1,249 posts
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Post by joem on Sept 12, 2016 16:28:23 GMT
Think that is fair if a cast member becomes indisposed, then they bring the stand by on, so if a audience member becomes indisposed then its only fair they can leave early. Same if people have public transport deadline to meet - that is fair too. I have seen shows and have hated the first half, but persisted and it has picked up in the second half, also the opposite is true seen shows where I have loved the first half, but the second half has gone downhill. Yes. So why should it not be fair if an audience member decides to leave for another audience member to take their place? Like a substitute in football. |
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5,057 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Sept 12, 2016 16:44:06 GMT
Theatre, doesn't have the same offside rule.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 17:47:35 GMT
So why should it not be fair if an audience member decides to leave for another audience member to take their place? Like a substitute in football. I don't think anyone's saying it's unfair for someone to take a leaver's place. What I take issue with is the idea that there are people who go to all the expense of paying for a show and all the effort of travelling to attend it in the expectation that they'll hate it so much that they'll leave early. Even if someone doesn't think they'll hate a show until after they bought a ticket, they're surely unlikely to change their mind in the last couple of hours before the show starts, so they'll either go in expecting to stay to the end or cut their losses and stay at home. I can't think of any circumstances under which someone would get to the theatre and then decide at the last minute that they're going to hate the show so much that they're going to leave half way through but nevertheless still go in to watch the first half. |
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Post by longinthetooth on Sept 12, 2016 18:09:31 GMT
I once left a concert (well, gig really) early. To be fair, I had fainted and had to be carried out .....
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Sept 12, 2016 20:11:20 GMT
Cliff The Musical....starring DJ Mike Read as the 80 year old Lord Cliff, looking back at his life through the power of virtual reality. The only reason my companion and I walked in was because we had comps and had drunk a couple of glasses of champagne... The only reason we lasted until the interval was because we were hemmed in by women of a certain age who were loving it... How this made it to the west end, I do not know! The same Mike Read who wrote the dreadful Oscar Wilde. |
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1,351 posts
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Post by CG on the loose on Sept 12, 2016 20:54:07 GMT
The most substantial interval bail-out I've seen was at the infamous 'Too Close to the Sun'... I was there on a 'papered' ticket precisely because of the absolutely dire word of mouth. Just how bad could it be?
Turns out, excruciatingly bad. But I stuck by the terms of my ticket and went back for the second half. I was in the minority!
Stalls were about 60% occupied in Act 1 and somewhere around 20% in Act 2. Had to feel for the cast doing their utmost to polish a turd...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 21:11:36 GMT
Why do you care?
If somone has paid for their ticket
And they want to leave
It's up to them
Nothing to do with anyone else
Up to 30% of GP and outpatient appointments are missed by patients mainly because they can't be bothered to attend or because they booked them and their illness improved
These appointments have been paid by the taxpayer
And many people complain they can't get an appointment at all when there are wasted ones
Please remember that the theatre profits don't suffer regardless of the sold seat having a bum in it or not
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1,088 posts
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Post by andrew on Sept 12, 2016 21:48:02 GMT
I will judge people for leaving if their doing so causes disruption to other audience members who may be enjoying the show, but if you're able to sidle out silently or even better during the interval, then go for it. I was very impressed on Saturday at the Old Vic 2 relatively old guys got up at different points to go to the loo mid-act, they both stood next to the standing room punters for the remainder of the act instead of going back to their seats. Even I probably wouldn't have bothered doing that. |
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2,058 posts
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Post by Marwood on Sept 13, 2016 10:41:38 GMT
Totally agree with Parsley here, I used to stay to the end regardless, but over the last couple of years, if I don't like the play, I'll leave at the interval. Only done this a few times, and I've always waited until the interval (thankfully never been ill during a play).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2016 15:00:37 GMT
Even I probably wouldn't have bothered doing that. presumably meaning "standing for the remainder of the act" rather than "got up to use the loo"... In some venues that sort of behaviour is considered 'art' isn't it? (also many a festival goer has done worse I'd bet) Either way Andrew is too scared of featuring on this board to do either  All that said, I once got ripped to shreds on Facebook when I posted about a Mother allowing a child to go to the toilet in the middle of a busy shopping street-I mean in the middle of the street. Aparently I just 'don't understand' because I'm 'not a Mother'...um I understand that it's a bit disgusting... |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2016 16:04:18 GMT
I once got ripped to shreds on Facebook when I posted about a Mother allowing a child to go to the toilet in the middle of a busy shopping street-I mean in the middle of the street. Aparently I just 'don't understand' because I'm 'not a Mother'...um I understand that it's a bit disgusting... I think perhaps they misunderstood, and when someone said to them "Wow, what a Mother" they failed to appreciate that it was an abbreviation of a four-syllable word. |
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Post by duncan on Sept 13, 2016 18:15:06 GMT
All that said, I once got ripped to shreds on Facebook when I posted about a Mother allowing a child to go to the toilet in the middle of a busy shopping street-I mean in the middle of the street. Aparently I just 'don't understand' because I'm 'not a Mother'...um I understand that it's a bit disgusting... That'll teach you to enter into conversation with Paula Radcliffe's mum. |
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Post by ailsmal on Sept 13, 2016 19:10:33 GMT
I've only left two shows early. The first was 2001's Mill on the Floss (New Ambassadors I think) to catch the last train......I did feel a bit guilty, but in my defence it started half an hour late and by 11:20pm I was losing the will to live, I dread to think what time it eventually finished at. The second was 'The Hobbit' (2000), they must have covered half the book in the first ten minutes, it was really awful.
