4,799 posts
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Post by The Matthew on Jan 15, 2018 17:55:13 GMT
If "I know this one" is justification for singing along then heaven help any performance of Carousel.
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Post by profquatermass on Jan 15, 2018 20:47:00 GMT
I'm genuinely intrigued by some comments on this thread. On 4 or 5 occasions i've been near enough to someone with a mobile phone on to poke them and ask them to switch it off. In every case the phone has gone off with no problems. Was this the wrong thing to do?
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218 posts
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Post by Elle on Jan 15, 2018 22:14:08 GMT
profquatermass I don't think there is a wrong or right here and it comes down to personal choice. I don't say anything and just give the side eye, which is not very effective. To be honest I would be scared to get into a possible confrontation with a stranger and make things worse.
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821 posts
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Post by ensembleswings on Jan 16, 2018 18:37:19 GMT
profquatermass I wouldn't say it's the wrong thing to do, just not necessarily the best on every occasion. When I've previously asked people to turn their phones off/put them down most have, however some have kicked up a fuss saying I've 'got no right to tell them what to do' etc so now I'm more cautious when it comes to saying something and often only say something if glares don't work and nobody else around me will say anything.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2018 16:02:05 GMT
I’ve touched on this before, but there’s a special place in hell reserved for those that sit towards the aisle and simply widen their legs with half a forced smile indicating that’s all they’ll do to let you in to your seat. And then bring out the carrier bag of snacks 10minutes into the show and proceed to rummage through for the duration.
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334 posts
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Post by adrianics on Jan 17, 2018 16:43:29 GMT
Confronting strangers and pulling them up on their behaviour is a hell of a thing for some people, so I don't blame anyone who doesn't have the confidence to do it. It took me a long time to muster up the courage and even then, I just have to silence every instinct I have.
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1,253 posts
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 17, 2018 17:46:04 GMT
Did it a Miss Saigon a few years ago - guy in my row bang on centre front stalls (not front row, about row D or E), turned his phone on to check the time, then 5 minutes before the interval decided that was a time to scroll through Facebook. As people left for their ices or drinks I walked over and said to the young man "Was that your phone" - no, he pointed in a resigned fashion to the man sitting next to him - possibly his dad, and I said - and politely - it's really distracting. Oh, right, said the man, huffily, I only did it once. No, I said, you did it twice, it's really very distracting. It was once, he said and rolled his eyes. No, it was twice, you checked your phone and then you checked facebook, I said. That would have been enough if his wife, the other side of him, hadn't done a comedy "OooOooooOOo" and giggled ..
I really think I might not do it again ...
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4,631 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jan 17, 2018 18:34:46 GMT
Checking Facebook and the like on the phone is very annoying, as your eye is actually attracted to anything white, light or bright, so if a artist wants you to look at a particular part of a painting, he/she uses this technique, same as a lighting designing if the director requires you to look at a important point, they also do this.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2018 18:44:28 GMT
It's all very circumstantial- the person using the phone, the person you are, the setting etc.
Best case scenario- you politely say 'excuse me could you turn that off' they embarrassed say 'Yes I'm sorry and turn it off'
Not so great scenario- they start loudly arguing with you, get a bit shouty and aggressive, make the disturbance worse.
Worst case scenario, it all kicks off spectacularly, and you a less confidant person at the theatre alone, is a bit apprehensive about what might happen outside the show.
It all depends on personal levels of comfort and reading the situation- I for one am not about to approach a lairy group of pissed up Hen- Do types, because I know they'll all gang up and it's more trouble than it's worth. However, being a former teacher I've no bother deploying 'teacher voice' at a group of 'Yoofs' asking them to simmer down/turn off a phone.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 1:46:02 GMT
I’ve touched on this before, but there’s a special place in hell reserved for those that sit towards the aisle and simply widen their legs with half a forced smile indicating that’s all they’ll do to let you in to your seat. And then bring out the carrier bag of snacks 10minutes into the show and proceed to rummage through for the duration. One way to smuggle snacks in I guess, did she pop any ping pong balls out?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2018 9:33:00 GMT
Ah the cinema, I forget what a delight it is...group of loud teens at The Greatest Showman last night. I wasn't close enough to register anything other than constant talking and LOUD LOUD laughter that was clearly to do with their conversation not what was on screen. But on my way out I overheard another woman saying they were also singing along.
Also it was like Piccadilly circus in there with all the to and fro- Showman isn't exactly Gone with the Wind long, collectively can you not sit your arse still for 2 hours?
This is why I don't go to the cinema much...or at the weekend.
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Jan 20, 2018 10:10:19 GMT
Disruptive drunks at School of Rock last night. Stewards disturbed everyone on our row about six times (taking a bottle of wine from them, etc), before they finally asked them to leave. Considering an official complaint to the theatre as it really spoilt the first half of the show and could have been handled better.
The show was simply OK, nothing to rave about.
