Rude and inconsiderate theatregoers

aloise

I went to se Les Miz in Liverpool and there was a family of about 7 people behind me, they were no problem but they had a mentally handicapped lad with them and they had booked him a seat at the asle end of our row, on his own. He sang all the songs, ate sweets and crisps, and bounced up and down the whole time. I was right next to him. He and his family all went out in the interval and he came back with more sweets. How good was that. I did complain but the manager just shrugged. £30 down the drain.
Ladies please, please lay of the perfume if you are going to a theatre or cinema. It's so ovepowering in a closed theatre

noapron

I suppose it's usual for people to have icecreams etc in a cinema but not in a theatre - perhaps the odd boiled sweet!

You can't do anything or really complain about the height of the people in front of you - if they were short and pfaffing around it would still block your view. I'm very short and often curse those of more height in front of me, but it's not their fault and I've often spent an evening trying to look around the person in front.

It's the lateness I don't get. If the play had started, why were they allowed in before a pause in the action? It might be worth asking the theatre about their policy on that.

As for the alcohol and popcorn - that's over the top. Drinkwise in a theatre there's nowhere to put a drink down and common sense says don't drink lager and the like because of the toilet breaks. If you want alcohol, just stay in the bar.

I'd say write to the theatre too.

The theatre management, may not like stopping latecomer entering the auditorium, and they would no doubt moan about what they'd paid for the tickets, but they lose a lot of goodwill from other people who have paid and are sitting in their seats on time. As a regular theatregoer, I get embarassed if I have to ask people to stand so I can get to my seat before the performance starts.

nikki_angel

Aloise - didn't he know the right words? Is that why it was a pain?

CHR15

iamana1ias wrote: »

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

Great! I feel guilty now at staring at those girls with all the make up and short skirts on! :eek: (I thought they were older....honestly!)

supermezzo

jennyjelly wrote: »

I couldn't believe it either - they even projected an ad onto the curtain in the interval encouraging them to 'bring your drink in to enjoy during the performance'. I think it's appalling.

I belong to a little amateur theatre group and we don't allow it in out little 60 seat theatre - I can't imagine why the Bristol Hippodrome thinks it's ok - oh, could it be something to do with increasing sales of their extortionately prices goodies?[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what it is I'm afraid. I used to work there and drinks and sweets were all allowed in the auditorium.

katieh86

That's horrible! I took my mum to see Dirty Dancing for her birthday and a family in the row in front came in late, faffed around and then put all their coats on one seat for their daughter to sit on. Ok, this would be acceptable if she was a small child but no! She was about 21 and at least 5ft 7! As if she needed a booster seat!!! I swapped seats with my poor little 5ft mum who couldn't see past her fat head! But how rude!!!

Candice-Marie

This touches a nerve!

We were in the stalls for the touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang a couple of weeks ago...I'm tolerant enough to realise that a family show will attract young families, and that some of the children may be on their first theatre trip...but I could not believe how much a mother and her young son behind us were talking (not whispering!) throughout the show. They made no effort to lower their voices or wait for the applause to speak.

I tried the turning around and glaring. It didn't work. My partner asked them to stop talking. It worked for about 5 minutes.

What is the point of these people spending good money going to the theatre and talking all the way through? I just don't get it.

Rant over!

geri1965_2

supermezzo wrote: »

That's exactly what it is I'm afraid. I used to work there and drinks and sweets were all allowed in the auditorium.

I was confused because it said we could take drinks into the auditorium, but the people with the champagne were told off. Maybe it's just forbidden to drink in the seats themselves?

jennyjelly

geri1965 wrote: »

I was confused because it said we could take drinks into the auditorium, but the people with the champagne were told off. Maybe it's just forbidden to drink in the seats themselves?

I don't think it's that, as the interval ad implied that that is what you are invited to do. It's a terrible policy though, and a cynical way of increasing profit at the expense of the comfort of those of us who would rather just watch the show and not sit in a bar with incidental entertainment.

Edit: There seem to be an awful lot of us who are bothered by ill-mannered people in theatres. I wish there was something we could do about it. I know tall people can't help their height and people with big heads can't help that, but maybe if theatres staggered the seating instead of putting seats directly behind each other there would be a better chance of having some sort of view. On the whole it seems that those whose money keeps the theatres in business get very little consideration!

Becles

jennyjelly wrote: »

A bit harsh in your condition though - I do hope they gave you something to sit on!

No there was nothing to sit on and no spare seats at the back.

I did go to the loo before it started, but we were sat next to the orchestra pit and when they played a loud bit of music, my baby went mental and was kicking my bladder to death :rotfl: