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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 15:57:45 GMT
I think all venues should sell Haribo. Not only are they silent to eat, but if there's a limit to how much I can consume in one sitting I have yet to find it.
(Just for a laugh, where they have the nutritional information they should change it so it says "per 2kg portion".)
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5,676 posts
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Post by lynette on Dec 7, 2017 16:41:30 GMT
Wonder if they will sell legitimate jelly babies this time. Last time, I had a bag, they were all illegitimate. I know that because when I opened the packet, all the b*stards fell out... I thank you. I apologise, everyone, TM has been at the Xmas sherry we were saving for a Mods' get together. We now have the situation in hand. Stop sniggering at the back there, Ryan.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 18:08:17 GMT
I know what I said earlier about latecomers, but tonight at Big Fish I refused to move further down the row for potential latecomers on the grounds that (having consulted Theatre Monkey) I deliberately booked aisle seats to get more legroom. I will admit to feeling a little embarrassed when the rest of the row followed my example and refused to move as well, though. What a cheek of them to ask you to move! I would have done exactly the same. Bad behaviour here is either the latecomers, the usher, or the idiot who designed the theatre If late comers asked you to move then I'd say "No chance". If it was ushers I'd also refuse if you had specifically booked an isle seat but be a bit more polite. People would still have to get up and move unless it was bench type seating where people can shuffle along but those are usually unreserved.
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5,676 posts
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Post by lynette on Dec 7, 2017 19:18:48 GMT
I like aisle seats for good leg room and would also not have moved in. They should have a row at the back or a place to stand for latecomers. Or take them up to the gallery where there is prob a few empties.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 21:34:44 GMT
I like aisle seats for good leg room and would also not have moved in. They should have a row at the back or a place to stand for latecomers. Or take them up to the gallery where there is prob a few empties. I don't understand. If you are in an aisle seat surely you could just stand and let them into the row and allow others to move down for them.
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5,676 posts
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Post by lynette on Dec 7, 2017 23:57:43 GMT
I thought that they wanted the aisle seat to move along into the row into the empty seats of the latecomers.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 8:32:48 GMT
I'm understanding that the ushers thought with, say, three empty seats in the middle of the row, it would be less disruptive for everyone to move down so that the three empty seats were at the end of the row. Good start. The person on the aisle seat refused to move down, understandable and fair. Minimum latecomer disruption could still have been achieved if everyone who wasn't on the aisle had moved down, so the latecomers would only have to disrupt the person on the aisle to get to the three empty seats now next to the person on the aisle. However, galvanised by the person on the aisle refusing to move, the rest of the row also refused to move, so the three empty seats remained in the middle, ensuring that any latecomers would have to disrupt everyone between the aisle and their seats.
To minimise disruption, you need *some* co-operation from the people already seated, but it sounds like they didn't get that at all (and I don't think they should have had to; I'd be furious if I'd booked a decent enough seat in that theatre, got moved down, and ended up sitting on the bend with my knee uncomfortably pressed into that of the person next to me).
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Post by floorshow on Dec 8, 2017 8:55:08 GMT
Moving into empty seats to accommodate latecomers just increases the risk of further disruption when later-comers arrive.. We're persistent aisle seaters, (prompt, tall ones!) - every latecomer either in the row or wandering up and down the aisle looking for a home is frustrating.. I don't think it's unfair to have latecomers stand out of the way or be seated somewhere less intrusive by the ushers if possible - it's preferable to disturbing everyone who made it in on time.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 9:08:02 GMT
That's one thing smaller theatres with unreserved seating really have in their favour. I've noticed the Hampstead Downstairs, the Royal Court Upstairs, the Unicorn Clore and the Southwark Playhouse Little purposefully reserving a bank of seats near the door especially to filter latecomers into. (Which are usually pretty good seats because of the small size of the venues but I try not to be too bitter about it.) I imagine it's less do-able in theatres with assigned seating, because you'd have to have seats near the door *in addition to* the seats originally booked by the latecomers, whereas with unassigned seating, you don't have to hold seats off sale for latecomers, you just decide for them which of the seats they will have to sit in. Not a problem to sneak latecomers into empty seats near the back if your show hasn't sold particularly well, but in the case of a sell-out, really not a workable option.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 13:18:53 GMT
On The Stage website about NY producer Adam Gale at the Old Vic 'Christmas Carol' "Gale says he had witnessed a woman using her mobile throughout the first act, and had asked her to stop. He eventually sought help from an usher, who intervened. However, when the first act finished, Gale claims he was approached by the woman’s partner, a male in his 30s, who pulled him from his seat and struck him, while being “egged on” by the female." The theatre didn't call the police, this was an alleged assault yet they didn't detain them or attempt to do so. www.thestage.co.uk/news/2017/theatre-producer-punched-asking-audience-member-stop-using-phone/
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 13:42:44 GMT
One thing I find disturbing about that report is that the theatre's approach seems to be one of mediation, and they talk about dealing with the issue sensitively as if using a mobile phone during a performance is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Of course people are going to use their phones during a performance if the official response is "how dare the nasty man tell you that you can't do whatever you want". I'd rather it was "get out, never come back".
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5,121 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 8, 2017 13:53:55 GMT
So, being punched is now a 'minor grievance'?