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1,663 posts
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Post by fiyero on Jan 20, 2018 11:47:05 GMT
That was definitely the case at Dick Whittington last Sunday, she checked with her husband before they sat down that he had checked them in and I saw her check that on her phone too before the performance started. Got her phone out at least 4 times. Death glares didn't work!
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894 posts
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Post by vdcni on Jan 20, 2018 12:07:28 GMT
At Network the other night a lady in the front row got up a few minutes before it was due to start and walked up the stairs on the right of the stage and spoke to one of the people in the restaurant area. She then came back down and told her family who were with her that they were indeed members of the public rather than actors.
She was quite elderly and somewhat unsteady on the stairs so I'm not sure how the ushers missed it!
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1,022 posts
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Post by andrew on Jan 27, 2018 14:20:14 GMT
I had a personal apocalypse at Beginning last night.
Very shortly after the play began, a woman behind me started to talk quite loudly to her partner. I turned around to glare as she was right behind me, and she was so engrossed in her conversation she didn't notice. I hit her on her knee and told her to be quiet, she said sorry. She wasn't sorry enough to refrain from doing it again however, but at least she kept it to quick exchanges that only mildly infuriated me each time. Someone in the row in front, around 5 or 6 seats along decided that every time there was audience laughter there could be a quick chat about something. Sometimes repeating the funny line. Or the funny word. A rational way to enjoy an intimate evening at the theatre.
Somewhere near the back row on both the extreme left and the extreme right were at least 2 people with bags of sweets. They were very crinkly bags, with what were definitely individually wrapped sweets which also crinkled as they were opened. They weren't soft, because I could hear them crunching as they were eaten. Both my ears got these intrusions at different points, by the 1 hour mark they seemed to have finished the bag, happily. They were too far away to deal with personally.
The woman two seats along from me (if you're reading this, you were sitting in J7, you awful person) did the classic, checking her phone. At first she had a good flick through her emails, and her husband non-verbally cued her to stop this. I feel sorry for him, being in a difficult relationship with a bad person such as this, particularly because she clearly doesn't listen to him, and would bring her phone out despite his protestations every so often to check the time. It's a one act play, time will move on whether you check it or not. Equally irksome is during the applause at the end, which isn't a Wicked-style 10 minute curtain call but a 60 second standard affair, she did two individual claps then just whapped her phone out and started flicking through her social media again. No I'm sure in this tiny venue the performers can't see you not giving a sh*t. Don't come to the theatre again please.
A woman in the front section of the circle also had her phone out for a bit. Behind her was someone who had a coughing fit, which I appreciate can't be helped. She eventually stood up to exit the circle, probably for a water and a chance to catch her breath, but decided after getting to the end of her row that she'd just go back in again, still coughing. Not sure why, thanks for the increased disturbance.
There was an usher present during the entire performance, a young man stationed at the stage right side about 3 quarters of the way back. These were just the infractions that were near me and frazzled me the most. He did nothing at any point. Thank you for all your help. As I said in the Beginning thread, I just couldn't get into the swing of the play because of all this stuff, and felt really isolated from the intimate performance that was going on down below. It was the worst audience I've ever sat in, bar none. I hate all of them. I hope their boilers all break and they take cold showers until Monday. I hope they go to the cinema next time instead.
Bah.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2018 15:32:09 GMT
A couple of weeks ago a friend came to the theatre with me (his first time). He's addicted to his phone, so I warned him: "I'll chop your balls off and make you eat them if you check your phone". It worked.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2018 19:10:41 GMT
I had a personal apocalypse at Beginning last night. Very shortly after the play began, a woman behind me started to talk quite loudly to her partner. I turned around to glare as she was right behind me, and she was so engrossed in her conversation she didn't notice. I hit her on her knee and told her to be quiet, she said sorry. She wasn't sorry enough to refrain from doing it again however, but at least she kept it to quick exchanges that only mildly infuriated me each time. Someone in the row in front, around 5 or 6 seats along decided that every time there was audience laughter there could be a quick chat about something. Sometimes repeating the funny line. Or the funny word. A rational way to enjoy an intimate evening at the theatre. Somewhere near the back row on both the extreme left and the extreme right were at least 2 people with bags of sweets. They were very crinkly bags, with what were definitely individually wrapped sweets which also crinkled as they were opened. They weren't soft, because I could hear them crunching as they were eaten. Both my ears got these intrusions at different points, by the 1 hour mark they seemed to have finished the bag, happily. They were too far away to deal with personally. The woman two seats along from me (if you're reading this, you were sitting in J7, you awful person) did the classic, checking her phone. At first she had a good flick through her emails, and her husband non-verbally cued her to stop this. I feel sorry for him, being in a difficult relationship with a bad person such as this, particularly because she clearly doesn't listen to him, and would bring her phone out despite his protestations every so often to check the time. It's a one act play, time will move on whether you check it or not. Equally irksome is during the applause at the end, which isn't a Wicked-style 10 minute curtain call but a 60 second standard affair, she did two individual claps then just whapped her phone out and started flicking through her social media again. No I'm sure in this tiny venue the performers can't see you not giving a sh*t. Don't come to the theatre again please. A woman in the front section of the circle also had her phone out for a bit. Behind her was someone who had a coughing fit, which I appreciate can't be helped. She eventually stood up to exit the circle, probably for a water and a chance to catch her breath, but decided after getting to the end of her row that she'd just go back in again, still coughing. Not sure why, thanks for the increased disturbance. There was an usher present during the entire performance, a young man stationed at the stage right side about 3 quarters of the way back. These were just the infractions that were near me and frazzled me the most. He did nothing at any point. Thank you for all your help. As I said in the Beginning thread, I just couldn't get into the swing of the play because of all this stuff, and felt really isolated from the intimate performance that was going on down below. It was the worst audience I've ever sat in, bar none. I hate all of them. I hope their boilers all break and they take cold showers until Monday. I hope they go to the cinema next time instead. Bah. Your curse ricocheted across the land and hit me, Andrew. My boiler has broken down and I do indeed have to take cold showers till Monday. I wasn’t even in that audience. Thanks a bunch.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Jan 27, 2018 19:47:41 GMT
Oh Andrew, you poor thing. Flipping hell, I felt queasy just reading that.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2018 8:54:35 GMT
I hope their boilers all break and they take cold showers until Monday. I hope they go to the cinema next time instead. Bah. Jeez, Andrew....could you please undo the curse! I have now woken up to discover a full blown powercut in my street. I can only surmise that some of the offenders you described live in my area.
