Rude and inconsiderate theatregoers

jennyjelly

DH and I have just come back from seeing Blood Brothers. The tickets were £35 each, and by the time you add on parking and interval drinks the evening cost in the region of £85, but it was a show we really wanted to see and we had put the money aside.

BUT....

The couple in front of us completely ruined it. Firstly they arrived late and having made the whole of their row stand up to let them in they then stood in front of us faffing around with coats and drinks. They then spent the entire evening whispering to each other, pouring their lager held up high and blocking our view, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. DH asked them early on to stop talking and they did for a while but couldn't keep it up. The man was tall and I had to lean to one side to see, but as he kept moving from side to side and leaning over to kiss his GF I spent the first act playing peekaboo with the stage (we swapped seats in the interval and DH had the pleasure).

Act 2 started and we had a repeat performance of the late arrival and drink faffing. Then the popcorn came out and they had to show each other every single piece. And because they had been drinking lager all evening they both had to disturb everyone to make loo trips.

I am so angry that an expensive and looked-forward-to evening was spoiled by such rude people, and also that the theatre staff let them take their seats after the show had started, which most theatres don't.

Sorry, just had to have a little moan. It probably makes me sound like a miserable old fart but I am really annoyed with the couple and with the theatre.

gordikin

Shame! It's my wife's fave...she been 10 times and cries at the end every time! If you're not in your seats by curtain up they should really refuse admission (I've never seen that happen)...I feel for you both.

tabskitten

Totally sympathise!!
In fact it is this type of thing that puts me off theater and cinema- how sad is that!!
Esp cinema which is usually full of noisey popcorn munchers, rowdy teenagers or bawling children, i am happier waiting for it to come out on DVD.
Maybe i am just a grumpy bum!!

CHR15

I saw Blood Brothers this evening.

I was worried when I saw so many Students in there, never seen that many youngsters (17-19ish yrs old) in a Theatre for a play before but they were no problem fortunately (a few teachers strewn about amongst them).

I thought the first period was a bit too Pantomimy for my taste, the second session was much better, quite hard hitting.

oldone_2

The last time I went to the theatre, the person next to me had been eating garlic.

Now that is antisocial behaviour of the highest order.

iamana1ias

CHR15 wrote: »

I saw Blood Brothers this evening.

I was worried when I saw so many Students in there, never seen that many youngsters (17-19ish yrs old) in a Theatre for a play before but they were no problem fortunately (a few teachers strewn about amongst them).

It's a GCSE drama set text (so they'd have been 14-15, not 17-19!).

iamana1ias

jennyjelly wrote: »

DH and I have just come back from seeing Blood Brothers. The tickets were £35 each, and by the time you add on parking and interval drinks the evening cost in the region of £85, but it was a show we really wanted to see and we had put the money aside.

Ouch. Blood Brothers is always on offer (lastminute etc). You could probably have paid less than £20 each for the same seats :eek:

Becles

I don't think the theatre should have let them in late.

I went once when I was heavily pregnant and couldn't hold on for the loo, so I had to sneak out for a wee. When I came out of the toilet, they refused to let me go back to my seat, so I had to stand at the back and watch until the interval

geri1965_2

I'm surprised they allow you to take alcoholic drinks to your seat - I went to the Bristol Hippodrome on Friday to see Tosca and a couple a few rows in front got spoken to by the usher for drinking champagne in the interval.

I had a bit of an issue myself with a couple in the row in front of me - all I was doing was trying to get some Minstrels out of my bag, admittedly they were rustling a bit but I was trying to be as quiet as I could, and they kept turning round and glaring at me. Very rude to stare, I was always told.

jennyjelly

iamana1ias wrote: »

Ouch. Blood Brothers is always on offer (lastminute etc). You could probably have paid less than £20 each for the same seats :eek:

Quite possibly, but we booked well ahead to be sure of getting good seats as it was a show we really wanted to see but didn't want to travel to London (easier to stay local because of kids/babysitters etc) and didn't mind paying full price for them. We don't go very often so it was a bit of a special treat.

As it turned out we might as well have just turned up on the door and hoped for some leftover tickets, we probably would have had seats without THEM in front of us!

maninthestreet

Popcorn and lager in the auditorium during the performance???
Any theatre that values their reputation would never allow that.