Inconsiderate behaviour in theatres

I don't understand why people have to eat and drink at all during a two hour film at the cinema.

I was once guilty of arriving late for the ballet. Rudolf Nureyev dancing Prospero on stilts. We’d got stuck in the traffic and just couldn’t get there in time. We had to hang around in the foyer until the interval and watch the ballet on a blurry black and white tv screen. As this performance was a series of cameos rather than a full ballet we never did see Nureyev on stilts. We did see him at other times but I always regret missing that performance. If theatres still did this it would shake up the tardy types I’m sure.

Decide whether you are talking about older children or younger!

Simply cannot understand why people have to keep stuffing their faces. As for those revolting buckets of popcorn - the smell, the rustling, the moronic chomping - disgusting. Totally ruin the enjoyment of those forced to sit next to anybody clutching one. There is no pleasure in going to the cinema any more, cannot bear sitting next to people who can't last a couple of hours without noisily eating something smelly. Food in cinemas and theatre auditoriums should be banned, apart from an ice cream in the interval.

People don’t know how to behave. Manners, just even the basics are thought unnecessary. It’s really noticeable over the past ten years or so.

I don’t go to the cinema or theatre now. It’s too expensive and last time the people behind us never let up chit chatting!

Watching the snooker just now - no one in the audience talking/eating/using phones at all, and only movement allowed between frames.
If it's possible to behave so well for sport then surely the same should be possible in theatres?

There used to be a dress code too. You would often see men in jackets and ties and women in evening dresses. Now it is jeans and tshirts

And regard to food in cinemas, this is purely for profit. There is little money to be made in the showing of a film, so food is a way of getting extra cash in

I hate having my eardrums perforated by people using their fingers to whistle. If someone next to me did it I would jog his elbow and hope it choked him. How do you get through to anybody that whistling actually hurts my ears.

This is why i stopped going to the pictures. It costs a fortune to go and then you get disturbed by inconsiderate people

People don’t know how to behave. Manners, just even the basics are thought unnecessary. It’s really noticeable over the past ten years or so.

I don’t go to the cinema or theatre now. It’s too expensive and last time the people behind us never let up chit chatting!

I absolutely loath going to the pictures now to see a film, in fact I don't go anymore and happy to wait to see it on TV eventually, and watch in the comfort of my own home, not having to listen to other people talking through it, munching, slurping and kicking my seat!!!
Why the British public can't sit for 1-2 hours without eating I'll never know!!!!

Gosh, just reading this and realising what an anti social and grumpy lot many of us have become. Is it post covid, the ageing process or what?

Kim19

Gosh, just reading this and realising what an anti social and grumpy lot many of us have become. Is it post covid, the ageing process or what?

Wow. What it is is unease with the declining standards of basic manners and falling levels of consideration in OTHERS. We are not the problem. Thanks for the attempt at gaslighting though.

Blimey.

We visited the theatre yesterday - one lady sallies in 5 minutes late, walks right to the front of the theatre and noisily takes her seat. Halfway through the first act a lady again from the front of the theatre, leaves her seat (presumably to visit the ladies) and then does exactly the same thing 20minutes into the second act - in spite of there having been a 20 minute interval. It must be off putting for the actors on stage.

Thinking something similar, MissA. However..........

How is it 'grumpy and antisocial' to deplore the selfish and inconsiderate behaviour of others? Surely those noisily arriving late, talking, chomping, slurping etc are the antisocial ones?

Exactly Skate. I suppose the people who behave so badly at the theatre just think everyone else is grumpy and anti social, and will continue ue with their rude and annoying behaviour.

I'm a volunteer usher at our local theatre and it is a very difficult job. Some shows the tour manager will allow no photos, some allow videoing and others anything goes. It's hard to police people taking photos if it's not allowed since lots of others will be doing it too! Regarding latecomers, again some shows specify none, others 10 minutes in or after the first song etc. it differs. But we ushers have to try to sort it as best we can with the minimum disruption. You can't temporarily sit people in vacant seats because the ticketholder will then arrive causing more distruption. I go round with a big sign when mobiles can't be used and most people adhere to it. I usually end up with a whole lot of late comers on my door waiting to be seated and it really isn't easy to deal with. I think all phones should be banned in theatres and no latecomers allowed in until the interval but I don't make the rules.

My GS works in a Cinema , he was chatting about this very subject and told me he loves the older patrons as they don’t leave rubbish behind !

Sadly it`s the sign of the times
Young parents ( not all ) spend more time on their phones whilst ignoring their childs behaviour,and no doubt they will be the same when they have children.
It`s all about me myself and i.
They don`t even recognise what they are doing as it`s the norm to eat/drink and speak over anything and everything.
Manners have gone awol.

aggie

My GS works in a Cinema , he was chatting about this very subject and told me he loves the older patrons as they don’t leave rubbish behind !

A woman across the aisle from me spent a large proportion of the film on her phone, creating a distracting light for everyone around her. When we were leaving the ground around where her Children had been sitting was absolutely covered with rubbish. The poor things were obviously being brought up to be as rude and inconsiderate as she was.

I think people have become so used to sitting at home watching TV and somehow thinking the sort of behaviour that is fine in one's own home is acceptable in a public space like a theatre or cinema.

I also get annoyed when parents bring small children to a film that is clearly going to go over their heads. Everyone sitting around them then has to put up with the whining, fidgeting, loud questions, in and out to the loo and wailing when they drop their sweets on the floor