631 posts
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Post by ncbears on Jul 9, 2016 23:14:08 GMT
Another audience member thinking we paid to hear them sing st Beautiful. They started singing in Act Two. So there was no chance for an interval conversation
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1,081 posts
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Post by andrew on Jul 10, 2016 9:57:30 GMT
In the second half, the usher in question just kept moving about the auditorium. There was another one who she kept changing places with for no apparent reason. Also he kept walking back and forth across the auditorium on that 'aisle.' She wasn't going to tell anyone off or anything, she just walked back and forth several times to lean against a different wall. It was very distracting in the back half of the Theatre, so for once the Bad Behaviour during the show was not caused by the audience, but by an usher. Particularly as I'm the Charing Cross theatre the back of the stalls is a bar which is out of use currently, the perfect crosswalk if the usher can be bothered walking up and down the stairs.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Jul 10, 2016 14:00:08 GMT
I used to work in a cinema many moons ago and we were told to "patrol" the middle aisle and walk down to the front and back to see if people were being naughty and people like to see staff look out for their safety. They don't; they just want to watch the film not see staff wandering all over the place. I could see what was going on easily enough from the back or from the side.
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2,323 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 10, 2016 21:00:04 GMT
I used to work in a cinema many moons ago and we were told to "patrol" the middle aisle and walk down to the front and back to see if people were being naughty and people like to see staff look out for their safety. They don't; they just want to watch the film not see staff wandering all over the place. I could see what was going on easily enough from the back or from the side. I read 'being nawtee' in Ray Winstone's voice
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 18:56:24 GMT
As a former usher that irritates me! I used to be self concious about anything I HAD to do that might distract. So yeah that's annoying.
I went to two shows in London at the weekend and both audiences were very well behaved! Glorious!
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Post by Rebecca on Jul 11, 2016 23:52:08 GMT
Stripper in front of me at Harry Potter yesterday. Kept taking her top layer off and putting it back on through the performance. Otherwise, a very well-behaved lot, I thought. At least it was just the top layer. Years ago at Les Mis, I noticed out the corner of my eye the woman across the aisle wriggling around in her seat. Turned to see what was going on just in time to watch her pull her bra off and out from under her shirt. And then carry on watching the show as though removing your undergarments were a perfectly normal thing to do at the theater.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2016 7:50:30 GMT
Stripper in front of me at Harry Potter yesterday. Kept taking her top layer off and putting it back on through the performance. Otherwise, a very well-behaved lot, I thought. At least it was just the top layer. Years ago at Les Mis, I noticed out the corner of my eye the woman across the aisle wriggling around in her seat. Turned to see what was going on just in time to watch her pull her bra off and out from under her shirt. And then carry on watching the show as though removing your undergarments were a perfectly normal thing to do at the theater. Perhaps it was chafing? Underwear does that sometimes. It happened to me once, although not a bra of course. Needless to say, I'm not allowed back in Her Majesty's Theatre anymore. That Lloyd Webber, he certainly does hold a grudge.
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4,153 posts
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Post by kathryn on Jul 12, 2016 22:10:58 GMT
Under wired bras sometimes do more that just chafe - the underwire can end up stabbing you!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2016 12:14:29 GMT
Weirdness at the Royal Opera last night as a family with a baby (not the Royal Family) appeared in the royal box - the baby squealing did not add to the experience. Even more surreal was the fact that the opera was Il Trovatore, AKA the one where a baby gets chucked on a fire.
Had a rant on twitter at the interval (as did some others), and the baby didn't reappear after the interval. As I left I saw the baby + father heading down from the amphitheatre level with a member of ROH staff.
All very odd - Kasper Holten (ROH Director of Opera) responded to some tweets on this saying
so it's very unclear how the family with the baby got in there in the first place. Given where they were sitting my suspicion is they were corporate guests / VIPs or something.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2016 15:05:58 GMT
Under wired bras sometimes do more that just chafe - the underwire can end up stabbing you! I had a pair of pants that did that too. You may have seen me standing in for Iestyn Davies during the 'Farinelli & The King' run whilst wearing them.
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27 posts
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Post by barricadegirl86 on Jul 18, 2016 18:07:08 GMT
And, if you are such an expert, why were you standing in line with the other mushrooms, anyway? Seating is allocated in that theatre, and when the gates open, you can wait for a few moments to let the mushrooms stampede, then stroll in and take your seat in moments, with plenty of time before they start (in that case, 10 minutes late anyway). Just saying "expert"... LOL. Because they want a captive audience to hear all their wonderful expert knowledge, to ensure they feel as superior as possible at all times. I admire your restraint . .
