Theatre Etiquette. Annoying woman in front

Packed cinema for Les Miserables
Everyone silent at it began. Then, right next to me woman approximately in her 50s starts to rummage in her bag to give her octogenarian mother sandwiches. Wrapped in foil. Home made egg sandwiches. I thought I was going to be sick 😫

Sniffers and sweetie wrappers do it for me. I turned round once and held out a tissue to the adult sitting behind and I’ve also complained loudly about noise of continuous cellophane unwrapping on sweeties. Plus I sush any talkers nearby.

I'm 5ft 2 and always get the 'big one' in front of me. I end up with a creak in my neck trying to peer around them as I won't say anything. As soon as I hear a new show is coming I try to get front seats.
It's the chitter chatters that really get my goat. Why go to a show for a catch up, just go the pub instead.

A lady once asked me to leave the cinema because my youngest grandchild was a bit fidgety, not noisy, or touching anyone, but definitely restless.
I saw her point so left, dragging my impeccably behaved granddaughter, who was crying, behind me.
As we passed along the row, her little boy, who was probably about eight said. Mummy, that was mean, you’ve made that little girl cry.
Children are so much kinder.

I always try to get aisle seats for the theatre and cinema as I have arthritis in my neck and need to move my head a lot to avoid quite severe neurological problems. I would be really embarrassed if someone told me off as I try hard to contain it without causing problems for other people.
I did have a go at a man who opened a large bag of crisps when I was at the Palladium in London watching sound of music. It was just when mother superior was about to sing Climb every mountain ! He left.

MawtheMerrier

^Balconies and galleries are no good for me, because there's usually a security bar in my eyeline if I sit on the front row^

Try the second or third row back in the Circle/Upper Circke Ailidh
The rake of the floor is often steep enough for most of us shorties to see beyond the head immediately in front of us. The guard rail is unlikely to be above the line of the front of the stage and if you sit slightly to the side of centre that helps too.
I have found rows O or P of the upper circle of the Birmingham Hippodrome just about right, as well as being affordable!

Thank you, I'll give that a go!!

If it was really 'all the time', okay, that would be distracting. As someone with neck problems, I have some sympathy for her though. I'll bend my neck to one side, then the other to stretch it out once or twice in a two hour show. I doubt the person behind me even noticed but, if they did, I make no apology. I hope the woman didn't have to leave with a stiff neck, which may still be troubling them today. Still, if I had to do it constantly, I think I'd just avoid the theatre for my own comfort, if nothing else.

snowberryZ You did the right thing. People should be considerate of others. I would have said something.
A young man sitting next to me at Andrea Bocelli recently was videoing and I told him he was spoiling my enjoyment, and to put his phone down please.
I do the same if people talk or rustle sweet papers.
If I had a particular problem I think I would just explain.

I wonder if using A View From My Seats would help you find your perfect seat? I am sure that it will depend on your height and the height of other attendees.

I have used the US version many times and find it helpful. I have a short person in my family so seating is a concern for us.

here is the UK version: aviewfrommyseat.co.uk/sports/Theater/

That's a good idea imaround.

Reading all this, am glad I never go to the cinema or theatre.

Often not much on the tv, but I sit quietly watching it on my own, DH in another room watching what he prefers. No one talking, head in the way, eating, rustling……

Bliss.

We went to the new Abba Arena to see their Voyage production earlier this year.
There were announcements about no mobile phones allowed, please just enjoy the show. People complied.
A latecomer who sat in front of us, and had missed the announcement, got her phone out and started taking photos.
In seconds an usher swooped down and told her it wasn't allowed.
It made such a difference to the performance to have no phones waving about in the audience.

Hettty58. Only! That’s tall. I’m 5ft 1in so often have problems with people sitting in front.

Not many people think when they go to the theatre that they may be disturbing or distracting to other audience members.
I work in the theatre and see all manner of behaviours but someone moving their head about is not something that an usher can intervene with. Asking politely is all that the person affected can do. I would have also said something. Sometimes people just are not aware that they are disturbing the people around them. Looking at their phones is my biggest gripe.

Thing I find most annoying is actually at concerts when someone continually makes that really shrill loud whistle. It's horrible. And particularly bad if you are close to the person.

We recently went to see a band at a local theatre. No phones were used until near the end. The chap in front of me filmed two of the songs completely obscuring my line of sight. The third time he lifted his phone I tapped him on the shoulder and told him I couldn't see past his phone. He stopped filming. A week later we went and a chap in the row in front decided to check his messages. After a few minutes my husband told him to switch it off and he did. He might be bored but we weren't .

We were given very expensive tickets to see Bob Dylan and the couple behind us talking the whole way through. I thought they must be youngsters but when I looked in the interval I saw they were our age. They were talking about what they had had for dinner and their families.
No I didn't say anything.

I went to see a Victoria Wood show in Bristol some years ago with a friend. Someone complained to to my friend that she was laughing to much and too loudly... bizarre

Well done you!
I had a similar experience at a music performance where the women behind were having a good old chat, oblivious to the performers.
I put up with it until I was bursting then, politely, asked them to carry on their conversation in the bar if they weren't so interested in the music. They muttered and glared but went quiet. Five minutes later they left, presumably as they could hold their tongues no longer!
I think some people just need reminding that their actions can be detrimental to the enjoyment (and mental health!!) of those around them. And not just at the theatre.

SnowberryZ I understand completely your frustration. I am not small, 5ft 7in but sometimes I find that I can only get a good view by leaning to one side and watching between the two people in front. This is OK unless one of those people keeps changing their position causing me to do the same. That probably annoys the person behind me and thence the person behind them……

DH and I were at the Royal Albert Hall a few years ago and there were two quite young children behind us. They were so good that as we were leaving I complimented their parents on their excellent behaviour. The little girl asked what "that lady" had said and her daddy told her that I'd said how very well behaved she and her brother had been. She beamed at me and said "And you were very well behaved too!"

So it works both ways ...

Well done OP. I would have wanted to do the same but might have been too nervous. We went to Come from Away in London and a man with a giant Afro sat in front of me. I’m tall but could hardly see a thing. Fortunately, I was able to lean towards my DH to see a little of stage left. So annoying for him though. A very inconsiderate hair do for the theatre.
I sometimes wonder what theatre and cinema ushers are paid for because they seem to ignore poor behaviour.

There seems to be a culture now of people standing in their seats, dancing, singing along with films like Mama Mia etc and it has spread to musical theatre. In my city on Facebook there seem to be two camps. Those who want to see the stage and hear the professional performers. And those who say such moaning Minnie's are spoiling a good night out. Eating lots of food of all kinds seems to be a big part of the joy. Also many are drunk. One woman had a drunk man's head on her shoulder most of the night. The attendants have difficulty ejecting people as they resist and complain. And throwing people out or not is also an area of controversy. Any inclination I had to go to the theatre has been somewhat finished by these accounts.

Don’t know if I would have been brave enough but must have been annoying
The only way to avoid that is to get front seats, Balcony or a box
That reminded me, we went into a London theatre years ago in the mid 70s was the carry on team,
we went in quite near the performance start, to see if any tickets 2 adults and two children available, they gave us a box seat for the stalls price, it overhung the stage on the right, was amazing only thing it was embarrassing when one of the cast kept bowing to us, think it was Sid James making the audience all glance bet they were disappointed seeing just us
But I’ve never forgotten it.. very comfortable it was too, all red velvet very plush.
But have not been to the theatre since sigh!

what about people standing up and dancing in their seats so that you can't see the performance I don't say anything as its just part of the experience of going to see groups