake of the head. I must reiterate I hardly ever do it now and I'm sure I don't in public! So hopefully I'm not and have never been one of your tube jigglers. It was probably something like that! Most of the people I see doing it look totally relaxed but for some reason they want to constantly shake their leg. A constant movement in the corner of the eye is so distracting, sometimes people eating repetitively in a theatre is annoying too. But they're allowed to eat so it's my problem.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 15, 2019 15:16:33 GMT
Just reflecting on my original post and something that happened last night* .... I've been binge watching the TV series Luther, it not registered as something that required my attention before now but, as of last Wednesday evening, I have been riveted to the telly through seasons 1 to 5 .... Although great bit of telly I've taken to shouting "NO! Don't open that / go in there" and "NO! Just go outside with your phone and call the coppers" etc as to each situation .... So maybe the shaky man had me on edge in case he was about to produce implement in which to skewer me ...
*I got Luther Season 5 episode 2 under my belt before bedtime, walk to kitchen door to let the dog sniff the night air and do what dogs doo-doo. As I reach for the key (have taken to locking all the doors even when in the house now too, a, ahem, recent occurrence, since, well, last Wednesday evening) something outside the door says bark bark bark, bark bark. I didn't freak out. Too much. Grab phone, turn all the lights on, make my dog bark (BARK YOU STUPID DOG BARK), check the front of the house and there's two big beautiful foxes trotting down the driveway.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2019 15:23:44 GMT
Man, I wish I had foxes trotting down the driveway. They mostly just wait until I'm about to go t bed then start screaming like they're being murdered round here. If it's not a couple of cats having a fight on the conservatory roof, RIGHT outside my bedroom window.....
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