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Post by ptwest on Sept 12, 2016 14:52:20 GMT
At "Mary Poppins" at Newcastle on Saturday night. Two women come in from the interval after the lights have gone down, making everyone move. One has large leather shopping bag full of stuff and sits down next to me. Spends the first 5 minutes of the second half rustling around looking for something. Clearly whatever she was looking for was right at the bottom and is hard to find in the darkness. I'm showing my age here but she reminded me of Nanny from Count Duckula and the way she would produce all sorts from her bag! Pulls out a drink. She cant put the straw in so then asks her friend to do it for her. Has a quick chat with her friend, then starts again. By this time kites are being flown on stage and she finally finds the bag on minstrels she was looking for. Rather than simply hand the packet to her friend, we had a rather loud "do you want a minstrel?" at which point my patience snapped. She was quiet after that!
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Post by Dawnstar on Sept 14, 2016 19:36:57 GMT
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Post by 49thand8th on Sept 14, 2016 21:30:22 GMT
Well, it's an improvement, I suppose. Speaking for myself, sometimes I run to a show immediately after work and don't have time to eat much of anything -- though I try to in the last hour at my desk. Not that I eat during a show often at all, but if it's a loud show, I might sneak something small during applause. (Usually during the intermission, though.) If people are in the same situation but want to buy something, you may as well offer them something relatively quiet.
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Post by bjorne on Sept 15, 2016 0:38:27 GMT
In many countries they would come at you and ask you to put your food away or even throw you out if they see you eat something... and in those countries nobody is dead for a couple of hours without food in a theatre yet. |
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Post by lynette on Sept 15, 2016 8:54:29 GMT
Def sweets in silent bags would be good and drinks maybe in some kind of silent container.
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Post by ctas on Sept 15, 2016 9:12:09 GMT
You know when someone leans so far forwards they're blocking the view of a handful of people in the next two rows. I asked politely to not lean so much in the next act so the five or six of us could see some of the stage but was ignored when it came to act two. Fostered some nice nosebleed seat solidarity with those of us who heard the play instead of seeing it! Think before you lean!
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Post by Ruby Sue on Sept 15, 2016 9:22:29 GMT
You know when someone leans so far forwards they're blocking the view of a handful of people in the next two rows. I asked politely to not lean so much in the next act so the five or six of us could see some of the stage but was ignored when it came to act two. Fostered some nice nosebleed seat solidarity with those of us who heard the play instead of seeing it! Think before you lean! A pet peeve of mine is when people in the front row of the circle lean forward, not realising they're blocking the view of everyone behind them. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 9:26:12 GMT
And you ask them to sit back, and they say "but then I can't see all of the stage!". Yes, and you will notice that your upper circle ticket didn't cost as much as say a stalls ticket where they *can* see all of the stage. Your inability to understand that lower costs come at a price does not mean that all the people behind you should miss out. If you want to lean forward, book the back row where you won't block anyone. If there's anyone behind you, then you don't get to lean!
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Post by freckles on Sept 15, 2016 10:09:27 GMT
Lots of leaning going on in the upper circle of Matilda yesterday matinee, and a particularly badly behaved audience. The large school party was exemplary but some of the adults...
One group on the back row were drinking copiously throughout,whispering loudly and left the auditorium several times during the show to get more drinks and inevitably visit the loo. Another lady disturbed a whole row mid way through Act One to go to the bar. Why on earth does the bar serve these people; they all returned with drinks? I think we'd all have had a nicer time if they'd just stayed in the pub.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 11:23:00 GMT
You know when someone leans so far forwards they're blocking the view of a handful of people in the next two rows. I asked politely to not lean so much in the next act so the five or six of us could see some of the stage but was ignored when it came to act two. Fostered some nice nosebleed seat solidarity with those of us who heard the play instead of seeing it! Think before you lean! You should have pushed them over. They'd have thought twice then. |
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Post by ctas on Sept 15, 2016 11:35:13 GMT
hmm, maybe not since I was in the balcony at the Palace!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 11:45:10 GMT
hmm, maybe not since I was in the balcony at the Palace! They'd still think twice about leaning . . .  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 11:57:31 GMT
Only if they survived the mighty drop!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 11:59:21 GMT
Only if they survived the mighty drop! Details details . . . . |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 12:05:44 GMT
And you ask them to sit back, and they say "but then I can't see all of the stage!". Yes, and you will notice that your upper circle ticket didn't cost as much as say a stalls ticket where they *can* see all of the stage. Your inability to understand that lower costs come at a price does not mean that all the people behind you should miss out. If you want to lean forward, book the back row where you won't block anyone. If there's anyone behind you, then you don't get to lean! Try sitting in a high priced stalls seat, can't remember exactly where now but not far off the centre, at the Prince of Wales. Spent a lot of the time looking at the back of someone's head for Book of Mormon. Appalling sightlines. Took it up with the House Manager afterwards. Waste of time. High cost tickets don't always give a great, unobscured view in my experience... |
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Post by Michael on Sept 15, 2016 12:13:52 GMT
If only these high priced seats guaranteed at least an impeccable audience behaviour of those around you...