Perhaps, after the allegations of the last month, the Old Vic are rather pleased, for want of of a better word, to be making headlines for all the wrong reasons, instead of for really wrong reasons.
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19,470 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 8, 2017 14:09:33 GMT
I worked as FOH at the Millennium Dome for a bit and dreaded being on duty for the show performances in the central arena because audience members were often just vile. The whole affair was controversial as some will remember and I think a lot of people went along determined to hate it and pick fault. The show required much of the audience to sit on the arena floor (and I can understand people complaining about that) but people would be horrible and scathing to FOH as if it was their personal decision to design the space that way. Then there was the continual defiant filming despite repeated requests to stop, and refusing to move out of the performance space despite warnings that they were in danger of having their legs cut off by moving machinery. I hated it and I don’t envy people having to deal with such people. I looked a right twonk in that yellow and black outfit too
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 14:43:01 GMT
Despicable behaviour at The Old Vic and completely at odds with the show’s message. Theatre audiences are no longer what they were, and for the wrong reasons. I am pleased this chap has taken his story to The Stage which has now been followed up by The Telegraph. The whole issue of modern audience behaviour needs highlighting so that something might be done about it.
Edit- add to the above mentioned newspapers now The Daily Mail. The police need calling in to follow this up. Just not on at all.
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196 posts
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Post by rockinrobin on Dec 8, 2017 21:06:25 GMT
I usually don't ask people to stop doing something they should not be doing - I'm too shy so I only stare at them or sigh (and of course, they don't care). However, a few days ago I got really annoyed with an audience member taking photos during a show and asked her to stop it. The response I received was basically an angry tirade consisting of "I will do whatever I want", "get a life", "who do you think you are" and so on and so forth. In result, I ended up being even more annoyed while the lady was very proud of her collection of very blurry photos (really, given the distance between her and the stage, there was no point in taking them.)
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4,008 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 8, 2017 21:57:39 GMT
I've just been to an improv show where some, possibly drunken, idiot kept on yelling stuff during Act 2, despite the audience being asked beforehand to keep noise - other than laughter - to a minimum because the show was being recorded for a podcast. I hope they're proud that their selfish stupidity will be preserved for posterity.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 22:52:35 GMT
I usually don't ask people to stop doing something they should not be doing - I'm too shy so I only stare at them or sigh (and of course, they don't care). However, a few days ago I got really annoyed with an audience member taking photos during a show and asked her to stop it. The response I received was basically an angry tirade consisting of "I will do whatever I want", "get a life", "who do you think you are" and so on and so forth. In result, I ended up being even more annoyed while the lady was very proud of her collection of very blurry photos (really, given the distance between her and the stage, there was no point in taking them.) You should have just slapped her in your best Alexis Colby fashion. I may be a drunk but there's no place for scum like that.
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Post by stuart on Dec 9, 2017 23:24:33 GMT
A new one for me tonight.
Someone sitting behind me was wearing a light up Christmas jumper which changed colour every few seconds. Every time it changed colour, the flash hit the lens of my glasses so it felt like someone behind me was taking a photo with a flash on. By the end of the show, my head was ready to explode and I had a bright light spot in the corner of my eye which still hasn’t subsided.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2017 9:49:32 GMT
I think this one from the Jermyn Street Theatre is a first ...
(and well done to the person in the original tweet taking direct action at Follies!)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2017 14:20:08 GMT
^ I think it’s funny that Kat Anderson tweeted about it! Now I hope Kat wasn’t checking her... No. She wouldn’t have been. Would she?!
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340 posts
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Post by adrianics on Dec 11, 2017 7:55:34 GMT
What a cheek of them to ask you to move! I would have done exactly the same. Bad behaviour here is either the latecomers, the usher, or the idiot who designed the theatre If late comers asked you to move then I'd say "No chance". If it was ushers I'd also refuse if you had specifically booked an isle seat but be a bit more polite. People would still have to get up and move unless it was bench type seating where people can shuffle along but those are usually unreserved. I'm sorry, what part of my post made you think I wasn't polite?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2017 9:10:48 GMT
I don't think he was saying you weren't polite, I think he was saying he himself would say "no chance" to fellow audience members but that he would be more polite to staff. I didn't see anything in his post that suggested he was criticising you, just putting himself in the situation.
While I'm here, shout out to the absolute winners when I saw Big Fish who thought the best thing to take a flash photograph of was the "no photography" sign. You're all champions in your own special way.
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340 posts
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Post by adrianics on Dec 11, 2017 9:36:06 GMT
Saying "I'd also refuse but be a bit more polite" feels like criticism to me, as if I was rude to the ushers. I don't appreciate the implication.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2017 9:41:52 GMT
I honestly don't see how "I would be blunt to fellow audience members but I would be polite to staff" translates as "I would be blunt to fellow audience members but I would be polite to staff UNLIKE ADRIANICS WHO IS CLEARLY A MONSTER WHO IS RUDE TO EVERYONE" but hey. It's not really my debate to be having sooo.....
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340 posts
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Post by adrianics on Dec 11, 2017 10:31:59 GMT
Ugh, I re-read the post and now understand the angle. I had a very stressful snow-delayed flight yesterday and am probably still feeling on-edge. I can only apologise to hister, you and everyone who had to read that. Someone please bail me out with a mobile phone story
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