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Post by theatrekiwi on May 1, 2024 11:46:31 GMT
Not so much bad behaviour, but I was surprised last night that while waiting to collect my purchased tickets from the box office for Pippin, two of the (not many) parties in front of me were queueing to ask for better seats. I could overhear that in both cases they had their tickets through the same papering offer, and were politely told they can't be exchanged.
Perhaps I am not bold enough, but I would NEVER ask that if I had got my tickets through a booking fee only offer that is very clear to "accept the seats offered" on their website.
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Post by ladidah on May 1, 2024 12:39:46 GMT
If it's the one I'm thinking of, that's strictly against the rules and they could be banned from the site.
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Post by ceebee on May 1, 2024 13:12:54 GMT
Not the worst behaviour, but quite an irritating and a distracting one nonetheless. I was attending an Operation Mincemeat performance last week and I had a fella in my row, a couple of seats away, play with his phone quite a lot. I couldn’t initially see what he was doing but then I noticed he was trying to set up a Bluetooth microphone to record the performance. Usually I give people a chance to settle down, before I get arsy, but this person would not put his phone away. Fortunately, just before I was about to say anything, a kind gentleman behind me spotted him and told him to put his phone away. The same fella was somewhat humiliated during the interval by the ushers who were told that he had been recording (or trying to record) the performance, and they confronted him and had a long conversation about it, even checking his phone to make sure he deletes any recording. Kudos to the man who told the fella off and the ushers who handled it well. Interesting one, this, as I've recorded audios of shows a few times purely for memories and knowing there is nil chance of a formal release. Invariably the end result is lo-fi crackly and crap, but it captures a memory. I'd never sit and brazenly set up a mic though - mine are pocket recordings, occasionally shared, and purely to capture a moment.
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Post by nancycunard on May 1, 2024 18:55:56 GMT
The worst behaviour I’ve seen recently was at the Ralph Fiennes/Indira Varma production of Macbeth in Liverpool. Two rows behind me were a school trip of GCSE students, and behind me were a group of two middle aged couples.
The school kids whispered very briefly in Act One and during the interval one of the men in the couples turned around and was extremely verbally abusive to them, swearing at what were effectively children, involving the usher and their teacher. I don’t condone the whispering but his behaviour was totally out of order.
In the second act, his wife and their friend then proceeded to talk loudly to each other, say the lines along with the actors, go on their phones (full brightness), take selfies, and film the action on the stage. It was staggering — like a bingo card of bad behaviour.
I let them go without saying anything at the end because I suspected they were drunk and as a lone woman I didn’t want to confront the man given how abusive I’d seen him be, but I did pull the teacher of the school kids and say they’d been a credit to her in the second act.
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Post by edi on May 1, 2024 19:41:49 GMT
Not so much bad behaviour, but I was surprised last night that while waiting to collect my purchased tickets from the box office for Pippin, two of the (not many) parties in front of me were queueing to ask for better seats. I could overhear that in both cases they had their tickets through the same papering offer, and were politely told they can't be exchanged. Perhaps I am not bold enough, but I would NEVER ask that if I had got my tickets through a booking fee only offer that is very clear to "accept the seats offered" on their website. i dropped my membership for such agencies because the seats were just never really good and prices were never even that great. After one experience when the seat was so bad that I almost just left, I complained to the agency and decided that that was the last straw, I'd rather pay more but actually enjoy the show
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Post by Paulw on May 2, 2024 8:43:39 GMT
Not so much bad behaviour, but I was surprised last night that while waiting to collect my purchased tickets from the box office for Pippin, two of the (not many) parties in front of me were queueing to ask for better seats. I could overhear that in both cases they had their tickets through the same papering offer, and were politely told they can't be exchanged. Perhaps I am not bold enough, but I would NEVER ask that if I had got my tickets through a booking fee only offer that is very clear to "accept the seats offered" on their website. i dropped my membership for such agencies because the seats were just never really good and prices were never even that great. After one experience when the seat was so bad that I almost just left, I complained to the agency and decided that that was the last straw, I'd rather pay more but actually enjoy the show I get that but I guess its how you use such places, I tend to use them for Concerts and fringe things only. Fringe is obviously smaller venues so the chances of a bad seat is reduced and I don’t remember having a bad seat for a concert! Yes they might not be in my preferred place to sit but the difference in what I pay (and usually last minute) and they are charging is a big difference. I guess its down to personal choice but I find them ok for how I use them and would definitely not be asking for a better seat!