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2,382 posts
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Post by robertb213 on Jan 28, 2018 12:24:30 GMT
Blimey, Andrew is a dark wizard! No-one else annoy him... 😉
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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 28, 2018 12:51:43 GMT
Apparently at Mary Stuart the other night somebody's phone started playing a podcast very loudly towards the end of the play.
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1,253 posts
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 29, 2018 17:17:21 GMT
The woman two seats along from me (if you're reading this, you were sitting in J7, you awful person) did the classic, checking her phone. At first she had a good flick through her emails, and her husband non-verbally cued her to stop this. I feel sorry for him, being in a difficult relationship with a bad person such as this, particularly because she clearly doesn't listen to him, and would bring her phone out despite his protestations every so often to check the time. It's a one act play, time will move on whether you check it or not. Equally irksome is during the applause at the end, which isn't a Wicked-style 10 minute curtain call but a 60 second standard affair, she did two individual claps then just whapped her phone out and started flicking through her social media again. No I'm sure in this tiny venue the performers can't see you not giving a sh*t. Don't come to the theatre again please. I had something along those lines years and years ago, before mobiles ... Elderly couple next to me at She Loves Me with Ruthie Henshall and John Gordon Sinclair which was at The Savoy in 1994 ( bloody hell, 24 years and it still rankles) - the woman next to me kept playing with her beaded bracelet, very loudly and very deliberately. This was the arm closest to me and the noise was absolutely appalling, my subtle and not-so subtle glances to glares meant nothing to her, but her gentleman companion did lean in and whisper in her ear, to which she spat at him in a loud and aggressive manner "well you made me come"! She flounced off at the interval - I did hope she wouldn't return but she did, and was a little better behaved, but the venom in her voice shook me. For goodness sake, it's a lovely theatre, it's a lovely production, what's the hate for?? I hope he dumped her ...
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Jan 31, 2018 9:30:25 GMT
This tweet amused me.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2018 22:10:01 GMT
I had something along those lines years and years ago, before mobiles ... Elderly couple next to me at She Loves Me with Ruthie Henshall and John Gordon Sinclair which was at The Savoy in 1994 ( bloody hell, 24 years and it still rankles) - the woman next to me kept playing with her beaded bracelet, very loudly and very deliberately. This was the arm closest to me and the noise was absolutely appalling, my subtle and not-so subtle glances to glares meant nothing to her, but her gentleman companion did lean in and whisper in her ear, to which she spat at him in a loud and aggressive manner "well you made me come"! She flounced off at the interval - I did hope she wouldn't return but she did, and was a little better behaved, but the venom in her voice shook me. For goodness sake, it's a lovely theatre, it's a lovely production, what's the hate for?? I hope he dumped her ... ... or at least strangled her with the matching necklace!
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Feb 3, 2018 12:25:12 GMT
At Matilda the other night, my boyfriend and I were sat next to two girls, I'd guess about 11 and 13 (I'm rubbish with kids' ages). At several points throughout the show, they were chatting to each other, and I was occasionally getting frustrated with it...
...but I realised that everything they were saying was about the show. And most of it was them being really wrapped up in it 'wow, did you see that' 'look at the one at the back' 'that's so cool', as well as the occasional time the younger one not getting something, and asking her sister to explain/repeat. It was a bit annoying for me, but I didn't have the heart to ask them to be quiet, it was just so good to see kids really enjoying and engaging in theatre, and the last thing I wanted to do was to be the grumpy adult who puts them off theatre for years.
On the other hand, I'm sure when I was a kid I was taught to appreciate quietly, and if I missed something, tough, I'd have to wait.
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