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2,323 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 18, 2016 19:25:39 GMT
Woman using flash photography at the Open Air on Saturday Evening. Much kudos to FOH. They were on it like a shot, and made her delete the photos. Also (very much a personal annoyance), someone talking to some visitors in the queue waiting to enter the auditorium. Advising them, "buy tickets from the theatre, not agency X, as you used, as you paid a lot more." Well, not bad advice (except that agency X is well known for great offers on some shows). Then goes on to "If you have to buy from an agency, use agency Y as they don't charge more." Erm, X and Y both charge hefty fees on some shows, discount others. Oh, and "use the theatre website you find online." Good idea, except that most of the top Google results are agents "I think they pay to be there." yep, they do... Polished off with "I'm a ticket expert." Errrmmmm..... And, if you are such an expert, why were you standing in line with the other mushrooms, anyway? Seating is allocated in that theatre, and when the gates open, you can wait for a few moments to let the mushrooms stampede, then stroll in and take your seat in moments, with plenty of time before they start (in that case, 10 minutes late anyway). Just saying "expert"... LOL. He he
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27 posts
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Post by barricadegirl86 on Jul 19, 2016 14:08:44 GMT
I admire your restraint . . If I'd been alone and not in such a cranky mood... Topical tweet from the QI Elves today: @qikipedia: Word of the day: RAWGABBIT - someone who speaks confidently on a subject of which they know absolutely nothing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2016 15:52:32 GMT
What would have annoyed me most of all is the stupidity of using flash without understanding how flash works. It's as if they think flash is some sort of magic spell you use to take photographs when it's dark. (In 1999 I went down to the south west to see the solar eclipse. There were people there trying to take pictures of the moon with a flash. I ... I mean ... just ... wow.)
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2,323 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 19, 2016 19:01:01 GMT
If I'd been alone and not in such a cranky mood... Topical tweet from the QI Elves today: @qikipedia: Word of the day: RAWGABBIT - someone who speaks confidently on a subject of which they know absolutely nothing. May know something, lots of people ask me ticket advice. But it does make me chuckle Theatremonkey playing theatre knowledge best seat top trumps.
Like going all-in against a royal flush
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181 posts
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Post by eatbigsea on Jul 25, 2016 22:43:05 GMT
Insane behaviour at the Proms tonight. We had a spare seat in the stalls (a friend couldn't make it), and one of the Prommers came and sat in it. A bit cheeky to do so without even asking, but she was a lady of a certain age, didn't speak English well at all, and claimed to have "bad knees." So we didn't say anything, and tolerated her head shaking, premature clapping and jigging about in the first half. The second half was when things went utterly pear-shaped. A gentleman became very ill in the row in front (the performance continued), and there was much rising and sitting of the people in front of us as two paramedics went in and out. Finally, it was determined that the gentleman would have to be removed via stretcher and so the people in front of us were asked to vacate the row for a minute so that he could be taken out. (Which they did, promptly and quietly). Prommer lady lost her mind at this, speaking loudly and gesticulating wildly. I had had enough at this point, and pointed out that she hadn't paid for the seat, and if she didn't quiet down, we would find an usher to remove her. She was mostly quiet after this (the head shaking, premature clapping and jigging about continued) but it put a damper on an otherwise excellent performance (Barber of Seville from Glyndebourne).
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2,051 posts
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Post by infofreako on Jul 26, 2016 23:34:44 GMT
At Made in Dagenham tonight a well behaved audience on the whole until the bows when a lady decided to shout across to her friend to make arrangements to meet up at the weekend.
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Post by d'James on Jul 27, 2016 0:12:04 GMT
Tonight at Jesus Christ Superstar. Armrest hogger and talkers to my right. To the left of my party, very loud talkers and 'sing-a-longers.'
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2016 9:58:21 GMT
Best to colour that seat red straightaway, I feel ...
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 28, 2016 18:24:16 GMT
Best to colour that seat red straightaway, I feel ... Some people pay good money for this.
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4,020 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 30, 2016 23:03:18 GMT
A woman sitting 2 rows in front of me at Opera Holland Park tonight took photos on her phone 4 or 5 times during the performance. Horribly distracting as she held it up high & the glowing screen was right in my eye line. I might expect that sort of thing at certain musicals but not at an opera.
Also at this time of year I rarely hear anyone coughing when out & about but as soon as I set foot in a theatre I seem to be surrounded by coughers. I realise sometimes it's hard to suppress coughing but the woman next to me was also blowing her nose, which is not a reflex action.
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Post by Coated on Jul 31, 2016 0:13:00 GMT
I had the misfortune to stand for 2.5hrs behind two of the most thoroughly perfumed blokes I have yet encountered. They didn't even have the decency to coordinate before they left the house, one was drenched in something more traditionally aftershave flavoured, the other opted for a gallon of something musky sweet. Depending on which one was moving around or clapping harder, I experienced alternating waves of acrid, nose burning aftershave and stomach turning, decaying sweetness. Bleurgh.
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19,661 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 31, 2016 0:55:30 GMT
I had the misfortune to stand for 2.5hrs behind two of the most thoroughly perfumed blokes I have yet encountered. They didn't even have the decency to coordinate before they left the house, one was drenched in something more traditionally aftershave flavoured, the other opted for a gallon of something musky sweet. Depending on which one was moving around or clapping harder, I experienced alternating waves of acrid, nose burning aftershave and stomach turning, decaying sweetness. Bleurgh. I'm gagging at the thought of the sweet sickly one in particular. Seems to be a lot of that style of fragrance about these days. Hideous. Especially on a bloke.
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433 posts
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Post by DuchessConstance on Jul 31, 2016 1:09:49 GMT
I have a pet hate for people wearing that sickly sweet Angel perfume that was so popular in the 90s.
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 1, 2016 22:35:06 GMT
At Chichester the other week watching Half A Sixpence I was sat next to an elderly woman who stank of piss! There I've said it! I have nothing more to add - except I felt sorry for anyone sat in that seat for future performances. Perhaps it needs a particular colour code from theatremonkey!!!
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