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Post by SuttonPeron on Nov 19, 2023 0:15:59 GMT
Well, after seeing 20 shows in the West End, me writing down in this thread was inevitable. But I still hate to have to do it.
I went to Wicked this week. Wicked´s my favorite musical. I´ve seen it in the West End and on Broadway and wanted to catch Alexia and Lucy. flew to the UK exclusively for this and Sunset.
The whole evening was ruined by a group of German CHILDREN, about 8-10 years old. Not only did they not stop talking, but they mocked me whenever I shushed them and laughed at me trying to enjoy the show. They even started making noises and playing with the empty seats around me. FOH were "informed" (they didn´t do enough) and they gave them "a final warning", but they weren´t kicked out. Their adult responsible clearly couldn´t care less.
It fills me with rage that these spoiled little brats have never been taught to behave at a theatre. I believe their parents should be blamed. These children couldn´t care less about the people like me who´ve spent our savings on a show, or the people onstage and backstage who happen to be WORKING! Entitlement from such a young age. Bloody unbelievable. Also, this isn´t a show for children their age, but that´s another topic.
When I was their age, I would beg my parents and grandparents for tickets to a show. Maybe after months of begging I´d finally get one as a birthday present. Or maybe not. Clearly doesn´t seem to be everyone´s case.
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Post by sph on Nov 19, 2023 1:02:30 GMT
As much as I want children to enjoy theatre, there's nothing I want less in this world than to be sitting near one!
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Post by marob on Nov 19, 2023 8:02:14 GMT
Royal Exchange’s Romeo and Juliet. Space is in the round, with little banquettes on the front row that are sold unreserved. All of them full, except one, where a lady in the middle had her coat next to her and a bit of a gap next to the lady on the end.
Right before the show started another lady came in, went to one of the already full benches and asked them to let her squeeze in. They looked reluctant, but started trying to shuffle up so she could get on. Then one of them noticed the space on the bench opposite them and pointed it out to her.
In that situation I would have said “sorry, didn’t notice that” and off I’d have gone to the other seat. But she wouldn’t hear of it, and having been perched on the edge, then wriggled her way backward onto the already overcrowded bench.
I think words may have been had during the interval as she was on the opposite bench for Act 2.
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Post by toomasj on Nov 19, 2023 9:58:47 GMT
Well, after seeing 20 shows in the West End, me writing down in this thread was inevitable. But I still hate to have to do it. I went to Wicked this week. Wicked´s my favorite musical. I´ve seen it in the West End and on Broadway and wanted to catch Alexia and Lucy. flew to the UK exclusively for this and Sunset. The whole evening was ruined by a group of German CHILDREN, about 8-10 years old. Not only did they not stop talking, but they mocked me whenever I shushed them and laughed at me trying to enjoy the show. They even started making noises and playing with the empty seats around me. FOH were "informed" (they didn´t do enough) and they gave them "a final warning", but they weren´t kicked out. Their adult responsible clearly couldn´t care less. It fills me with rage that these spoiled little brats have never been taught to behave at a theatre. I believe their parents should be blamed. These children couldn´t care less about the people like me who´ve spent our savings on a show, or the people onstage and backstage who happen to be WORKING! Entitlement from such a young age. Bloody unbelievable. Also, this isn´t a show for children their age, but that´s another topic. When I was their age, I would beg my parents and grandparents for tickets to a show. Maybe after months of begging I´d finally get one as a birthday present. Or maybe not. Clearly doesn´t seem to be everyone´s case. I highly recommend contacting management about this, pointing out you complained and was told they’d take action and didn’t (acknowledging there was a problem) and explaining that it completely ruined your enjoyment of the show. There’s a good chance they will provide you with return tickets for another performance. Whilst it won’t make up for your dreadful performance experience on the night, it will give them a chance to make things right next time. Whilst the behaviour wasn’t their fault, their management of it was and you gave them a chance to resolve it. They messed up and 9/10 times will make good on that. |
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Post by anthony on Nov 19, 2023 14:34:57 GMT
The moronic young women sipping a half empty water bottle throughout almost the entire second half of Sunset Boulevard. Every time she touched it, it "cracked" like water bottles do. It was starting to become a form of Chinese water torture. Completely oblivious to the quiet and tense sense. In the end the women behind, tapped her on the shoulder in the final scene and that finally stopped her. Ridiculous. Not exactly bad behaviour but we had an Eastern European couple in front of us who were snuggled together and practically heavy petting throughout Act 1 - they didn't return for Act II... On a similar note, why do some people bring sweets into the theatre that are covered in wrappers? Who does this? There is a special place in hell for these people, I'm sure. |