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Post by fiyero on May 2, 2024 12:38:57 GMT
Stopping audio recording is a lost battle. It’s rare I’m at a show and I don’t spot someone pushing start/stop on their phone at the appropriate times. No value judgement here, but if someone is messing around with Bluetooth microphones, they should expect to get caught. When I saw Sunset Boulevard I think half the front row were doing unofficial cast recordings. Setting up a full on microphone is another level! I was lucky enough to be in Lisbon recently and decided to be brave and take in a show. 'Laura O Musical'. The show was lovely and brilliant but similar audience behaviour - sweet wrappers and a huge bugbear metal bangles. She also fiddled with her hands a lot so it was like tipping out the cutlery tray every minute or so! My glares were powerless. The ushers were really hot on phones though, upper level ushers pointing them out with lasers so the lower floor ushers could dispatch the offenders.
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Post by hannechalk on May 2, 2024 22:24:31 GMT
Was at 'Tim Rice: My Life In Musicals' at the Liverpool Playhouse.
Afterwards I went to stage door, and two twits were waiting for Sir Tim with items to sign. They were actually partially blocking the door, so no-one could leave without them checking who it was first.
One of them kept badgering staff and crew.
They initially completely missed the fact that Sir Tim's chauffeur drove his car to the front of the theatre to pick him up there, and didn't get their autographs. 😂
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Post by sfsusan on May 3, 2024 18:59:44 GMT
The ushers were really hot on phones though, upper level ushers pointing them out with lasers so the lower floor ushers could dispatch the offenders. Great idea!
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Post by Dr Tom on May 6, 2024 15:00:13 GMT
I was front row centre for the Cruel Intentions matinee, then at the interval realised I was stood in a pool of liquid and my jacket was soaked. The Other Palace seating is tiered. Some liquid either side, but not as much.
The people behind managed to avoid looking towards the front and were ignoring this. I found an usher and they did manage to dry the area off (my jacket smelt slightly so has gone in the wash). No real harm done, but can’t understand how people responsible just ignore this.
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Post by iwanttix on May 6, 2024 22:12:19 GMT
I was front row centre for the Cruel Intentions matinee, then at the interval realised I was stood in a pool of liquid and my jacket was soaked. The Other Palace seating is tiered. Some liquid either side, but not as much. The people behind managed to avoid looking towards the front and were ignoring this. I found an usher and they did manage to dry the area off (my jacket smelt slightly so has gone in the wash). No real harm done, but can’t understand how people responsible just ignore this. When I saw the Time Traveller's Wife - a woman behind knocked her drink over before the show started and the people around her arrived. At the interval, the woman next to her picked up her bag to find it was soaking wet. Apparently she didn't think it was polite to let other people know there was a massive puddle of wine on the carpet and maybe don't put your stuff there.
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Post by musicbox on May 8, 2024 4:39:42 GMT
This isn’t musical theatre related, but is bad behaviour in a theatre…so I suppose it counts?
What I thought would be a relatively quiet night with a generally older crowd turned into one of the most embarrassing audiences I’ve ever sat in…
I’m working in Edinburgh at the moment and went to see the legendary Dionne Warwick last night at the Usher Hall. One thing I love about this venue is that the seats are very well spread and there is loads of leg room, but just after I sat down two women sat in the seats behind me, and one of them said “Oh look there’s loads of room to rest my feet” and proceeded to spread her legs wide and rest both of her feet on the arm rests around my chair. Not only was this totally inappropriate and inconsiderate (And looked RIDICULOUS), but she was also shaking her body, so it was as if I was in a vibrating massage chair - I honestly don’t understand what goes through a persons head to deem this kind of thing acceptable?
