To expect good manners in Theatre Audiences

People who cannot bear to get through a couple of hours of a performance without stuffing their faces should be shovelled through the nearest emergenct exit forthwith.
Mind you, years ago when I was relying on the local library for Internet access, I became aware of the smell of curry sauce - the young guy next to me had one of those appalling polysterene trays of curry balanced on his knee and kept ducking his head under the desk to eat it.
The library staff just pretended not to notice the stink. Then he rounded off with a can of Red Bull.

What a pig!

Faierynan

Ready meals: Why is silent use of a mobile phone OK. I find a bright screen very distracting and most places you go to ask you to switch off your mobile, for a very good reason!!!!!!

When I'm absorbed in something I don't think a dim light from a mobile would be a problem (they have adaptive brightness). Noise would as it can physically mask the sound you are trying to hear. I think that's why people are asked to turn them off, to prevent them ringing. Btw, go easy on the exclamation marks because the gransnet server might run out of them and no one else will be able to exclaim ;)

Actually that was probably when I was older... I think it was the Free Trade Hall before?

petal53 I also used to go to the Bridgewater Hall as a girl.

Yes, and I bet the Christmas decorations in Manchester were fabulous too. I used to love Manchester as teen. Loved going to Tiffany’s, probably closed long ago. But there’s so much to do in Manchester. Great city.

It was the start of Christmas for me

I can imagine Iam. Just lovely. DH and I went to the Messiah at the Albert Hall one Easter. Was gorgeous.

The high-pitched screams of young in women in the audience are dreadful. Instead of just clapping, or yelling Bravo if they really must vocalise, they just let out these ear-splitting screams. It's DREADFUL. Maybe that's what they do at pop concerts, so that's why they do it at the theatre.

Also people leaning forward in their seats, not realising that it blocks the view of people behind.

Haha, that description made me smile Babs. A very evocative memory, I could just see those old cinemas in my mind.
Mind you, I do like the reclining seats these days, so comfy. And if I’ve taken my twelve year old grandson to some particularly awful, rubbishy film. I can close my eyes and relax for a bit.
Not if someone comes along with one of those foul smelling meals though. I only allow my grandchildren popcorn or ice cream. And a bottle of water.

petal53 - it was a special performance with such skill. The choir was wonderful, a wall of sound.

I remember when going to the cinema was very different, no meals or big buckets of popcorn, or enormous seats with trays at the side for food and drinks, the seats were uncomfortable, and you didn't get to see the main feature until a shorter film was shown at the beginning, and the only chance of anything edible was from the hostess at the interval who brought the icecreams out, my fav was always a strawberry mivvy and my mum would have a choc ice.
Nobody caused a ruckus and nobody trashed the place.
A different age.

Oooh, I used to love going to the Bridgewater Hall when mum and dad were alive, and we used to visit them in the north.
The Messiah is one of my favourites, I bet it was gorgeous.
Shame about the misbehaving student though. Annoying!

The last time I went to the cinema I thought, what am I doing here?
Would I want a bunch of people around me, while sitting on my sofa at home, talking and shuffling, and coughing and eating etc?
No I wouldnt.
So I havent been back since. So far.

I can undertand why actors and muscians can challenge the audience if they see people on their phones etc., or to leave the stage until this is dealt with. Is disrespectful to those who rehearse long hours in order to entertain us, and not all are paid the big bucks, there are many supporting actors and those accompanying more famous musicians, who are just there for their bread and butter.
I imagine this never happened back in Oliviers day.

I went to a performance of The Messiah at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester the weekend before this. The huge theatre was full. The production absolutely glorious. Before it started we were reminded to switch off phones and not take photographs. I was sitting in good stall seats, my row and the one in front full of music students. They were mostly engrossed but a student in front of me was constantly checking his phone. I tapped his shoulder, pointed to my eye, whispered it’s hurting my eye and is distracting. What a filthy look but he stopped until the Hallelujah chorus when he started photographing the stage. He was the only student of Chinese origin - phone addicted? No manners

I really don’t understand how everyone seems to be ok with eating in cinemas with the smell and mess Can’t they eat before or after a show? I know it makes the big cinemas a huge profit. Not talking about sweets and popcorn but burgers etc. Also had to ask a women talking very loudly on her phone at the cinema ( live presenters were starting their nature talk) The cinema had empty rows and she sat right next to me on her phone. So entitled and ignoring any one else wanting to listen to the presenters

We have a local theatre, and twice within a few weeks I have been with by grandchildren 9 and 11. They do understand that during a performance to stay still, no chatting (whispering a question is ok), and if you have a mint, then put the wrapper in your pocket.

Just yesterday we went to the school district band concert. The grade 5's (first year with instruments) were the first to perform, and afterwards were allowed to go into the audience to sit with their families.

I have issue with these types of events where families leave after their Johnny has finished his performance. The audience was noticeably thinner by the time the 16-17 year old jazz band was performing. That makes me angry. At least most leaving had the decency to shuffle out in between numbers.

Haven't been to the theatre for 3 yrs now but have been to the cinema recently. It was a teatime performance and there was a family of three sat in front of me. Looked like parents and daughter, they had brought food with them and continually opened up different, noisy, smelly containers of food and sat there chatting loudly and eating and drinking. The mother and daughter both had feet up on the seats in front (unoccupied) and then 2 of them got put phones and were texting, very distracting. The cinema was only half full so I eventually moved seats to the other side well away from them. Despicable, bad mannered and thoughtless behaviour.

I know it's a very different situation but i did have a smile reading this - I went to a panto put on by the English department at a uni in a Scandinavian country - there were several of us Brits and we hissed and booed, shouted ' look behind you' and so on and the cast were really enjoying themselves. However, quite a few scandi audience members asked us to be quiet!

Aww that IS a shame, all that money for tickets and then people spoil it. Also it feels really rude and disrespectful to the actors. I don't know what is going on with people lately.

I have awful memories of being the cause of disturbance. When I was ten, I was taken to a ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. I was so excited that I kept commenting and asking my mother questions, although I knew I shouldn’t. A superior man in front of us turned round and said to my mother “Please would you tell your daughter to be quiet”. My poor mother was very embarrassed, and I was utterly crushed. I didn’t speak another word! It was 75 years ago and I have not forgotten.

As a result I am fairly tolerant of talkative excited children. Not at all tolerant of adults who don’t behave properly, though.

Have to say, I attended the same theatre a couple of weeks later - again a matinee to see Wicked, with no problems at all - Well as far as I'm aware!

I recently went to a matinee performance of Blood Brothers in Manchester with my 2 daughters and 6 grandchildren aged 12 -20. Fairly soon after the show started there was a disturbance - a couple of people had their phones on and were refusing to turn them off. Theatre staff got involved and it culminated with the group being told to leave. I'm not sure whether those on stage were aware as we were up in the gallery but it was disturbing for those around. One of my daughters was only a few seats away and said it was obvious when the group came in that they had already been drinking and that a couple had drinks in their hand. Theatre seats aren't cheap and I can't understand why people would do this.

I've given up on the cinema due to people talking, making calls, getting up and coming and going - I wait for the DVD to be available. (I still have a DVD player. ) Much as we love live theatre, the last experience was really so frustrating - noisy eating, phone lights distracting, talking, and a theatre visit now is an expensive outing.

I don't even go to the cinema anymore because there's always someone talking, unwrapping sweets, on phones etc! Never understand why people can't sit and enjoy something without having to chomp all the way through, just don't get the need to constantly need to be eating! Obviously now it's spilling into theatre's!!