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Post by fiyero on Nov 19, 2023 14:48:23 GMT
The moronic young women sipping a half empty water bottle throughout almost the entire second half of Sunset Boulevard. Every time she touched it, it "cracked" like water bottles do. It was starting to become a form of Chinese water torture. Completely oblivious to the quiet and tense sense. In the end the women behind, tapped her on the shoulder in the final scene and that finally stopped her. Ridiculous. Not exactly bad behaviour but we had an Eastern European couple in front of us who were snuggled together and practically heavy petting throughout Act 1 - they didn't return for Act II... On a similar note, why do some people bring sweets into the theatre that are covered in wrappers? Who does this? There is a special place in hell for these people, I'm sure. I like the ones who make the effort to have wrapped sweets in a paper bag inside a thin plastic carrier bag. Got to make sure both bags are done up between taking each sweet too. And wait for the quiet moments. |
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Post by Jon on Nov 19, 2023 15:10:20 GMT
When I was at Backstairs Billy, the ushers were taking sweets out of the bags by pouring them into cups.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2023 16:56:36 GMT
So sorry to here what happened to you Akh as you said you need extra legroom as you are clearly a bigger person and if you have mobility issues people need to realise the difficulty you may well have moving and this can be a reason people carry extra weight as they are physically unable to exercise in some cases.
The lays was as offensive to you for moaning about you sitting in front of her, if her grievance had been over someone's race, religion or sexuality then she'd have soon been out!
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Post by A.Ham on Nov 25, 2023 8:55:08 GMT
When I was at Backstairs Billy, the ushers were taking sweets out of the bags by pouring them into cups. I noticed this too, when I was there a few weeks ago. Is it a new thing? Excellent idea I thought. As customers often can’t be trusted with a rustly bag, just remove it from them altogether! |
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Post by alece10 on Nov 25, 2023 12:02:48 GMT
They certainly weren't doing it when I went to see Backstairs Billy in early previews as there was someone a few rows behind me with their hand in a bag of sweets for most of Act 1. I presume the noise only stopped as they had eaten all the sweets.
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Post by terrylondon79 on Nov 26, 2023 12:55:35 GMT
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Post by toomasj on Nov 26, 2023 13:51:57 GMT
Does seem to be a constantly recurring issue with Manchester - that’s about six different productions in recent years with issues from drunken audience members.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 26, 2023 18:47:14 GMT
I passed the Dominion yesterday and for Elf there’s a big banner across the front saying something akin to
“If you want some festive cheer, sing so everyone can hear”
It’s not exactly that but similar (please someone correct me).
I don’t excuse the drunk men or the pissed up hen parties, but equally the mixed messaging is becoming bizarre. You can’t film but you can film THIS bit. You can’t sing but you can sing in THIS bit and now you can sing at ANY point in Elf?
For people who have no idea what theatre is it must be confusing?
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Post by Jon on Nov 26, 2023 18:48:12 GMT
When I was at Backstairs Billy, the ushers were taking sweets out of the bags by pouring them into cups. I noticed this too, when I was there a few weeks ago. Is it a new thing? Excellent idea I thought. As customers often can’t be trusted with a rustly bag, just remove it from them altogether! Have to admit, I ended up getting a cup and putting my own chocolate in there! I passed the Dominion yesterday and for Elf there’s a big banner across the front saying something akin to “If you want some festive cheer, sing so everyone can hear” It’s not exactly that but similar (please someone correct me). I don’t excuse the drunk men or the pissed up hen parties, but equally the mixed messaging is becoming bizarre. You can’t film but you can film THIS bit. You can’t sing but you can sing in THIS bit and now you can sing at ANY point in Elf? For people who have no idea what theatre is it must be confusing? Luckily, there aren't any songs in Elf that people know off by heart (I do but I'm not going to singing Sparklejollytwinklejingly during the show!) |
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Post by Jon on Nov 26, 2023 18:53:05 GMT
Does seem to be a constantly recurring issue with Manchester - that’s about six different productions in recent years with issues from drunken audience members. Perhaps tours should avoid Manchester? They won't obviously but perhaps if a producer decided to not have their tours at the Palace and go to say the Lowry in Salford, it would be a way to indicate to ATG to solve the issue. Personally, I'd ban alcohol temporarily just to see if audience behaviour improved or and this is my insane idea, swap all the alcohol beverages with zero alcohol beverages. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 26, 2023 19:00:44 GMT
Just to bring some balance, in London over the weekend and in the “glittering” west end I saw open drug use, theft, and drunkenness a plenty so let’s not get it twisted.
