Bad Behaviour at a Show

There's a comment on the theatres Facebook page (can't cut and past from the doings I'm tapping on). Says 3 patrons asked for screaming baby to be removed, nothing about her breastfeeding which they are fine with.

I have a 'friend' on Facebook who is in regular contact with an agency that works on non stories like these, the stuff that's found in magazines of a certain genre, "my husband slept with my sister and my mum", sort of stuff. They get the stories and sell them on to whatever publication will buy it.

Slow news day

The ginger gene runs strong! Adorable baby but keep them out of theatres please.

I've had quite a lot of small children and babies at shows this week (the children well-behaved, the babies unsurprisingly noisy). These were shows that aren't engaging for small children - it's kids week/month isn't it, so cheaper than a babysitter?!

Goodness. What are all these people doing, taking children to the theatre nowadays? Shouldn't they be, oh I don't know, up chimneys or down mines or something?

What *is* the world coming to?

Perhaps you're misunderstanding it, and the baby changing facilities are there so if you find your kid doesn't know how to act in public you can trade it in for one that's better behaved.

Our first time at The Woman in Black, we had back of the stalls seats on the right. The rest of the audience seemed to be school classes - probably 14-16 - lots of preshow giggling in anticipation - lots of teasing by boys to get "scares" out of the girls. So, when the first real scare happens in the show, there were real screams and then lots of nervous laughter. The ushers ran up and down the aisles loudly exclaiming "Shhhh! Shhhh! Shhhh!" instead of letting the audience react to the play they were seeing. The screaming and nervous laughter was not distracting - it was part of the experience. Indeed, the ushers were more distracting than the school kids! But, the ushers were determined to keep the school group(s) quiet and continued the shushing throughout Act One.

You'll make an excellent Papa Bear, having figured out the basics of child rearing already. 😉

Once they are 2 or 3, they can graduate to YouTube on a tablet...

The issue of turning up on the wrong night is more prevalent than you might think! As is an inability for some folk to find the correct row betwenn A-Z or seats from 1-35! How do these people manage to live in the world? Finding their way to work must be very challenging and then having to find their way home again!!!

We had that at Memphis; a group walked up to us and, without even giving us a chance to check, said "you're in our seats so you need to leave and find your actual seats". I said "no, we're in the right seats" and when they eventually checked, we found that they were in Stalls row CC and not row C... Their faces when they found out they weren't at the front!

Shame it wasn't 'Alive! The Musical.'

I have been both intrigued and horrified to read these behavioural stories - it's something that makes me so mad at the theatre and I have registered to tell this story.

I was recently at a show at the Barbican in which Guildhall music composition students had written for short, 1930s 'special effects' (of the day!) films.  The audience would have consisted of friends and relatives of Guildhall students and anyone interested in the very niche theme or time period of the films being shown.  The composition student-writers were either performing their own pieces live or had enlisted other student musicians to do so for them.

The woman directly behind me (maybe early twenties) removed her shoes and placed her bare feet up on the top of the seat to my right, which was vacant.  Her feet were literally next to my ear.  After a couple of looks at her, which produced evil stares back, I moved past my husband on my left (the end of the row) and into the seat in front of him.  There was an audible "Oh good!" from behind and the woman actually moved her vile, stinky feet to the top of the seat I'd vacated so they were now right next to my husband's face.  I just do not understand how some people have absolutely no care whatsoever for those around them.

Rant over.  And I should add that I have been to several London shows recently and have been amazed at the impeccable behaviour of the audiences.  Long may it last!

In my experience, friends and family are THE WORST people to have in an audience. Not all of them, obviously, as many people who are friendly with or related to performers are able to sit and watch the show respectfully. But SOME people who are friends and family are far more likely to overreact when their friend/relative is on stage (taking photos, giggling, pointing, waving, chattering), and far more likely to zone out entirely when their friend/relative isn't on stage (giggling and chattering may apply here too). And some of THOSE are even worse than the otherwise well-meaning chatterers, because they feel like their friendship or relatedness gives them leeway to behave as though they are at home in their own living room as well. So given the choice, I'd run a MILE from an audience that promised to be mostly friends and family. Otherwise you can end up with stinky feet in your ear.