I needed the toilet, so decided to speak to a FOH on my way. I explained the situation to her and she gave a really aggressive “Well tell her to move them then” - I was genuinely taken aback by her abrupt tone. I said to her I didn’t want to make a scene, so could she discreetly ask her to stop while I’m at the toilet, to which she let out a massive sigh, gave me a dirty look and marched in as I left. When I came back to the stalls door I smiled at her, expecting her to say something along the lines of how she had spoken to them, but she instead gave me another dirty look and stayed silent. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever experienced worse FOH service, as someone who spends an awful lot of time in venues - it’s as if she was livid that she had to do her job.
I’m not sure what was said whilst I was away, but the women made a few passive aggressive comments about having to “watch what they do” with their feet, with the lady who did it saying “Don’t worry I’ll wait until the lights go down and put them up again” - thankfully she didn’t.
The show was marketed as a sit down interview with a few performances at the end, and Dionne explicitly said this at the beginning when she first came on (She was pretty hilarious, saying she was old and didn’t have time to sing for 90 minutes anymore). As a fan I really loved listening to her chat and hearing her many stories, illustrated with archive footage on a screen above her. This is what the show was advertised to be and what I was expecting, so it was as hardly a huge surprise.
This however obviously didn’t get through to a total idiot of a woman seated in the back stalls, who in the second half started shouting “Sing!” for attention. The first couple of times everyone ignored her, but one of them came whilst Dionne was talking about people she had lost in the aids crisis, she heard it and was visibly annoyed. She paused, raised her finger as if she was about to tell her off, but then said “Actually forget it, I’ll continue”. It was such an embarrassing moment and totally disrespectful.
I had assumed that the lady had been asked to leave at this point, but sadly not…just as Dionne was talking about family she had lost in her life she screamed at the top of her lungs from the back stalls “IF YOU DONT SING HEARTBREAKER RIGHT NOW IM LEAVING, IM BEING SERIOUS!”. Her heckle was so loud that pretty much everyone in the theatre gasped and Dionne abruptly stopped mid sentence. She paused and stared into the audience for what felt like an eternity and then said “Sorry, I didn’t realise we had arranged audio commentary in Edinburgh”, to which everyone laughed, but she was visibly annoyed and again it was just such an embarrassing moment that made me ashamed to be Scottish.
Shortly after this Dionne did a half an hour set of her biggest hits, which at 84 years old I feel is more than enough, and received a standing ovation. She did sing heartbreaker, but the heckling lady had been removed so didn’t get to live out her dream. It’s worth noting as well that the show started at 7:30 and she left the stage at 10:30, so she was hardly slacking!
I know Dionne is playing my hometown of Glasgow on Thursday, so hopefully they show her the respect she deserves!
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Post by amyja89 on May 8, 2024 7:31:22 GMT
That sounds awful! Sorry you and Dionne had to suffer through!
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2,795 posts
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Post by ceebee on May 8, 2024 11:17:32 GMT
musicbox sorry to hear your experience - there are some real scumbags it seems at all sorts of shows.
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Post by ladidah on May 8, 2024 12:20:16 GMT
Oh my god! horrendous
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Post by scarletmood on May 8, 2024 13:09:34 GMT
So sorry to hear about your experiences Musicbox and how can people be so disrespectful to a legend like Dionne. The nature of the show was advertised so no-one could complain.
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Post by manchestertheatrefan on May 8, 2024 17:03:26 GMT
At the Manchester Palace last night, I was in the Ambassador lounge, and the theatre had given 4 free tickets to a social media company for some advertising. Instead of a relaxing drink in the lounge, we had the social media people marching up and down the stairs repeatedly filming their entrance, then running around the lounge filming, before take after take of them drinking, opening crisps. It stopped being a lounge and instead was a mini film set pre show and during the interval. Wouldn't be so bad if the theatre had given warning, or even asked if people were comfortable being filmed.
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Post by timothyd on May 8, 2024 18:17:41 GMT
Somebody at a local concert in the Netherlands I attended yesterday said to the person next to him that it annoyed him that the music was so loud because they couldn't talk. Made me think of this thread. Baffling.
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