27 posts
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Post by barricadegirl86 on Aug 22, 2016 7:42:10 GMT
What is with the number of babies at the theatre lately? and parents who don't seem to give a damn that it's disruptive and really not appropriate to most shows they're at? I know that some people treat the Globe as a bit of a 'theme park attraction' more than a theatre, but why would you want to stand and hold your baby for the duration of Macbeth is beyond me... There seems to be a 'trend' nowadays for people to prove how adaptable their babies are by refusing to change their lifestyles to accommodate them, taking them on holidays abroad within a few weeks of giving birth, letting them cry all evening in restaurants, taking them to the theatre, etc, which is all documented on social media (I'm sure they'll be boasting once Junior is at pre-school, that he went to his first Shakespeare play when he was a few hours old!). Unfortunately the children never learn how to be considerate of others in a theatre as their parents never show them how. I missed out on over five years' worth of West End shows when mine were little due to lack of opportunity/lack of money, have now worked my way through The Gruffalo, The Tiger That Came To Tea, etc and my kids are now old enough to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. But they are taught how to behave. (Grandparents, however, are a law unto themselves!) |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 7:47:47 GMT
What is with the number of babies at the theatre lately? and parents who don't seem to give a damn that it's disruptive and really not appropriate to most shows they're at? I know that some people treat the Globe as a bit of a 'theme park attraction' more than a theatre, but why would you want to stand and hold your baby for the duration of Macbeth is beyond me... There seems to be a 'trend' nowadays for people to prove how adaptable their babies are by refusing to change their lifestyles to accommodate them, taking them on holidays abroad within a few weeks of giving birth, letting them cry all evening in restaurants, taking them to the theatre, etc, which is all documented on social media (I'm sure they'll be boasting once Junior is at pre-school, that he went to his first Shakespeare play when he was a few hours old!). Unfortunately the children never learn how to be considerate of others in a theatre as their parents never show them how. I missed out on over five years' worth of West End shows when mine were little due to lack of opportunity/lack of money, have now worked my way through The Gruffalo, The Tiger That Came To Tea, etc and my kids are now old enough to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. But they are taught how to behave. (Grandparents, however, are a law unto themselves!) Yup! and a culture of 'HOW DARE YOU' if anyone comments as well. I'm all for creating family friendly envirnoments in places that it's appropriate! Places like coffee shops, lunchtime in resturants even family style pubs, I want people to be able to bring their kids out, women to be able to breastfeed etc. BUT also for there to be recognition that some places/times aren't family friendly and that's ok! I'm also all for kids in the theatre, but at kid shows! That way when they're really little they don't have to behave 'properly' because it's expected they'll be, well kids. And then later they can 'graduate' to the kind of kid show that involves sitting and being quiet, when they're old enough to know how to do that. But of course, someone like me, without kids isn't allowed an opinion on such things  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 9:25:53 GMT
I've been at performances with babies, young children, older children, school groups, and I never find the kids anywhere near as disruptive as the parents who think they need to constantly explain everything to their child who is quietly watching the show, or the people who think it's their job to police the behaviour of the entirely well-behaved school group they happen to be sitting near, or the (not all but some) older people who don't realise that their constant little asides to their partner are coming out at normal conversational volume.
I mean, I'm not saying "hey guys, bring your babies in", 'cos it's not fair on the babies to do so and the potential for serious disruption is there, but I would blame any ensuing disruption on the entitled attitudes of the parents, and not the babies themselves. If you can't leave your babies at home, then you can't go to the theatre. Your life IS going to change when you have a baby and if you can't accept that, then please be aware that having a baby is by no means compulsory.