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258 posts
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Post by notmymuse on Sept 13, 2016 21:26:26 GMT
I've only left two shows early. The first was 2001's Mill on the Floss (New Ambassadors I think) to catch the last train......I did feel a bit guilty, but in my defence it started half an hour late and by 11:20pm I was losing the will to live, I dread to think what time it eventually finished at. The second was 'The Hobbit' (2000), they must have covered half the book in the first ten minutes, it was really awful. I never used to leave at the interval, ever, but couldn't face much more of a touring musical a few years back so left. I felt really rebellious after... Since then, I've left quite a few times at the interval. I ask myself if i'd rather be at home doing the washing up than go back in. If it's a yes, I'm off. If it's a papered ticket I'll stay, otherwise I've paid for the product so it's my choice to leave it half eaten or not. |
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Post by theatremiss on Sept 22, 2016 23:38:38 GMT
I think I must be terribly rude then! If I've paid money for something, and I'm not enjoying it, why on earth would I stay 'til the end? Obviously I've only ever left in the interval (except once) but I was certainly very discreet. The other side of the respect coin is that as a customer I should be able to enjoy my purchase, and if the product or interpretation of said product is not of the expected standard, I should be entitled to bail out! (I would not ask for a refund though  I'm with you on this one Danb. I've left a few times, wished I'd left on a few others. Most recently I left NT during 1st act of The ThreePenny Opera as I was feeling sick. Thankfully I was in the circle and on an end of a row. The FOH were lovely in offering me some water & a seat. I left also during the OV The Crucible, I hated it. I left at the interval but when I left I gave my ticket to someone who was standing, felt he might as well have sat down for the 2nd act. If people think you shouldn't be allowed to leave early, or only at the interval then those who arrive late should not be allowed into the auditorium until the interval either. |
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Post by danb on Sept 23, 2016 15:05:07 GMT
Yep, arriving late does my nut in. Just leave home earlier...you're not that important!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2016 16:30:48 GMT
Never walked out of a show before, but I have been tempted to on a number of occasions. Wanted to walk out of 'Once' cause I was just bored and plus I was on a school trip so I was stuck for the duration. I was also tempted to leave 'The 39 Steps' during the interval not because of the show but purely because I was tired and didn't want to risk nodding off during the show, but I knew I wouldn't be able to see it again with a clearer head so forced myself to keep awake.
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1,088 posts
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Post by andrew on Sept 23, 2016 21:48:05 GMT
Yep, arriving late does my nut in. Just leave home earlier...you're not that important! It's annoying but I like to imagine those who are late genuinely tried, and their car wouldn't start or their train was delayed half an hour or something. I've not yet been late but have sprinted through tourists to get to the theatre on time before after transport mishaps. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2016 23:13:52 GMT
I've been late a few times over the years. You can set off as early as you like, but a person on the tracks or a serious snowstorm cannot be defeated by simply remembering that one is unimportant.  |
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Post by Mr Wallacio on Sept 24, 2016 7:25:16 GMT
I did my first walk out during a show at Ed Fringe this year. The only reason being that the show show started 40 minutes later than advertised and I'd given myself 30 minutes to get from one show to another which was 10 mins walk (if I knew the way). The play was awful anyway, supposedly a comedy but I didn't laugh once (others chuckled, but I think that was more to do with them being friends of the cast). I knew I would probably end up walking out so I made sure to sit near the back on a side aisle seat so as not to disturb anyone.
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379 posts
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Post by ctas on Sept 24, 2016 14:01:38 GMT
My decision process for whether I leave a show at the interval or not is "would I pay half the ticket price to not have to sit through the second act." I always stay if it's a freebie, no matter how dire.
Arriving late is sometimes completely unavoidable but I try my best to avoid it. There's nothing worse than being late beyond your control.
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Post by danb on Sept 24, 2016 19:38:05 GMT
Yep, arriving late does my nut in. Just leave home earlier...you're not that important! It's annoying but I like to imagine those who are late genuinely tried, and their car wouldn't start or their train was delayed half an hour or something. I've not yet been late but have sprinted through tourists to get to the theatre on time before after transport mishaps. I thought that myself, and then realised that I had never been late to the theatre because I leave myself a buffer. I'm not being smug, just saying that I respect the rest of the audience & the cast enough to get there on time. I''m not saying I haven't got there with seconds to spare, but the buffer was enough... |
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379 posts
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Post by ctas on Sept 24, 2016 19:53:17 GMT
I've been late because of traffic... Two and a half hours were left for an hour long journey and we were half an hour late for the start. Sometimes it just happens.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2016 20:37:05 GMT
I thought that myself, and then realised that I had never been late to the theatre because I leave myself a buffer. I'm not being smug, just saying that I respect the rest of the audience & the cast enough to get there on time. I''m not saying I haven't got there with seconds to spare, but the buffer was enough... There are limits to how much you can do. I usually work on the basis of working out what train will get me to my destination with half an hour to spare (or an hour for long journeys) and then catching the train before that one, so even if one train is cancelled I'll still have plenty of time in hand to allow for more delays on top of that. But it's not possible to account for everything, and you can't plan for events like your train driver having to be rushed to hospital or a suspected bomb on the train or trackside arson. To have never been late going to the West End I'd have had to allow a buffer of over four hours for a 90 minute journey. |
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Post by d'James on Sept 24, 2016 20:44:57 GMT
My best train story was on my way to Manchester when we made an unscheduled stop at Rugby because a woman had gone into labour. The funny thing was the man had queued up behind several people in the shop (including me) to tell the shop-person about it and contact the train manager. How polite - I'm sure we wouldn't have minded (mound ) if he'd pushed in. However they didn't let it slow us down much. They shoved her off the train and into an ambulance and we were on our way promptly! |
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