Bad Behaviour at a Show

I'm sure you speak as you find, Phantom, but as I invariably attend matinees at Chichester and have never noticed this issue (and my nose is certainly sensitive to offensive odours - "perfume" being a regular one at the theatre), I am surprised and concerned.  Did you mention it to the Box Office staff afterwards so they could check the seat?

I'm not sure, Phantom, how anyone was to know that you were joking. Nor, as a senior member of this board in the other sense, why my genuine concern should meet with the advice that I calm down.

The jokes on this Board are usually better than this, wickedgrin.

I'm more of a lurker than a poster here but I felt compelled to write about this! 

Last week at Jesus Christ Superstar in Regents Park there was a man, front row, dead centre who took photos of the cast as they came into the production and then proceeded to film the opening number on his iPad, holding it up in front of him, also letting the child next to him film it on her phone. One of the staff did come running down at the end of the first act and told him to stop. He did stop but the slight drizzle a bit later was the only thing that made him put it away completely. 

Similarly, at Les Mis a few weeks ago there was a woman in the stalls taking flash photos of the curtain and theatre in general, which is not so bad, but they did the announcement about no photography and videos and what do we see about three seconds later? A camera flash, from the same woman. 

Another lurker here. The worst in recent memory that I've witnessed was Wicked at the Edinburgh Playhouse a couple of years ago. A large group of women came in just before curtain up and seemed to be completely flummoxed about which seats were theirs - I always thought the letter and number on the ticket were a clue - unfortunately this was not the end. During both acts they were in and out constantly for booze and snacks and, as a consequence of the booze, the toilet. A few decided to kick off their shoes and stretch out their legs so that their bare feet were about three steps down (they were seated centre of the back row). They kept nattering and halfway through the second half one of them came out with a belter; "I can't keep track of what's going on, I never had this problem with The King & I". Talking to your mate through all the songs and dialogue will cause that problem. What also struck me about that comment (and is really a separate debate) is the issue of films being staged and vice versa. Obviously this behaviour wasn't an issue in 'The King & I,' because they knew the story from the film, so could pick up on the story between wanderings. It's great that more people are going to the theatre, but it just seems they are treating live shows like the cinema (I won't go to the cinema now because of the behaviour).

A kind of funny one from many years ago.....I went to see The Comedy of Errors starring David Tennant at the Barbican (RSC) and someone next to me kept falling asleep during the first Act, they would bang their head LOUDLY on the wall behind and then start snoring. It really should have been more annoying than it was, however every time they started snoring the person on their other side (who clearly wasn't with the snorer) would elbow them really hard and they would rocket out of their seat - the snorer didn't come back after the interval. I have to add that the snorer first fell asleep within five minutes of curtain up, so it wasn't a reflection on the show - it was brilliant.

There was a bit of a hen party behind us at Funny Girl last weekend, a brief bit of commentary to open Act 2 but a quick glare shut them up.

I'm a big fan of the glare, shuts people up immediately; I do think most people genuinely don't know that they're disturbing others and quickly stop once they find out that they are.

Sounds similar to my experience here - theatreboard.co.uk/post/41175/thread - perhaps the rules don't apply if you are important / rich enough.

Pooch-ini?

  I sat next to a extremely fidgety person on one of these seats - bounced throughout the entire show.

During the Cymbeline matinee at the RSC on Saturday, someone's mobile phone rang in the middle of the scene where Iachimo is sneaking into Innogen's bedroom. It was quite funny though as Iachimo made a wild gesture towards the offender, as if the phone was about to wake Innogen up!

Guys and Dolls yesterday at The Phoenix - Woman insisting on taking photos of the show on her phone, lighting up everything around her - even when spoken to by the ushers. Soon stopped when both myself and the woman behind her told her to pack it in. Her response - 'What's it to do with you?' After explaining that everytime she got her phone out she distracted everyone around her, it was being rude and disrespectful and that she wasn't 5 and therefore should be able to follow basic instructions' She soon stopped!!

Honestly what is wrong with some people!

Last weekend the woman next to me took her shoes off and propped her bare feet up on the back of the seat in front, inches away from my knees. They were not pretty feet either, far from it. Not that any stranger's sweaty feet are my idea of pretty.