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Post by Ruby Sue on Aug 22, 2016 10:00:45 GMT
I think we have discussed this before but what do we think about someone coming down in the interval from the gods to the front stalls having spotted an empty seat? I wouldn't have noticed but she very loudly asked the poor American tourist next to her if he minded and oh dear she couldn't hear from where she was and she left her husband up there and didn't tell him she had come down but then he knew her and what films had he seen. A credit to him he was very polite. She rattled on all through the interval. And then did the thing American visitors must all suffer- she asked him and his companion if they had enjoyed it. Good job she wasn't next to me. this was at RSC tonight This happened to me at the Donmar once when 3 standers at the back thought it would be a good idea to squeeze into 2 empty seats in our row. They did ask the woman at the end of the aisle if it was OK but am guessing being that she was on the end she could actually manoeuvre herself so she didn't have to endure someone's butt cheek practically in their lap for the entire second half!! |
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Post by Nelly on Aug 22, 2016 12:11:58 GMT
My favourite however, has to be the slightly deaf lady with the broad South Wales accent shouting at her equally deaf companion "NOOO she's a prostitute!!" mid scene. Not in a theatre, but my all-time favourite overhear, in the street, Daughter: "I thought he looked well and seemed happier." Mother: "It was the drugs." How I WISH I knew the rest of it. I had a fantastic one a few years ago when a German couple were sitting behind me at Wicked. When the penny dropped for them after a plot twist reveal you audibly heard the wife say to her husband: {Spoiler - click to view}"Ahhhhh der Wizard ist der vater" (The wizard is the father).
Then at JCS the other night the lady next to me said, when Jesus was just chilling on the cross: "Aww poor Jesus"  |
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19 posts
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Post by ailsmal on Aug 26, 2016 18:56:57 GMT
I don't know how related this is. I went to two shows yesterday; Rehearsal for Murder at the Royal in Glasgow and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. At Rehearsal for Murder no particular behaviour stuck out, just the usual rustling of sweetie papers and one old codger chatting every now and again........the Tattoo? I was not ready for that. As the Tattoo is held outside and doesn't have an interval during the 2 hour running time I was expecting hell on earth. I was sat on an aisle seat and didn't have to move once. I figured people would be in and out for hot food/drinks and as a result the toilet.......I barely saw a soul move. People can't keep quiet and still for one act in a theatre (let's say 1 hour maximum for arguments sake), let alone 2+ hours. What's that about?!
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889 posts
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Post by longinthetooth on Aug 26, 2016 20:10:06 GMT
Back on the baby theme, I noticed this tweet to Lee Mead from someone who went to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang:
"What a fantastic show, we also had our 5 day old son with us. (He arrived 3 weeks early) he slept through it all xxx"
Oh well, that's ok then! Seriously, who in their right mind would take a 5 day old baby! And the staff let them in!
And my favourite overheard convo (or part of) in the street:
"And that's when I called the police!"
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163 posts
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Post by Scots UK Theatre on Aug 27, 2016 19:18:32 GMT
Worked at that Tattoo about 8 years ago. The Military police who are in charge of policing the event can be bloody scary.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 21:54:08 GMT
Today at Aladdin, the guy sitting next to me kept checking his phone every 5 minutes. So distracting!
Then he recorded A Whole New World and played it by accident.
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2,062 posts
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Post by Marwood on Aug 29, 2016 23:06:16 GMT
No Man's Land at the Theatre Royal in Brighton on Friday - I had a ticket for B6 - I get in the theatre and there's a couple sitting there, the man in my seat - 'excuse me - I'm B6 and you're in my seat' - to which i get in response 'oh we're B4 and 5' like I'm an interloper - I really didn't want to shout out 'CAN'T YOU ****ING COUNT?' in front of a packed house but I really had to bite my lip, after showing my ticket to both of them numerous times, they finally moved without anything approaching an apology. Is this the done thing these days - do you just decide 'hmmm, that seat looks better than the one we paid for' and just sit in it and if anyone says anything, try to make feel that they should feel ashamed?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2016 8:00:20 GMT
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18 posts
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Post by patterdalepip on Aug 31, 2016 6:44:42 GMT
Monday night at The Truth. Three women in their twenties arrive just in time for the curtain up and then proceed to pass various bags of haribo back and forwards amongst themselves. The rustling was unbearable. The people sat on each side of them had to ask on more than one occasion for them to stop as it was very noisy. Queue lots of comments from them about how rude, I only want to eat my sweets. old bat etc.
Perhaps they would have been better off going to a film to eat their sweets! Can they really not last 90 minutes without the need to stuff their face?? I had two girls sat along side me with drinks in cups with straws who were determined to get every last drop out by slurping loudly and then continually removing the plastic lids to see if there was any more left.