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Post by loureviews on Sept 15, 2016 20:23:50 GMT
And you ask them to sit back, and they say "but then I can't see all of the stage!". Yes, and you will notice that your upper circle ticket didn't cost as much as say a stalls ticket where they *can* see all of the stage. Your inability to understand that lower costs come at a price does not mean that all the people behind you should miss out. If you want to lean forward, book the back row where you won't block anyone. If there's anyone behind you, then you don't get to lean! Happened at the National at Threepenny Opera. No need to lean there. |
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Post by CG on the loose on Sept 16, 2016 0:38:27 GMT
Only if they survived the mighty drop! Speaking of which... small boy (7ish?) climbed from one box to another (empty) box mid-show at the Birmingham Hippodrome the other night. Not sure at which point the sole accompanying parent noticed what he was doing, didn't actually see her move at all. Presumably she remonstrated verbally, as he fairly rapidly left second box and returned to original box via the doors. Frightened the bejeezus out of me! |
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Post by Phantom of London on Sept 16, 2016 11:35:32 GMT
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Post by Marwood on Sept 16, 2016 12:13:27 GMT
Those snacks look totally disgusting, I'm sure theatres will charge a ridiculous amount for them and try to make them out to be some kind of artisinal designer snack, and in the process make even more people smuggle in food from the nearest Tesco/Sainsburys/Poundland than before.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2016 12:28:43 GMT
At Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in the middle of the second act, a young boy politely made his way back towards his seat along the row in front of mine. Except, as he got nearer to the middle of the row, the realisation gradually dawned on him that his family and his seat were nowhere to be seen. So, he progressed more and more slowly, then stood puzzled for a while, then turned round, and began to go back. But a lovely mum in the middle of the row quietly called to him, quickly asked him what had happened, and then calmly and with no fuss accompanied him back to the aisle, and I presume either to his actual seat location or to an usher. I was so impressed with her because I wouldn't have known straightaway what to do, but she did exactly the right thing.
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Post by d'James on Sept 16, 2016 13:15:01 GMT
Awww. Poor thing. Good on her for helping.
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Post by CG on the loose on Sept 16, 2016 13:54:48 GMT
But, but, those Hippodrome boxes are about 20ft above the stalls, aren't they???!!!! Actually, I'm amazed the staff didn't politely suggest the entire party leave. If I was FOH manager, I'd have done so for sure. They are, and the front of the box curves back to the wall between boxes, so it wasn't a case of simply climbing over a dividing wall between the two! I don't think any staff saw it happen - I told a member of the FOH team at the interval and I believe words were had. At any rate, Mum held tight to boy throughout Act 2. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2016 14:29:13 GMT
Good lord, I'm nervous just imagining it. I don't doubt the boy's agility, but I do doubt the ability of a theatre box to not fall apart or prove unexpectedly slippery, or a fellow audience member not to shriek and completely throw the boy off his stride. *shivers*
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2016 18:01:53 GMT
A few bad behaviors I noticed at the Christina Bianco show last night. To be fair, this wasn't a traditional "show" (as in actors and script and story), it was more of a concert/cabaret style performance so audience participation was encouraged. But general theatre etiquette must still apply, right?
- Both halves of the show started about 5-10 minutes late because the majority of the audience ignored the bell signalling for them to return to their seats and had to be shepherded from the bar to the auditorium.
- Latecomers waltzing into the auditorium at least 20 minutes into the start of the show and leaving the doors wide open, so the ushers had to leave their seats to go and close them.
- People getting up in the middle of the show to go to the bar, making the rest of the row stand up.
- One guy who thought he needed to be the center of attention and kept shouting things at Christina on stage (song requests, suggestions, comments). This went on for the entire show and I'm pretty sure she was tempted to tell him to shut up cause she seemed to be reaching the end of her tether with him.
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