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Post by sph on Nov 26, 2023 19:30:18 GMT
If we were to ban alcohol in theatres, I wouldn't mind, but it might put us in a New-York-style situation in terms of ticket prices.
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Post by n1david on Nov 26, 2023 21:45:10 GMT
Just to bring some balance, in London over the weekend and in the “glittering” west end I saw open drug use, theft, and drunkenness a plenty so let’s not get it twisted. In a theatre? Yes all the above apply in the West End (although I'm there often and on most visits don't see the above, but I tend to avoid weekends). But this thread is about behaviour in theatres. I've never been in a London theatre where the show was stopped for an audience incident. Maybe that's because of the shows I go to, but it does seem that some types of show and some touring productions have a more significant issue. |
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Post by mrnutz on Nov 27, 2023 10:50:32 GMT
As much as I want children to enjoy theatre, there's nothing I want less in this world than to be sitting near one! For them to enjoy it, I'm afraid to tell you that they do have to sit somewhere. |
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Post by steve10086 on Nov 27, 2023 11:20:49 GMT
As much as I want children to enjoy theatre, there's nothing I want less in this world than to be sitting near one! For them to enjoy it, I'm afraid to tell you that they do have to sit somewhere. I agree with sph ! |
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Post by ladidah on Nov 27, 2023 11:21:55 GMT
I would take a child over someone drunk anyday
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Post by anita on Nov 27, 2023 11:36:12 GMT
Plenty of children in "Elf" audience - all perfectly behaved.
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 27, 2023 12:05:27 GMT
In April this year I went and saw Nell Campbell (Little Nell- Columbia from the Rocky Horror Picture Show) do a presentation.
There were a couple siting next to me; the guy directly to my left and his female friend to his left.
Throughout the first half, he kept falling asleep, leaning forward and the right, onto me. I then had to put my arm around him from behind to tap his friend on the shoulder to make her aware.
Shortly before the intermission he go up and walked out.
Whilst it was certainly unpleasant, my concerns was if he was extremely exhausted- that one thing. However if he was something, he could just stand up and make scene and interrupt something I was thoroughly enjoying, or worse still, lash out!
Because I was a few seats in from the aisle, I wasn't in a position to attract the attention of an usher.
At intermission some man who was sitting behind me and saw what had happened said to me 'You're a saint!'
We later found him sitting at the back, put there by the usher when he attempted to go back to his seat.
I'm not sure what was going on there, or even if he knew who Nell Campbell was! Maybe he was dragged along by his female friend.
All I know is this, it had the potential for getting much worse than what it was, he was being disrespectful to me, his friend and Ms Campbell and (God knows) he wasn't getting his money's worth!
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Post by sukhavati on Nov 29, 2023 2:18:33 GMT
For them to enjoy it, I'm afraid to tell you that they do have to sit somewhere. I agree with sph ! Some newer church buildings have "quiet rooms" or "mother's rooms" for those with squalling babies. The sound is on speaker for those inside. Wouldn't it be great to take the back two rows out of an auditorium and enclose them for a row of problem children and their minders? I know fewer seats for sell-outs, but foh would have an option for patrons with children who can't keep quiet or sit still. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2023 15:12:52 GMT
Some newer church buildings have "quiet rooms" or "mother's rooms" for those with squalling babies. The sound is on speaker for those inside. Wouldn't it be great to take the back two rows out of an auditorium and enclose them for a row of problem children and their minders? I know fewer seats for sell-outs, but foh would have an option for patrons with children who can't keep quiet or sit still. It would make sense for things like pantos but a lot of shows aren't children centic so you'd lose out there. But newer theatres having rooms like this makes sense. Don't some have quiet rooms for people with certain issues who might find crowds and certain situations overwhelming - some sports grounds have these. You clearly couldn't mix the two rooms as that would be a disaster. Maybe Palace Manchester should have a drunk tank? |
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