Bad Behaviour at a Show

I had this at Titanic last weekend.  Booked early without knowing the stage would be quite so high I got front row, seat C6.  Sat quietly, man and woman came in and said to me I was in the wrong seat.  Politely I reply, no, I'm in the right seat. They look at each other in a "well how dare she" - woman says right, I'm going to find a member of staff, man says yes I think you should! (oh, he added this needs to be sorted out quickly as I can't stand for very long, leaning against the stage and giving me the stink eye). I get my ticket out, turn to the patron behind me and ask if he's got good eyesight to read in the dim theatre light - yes, I'm C6, they are C5 and 4.  The man and I sit down, he apologises and hands me a badge he's made from the production poster as an apology.  Oh-kay, I say ..

Woman comes back in high dudgeon with member of staff, man waves her to the seat next to him saying it's Ok, it's Ok.  How is it Ok demands woman.  Because these are your seats, love!

Jeez.
 

I think you misspelled "husband".

Lots of mid-show chatting at Show Boat last night from people of a certain age who should know better, but wouldn't hear if you if you said otherwise.

Also a chap in the centre stalls who phone went off, but who apparently refused to acknowledge it was his!

For this thread only there should be a thumbs down button rather than the like ...

I agree, it doesn't matter what you wear as long as you're complying with general decency! For me it varies depending on where I've been/where I'm going/time of year etc. Sometimes I like to dress up, but often I've either been travelling/out all day (in London) or coming from something else so it's not practical. And what you wear has no bearing on whether you behave like a good audience member or not.


*I will however make an exception to this for 'anybody wearing a feather boa' as there is evidence to suggest this does incite some kind of rowdy behviour.

I think on a small scale like that it's not the end of the world. I've been to see actors I know (again small scale) and found things they've done really a lot more amusing than I normally would have,because I know them. But I think a bit of the giggles isn't too disruptive! but otherwise yes, that person talking loudly about the person they know in the show...ugh.

I was also playing Pokemon Go at Curious Incident, but only before and after! Someone in the aisle near me was playing during intermission, but luckily she stopped by the start of Act 2.

Personally I enjoy learning that Hamlet killed Claudius by stabbing him in the arras.
Short play?

I like dressing up for press nights. Feels fun!

Have only been a lurker here recently, but felt it was my duty to post in this thread as I've been to the theatre a lot this summer (a lot more than I do usually) and have witnessed a fair bit of bad behaviour.

At Billy Elliot in Cardiff last month, a couple came into the side balcony where I was sitting and sat in the two seats behind me. They then started to loudly complain that they couldn't see anything and the tickets they'd bought were a waste of money (even though it said explicitly on the tickets that the seats were restricted view) and wanted to sit somewhere else. They then moved out of their seats and plonked themselves down in the seats in front of me that other people had paid for. The woman turned to me and said with a smug smile, "I don't think there's anybody sitting here". A family group came in a few minutes later and they promptly shifted and left the balcony, I presume to complain to the box office and demand better seats (even though the show was close to sold out).

At Show Boat, a man sat beside me proceeded to sing along (very loudly) to every song he knew, directly in my ear. He was talking to his friend next to him about the different shows they'd seen in the past in the West End, which floored me considering he was quite the theatregoer yet didn't know the rule about singing along.

Guys and Dolls on the 11th; couple next to me start making loud comments during the show about the actors (such as "He was in so-and-so on TV" or "He looks handsome, doesn't he" when Ollie Tompsett came on stage). During the interval, the woman got up and started to loudly complain about people being on their phones in the interval (I had mine out to check the time and to text a friend who wanted to know how Rebel Wilson was; I had it off during the show of course). I thought, "You'd rather them use their phones during the show, would you?"

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Cardiff - woman in the row in front of me began to scream, wave her arms around and whoop at Lee Mead when he came on stage. Also started dancing in her seat during the upbeat numbers, blocking the view of the people behind her.

Yes! I also enjoy getting a chance to wear heels and a dress to a 'posh' night out sometimes! (as long as I don't have to walk far...)

This flashed me back to She Loves Me.

Entrance applause for Jane Krakowski. "Who is that?" "Jane Krakowski." "What's she been in?"

AND SO ON.