Good job the play was worth seeing!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 6:59:36 GMT
But just as noisy/distracting in a film... Why not sit in a park eating sweets? Why must we equate theatre/cinema going nowadays with eating a large bag of sweets?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 7:26:01 GMT
When I was a kid, the cinema (read The ABC minors) used to mean a pomegranate and a pin. Much quieter and they lasted much longer.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 10:35:07 GMT
But just as noisy/distracting in a film... Why not sit in a park eating sweets? Why must we equate theatre/cinema going nowadays with eating a large bag of sweets? But at least the film has usually been cranked up to an unnecessarily high volume, and the actors are completely unaware of our wrongdoings. Theatre actors are all too aware of our rustling noises, and not all of them are sufficiently trained to project more loudly than the sweet packet. I mean, I agree you shouldn't be noisy and distracting in any place where other audience members would rather listen to the performers than your sweet wrapper, but I'm more forgiving of reasonable munchings during a film than a play.  |
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11 posts
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Post by arlette on Aug 31, 2016 12:17:12 GMT
I almost always end up sitting next to loud people. Whether there talking to each other or one is laughing obnoxiously loud. I mean laughing is oke but they always have the weirdest laughs. It probably is not bad behaviour but it annoys me to no end.
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on Aug 31, 2016 12:18:18 GMT
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11 posts
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Post by arlette on Aug 31, 2016 12:21:06 GMT
Thank you so much, Michael!  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 12:23:31 GMT
Last night at No Man's Land in Cardiff the man in front of me was a constant head mover. At first I thought he was genuinely trying to see around someone, but the woman in front was a lot shorter and not moving. He didn't stay still for more than 10 seconds at a time, and being considerably taller than me was constantly blocking my view. Sigh.
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19,799 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 31, 2016 13:32:24 GMT
Last night at Sister Act (oh dear!) two Alexandra Burke obsessives (male, like you didn't already guess) laughed like donkeys at every line, but worse than that also haw-hawed very loudly every time she made a facial expression a hand movement or did anything physical. Then there was the whooping at the end of the applause for every song. You know the whoop I mean, it's the one made just after everyone else has stopped clapping and is ready to continue listening. Attention seeking deluxe.
As we were leaving my friend said "I'm surprised you didn't say something to them". But what can you say? "Stop enjoying it so much!"?
I do hope they enjoyed wringing every last bit of value out of seeing their idol.
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19,799 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 31, 2016 13:34:04 GMT
Queue lots of comments from them about how rude, I only want to eat my sweets. old bat etc. I actually LOL'd at that  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 13:56:15 GMT
I once sat in front of someone like that at a musical. I turned to say something to her at the interval - perhaps a gentle "it's lovely that you're enjoying yourself, but it's a little distracting, could you please turn it down a notch so we can all hear the performers better?" - when she turned to her companion and burbled excitedly, "EVERYONE KEEPS STARING AT ME, I FEEL LIKE I'M FAMOUS!". I wasn't sure polite reason would get through such a staggering level of narcissism and lack of self-awareness (also she escaped to the foyer while I stood gobsmacked) so alas the moment passed.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 14:47:30 GMT
But just as noisy/distracting in a film... Why not sit in a park eating sweets? Why must we equate theatre/cinema going nowadays with eating a large bag of sweets? But at least the film has usually been cranked up to an unnecessarily high volume, and the actors are completely unaware of our wrongdoings. Theatre actors are all too aware of our rustling noises, and not all of them are sufficiently trained to project more loudly than the sweet packet. I mean, I agree you shouldn't be noisy and distracting in any place where other audience members would rather listen to the performers than your sweet wrapper, but I'm more forgiving of reasonable munchings during a film than a play. Well I'm not. Unlike you, I can hear the scrunching of sweet packets above the sound of films I have been to see over the past few years. And it has certainly spoilt my enjoyment... And the sound in theatres too has been cranked up enormously in recent years to cover the noise created by modern audiences. (firefingers recently posted an interesting piece on this subject in another thread.) |
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19,799 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 31, 2016 14:56:01 GMT
I think all hope was lost in cinemas when those trays of nachos were introduced. Covered in that rank, stinking "cheese" sauce and peppers, who in their right mind would want to negotiate that along with a bucket of cola in the dark?
Absolutely VILE.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 15:25:03 GMT
I don't think I've ever sat near someone eating nachos. Perhaps the type of people who buy nachos don't see the sort of films I like, or perhaps everyone realises that just about everything is more edible than nachos, including the seating and other members of the audience.
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