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I asked the cashier in Asda why there were so many people very young children in the shop after midnight one night, when I was doing some late night shopping, and she said that it was because their benefits were paid online at midnight, and they had to come and get some food, and so had to bring the children. People really do live hand to mouth these days.... :(

Edited by cavycapers
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I witnessed some extremely selfish behaviour at the back of the Amphi in Sleeping Beauty last night. A large man kept leaning really far forwards and was obstructing the woman's view in the row behind him. She, her friend (they swapped places) and two ushers asked him politely to sit back. Having been asked a couple of  times he began to applaud with his hands held as far above his head as possible.The poor women ended up standing on the stairs so that they could see the last act. I was fascinated by Osipova's performance, but perhaps this and also a lady energetically fanning herself (it was warm up there) made the last act a bit of an anti- climax for me. I was just so distracted. There was a bit of chatter and 'shushes' during the pause. There were also some flashing mobile phones (despair!). The lyrics 'check your mobile phone, now!' fit in really well to the music here btw. I'm beginning to think that we will have to demand special performances where audience members sign contracts which include no phones, eating, drinking (unless cough has developed, but please no need to crunch your water bottle loudly and repeatedly as if you wish to help out the orchestra) etc. Okay, got that off my chest. Please don't get me started on the Coliseum audiences during ENB's sacred Giselle in January!

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Apropos back of the amphi, I have a question, also relating to last night SB but not only last night. At the start of the garland dance (not my favourite part of the ballet but that is another subject) there is introductory moving around, which finishes with the corps lined up in two diagonal rows. Last night - but not only last night - the back of the amphi, and no other part of the house, applauded this, even though it was not the end of anything, rather a brief break before "the start of the dance".

 

And when I say it was the back of the amphi, I don't mean eight people, I mean most of those rows, a whole section of the auditorium.

 

What is it that they are seeing - or think they are seeing - from back there that the rest of us are not seeing?

 

(Please move this to the SB thread if people feel that is the better place)

Edited by Geoff
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I don't understand all this stuff about not turning off mobiles at the theatre and the ROH. It is mandatory at cinemas which always have a trailer in the advert. We now watch ballet via live link and I only look at my phone during the interval and only then to see if the ballet is trending on Twitter or what my ballet friends are saying about it.

In my experience many leave their phone on at the cinema. They can't possibly miss out on that all important picture of someones dinner on Facebook.

 

We're in the throws of a zombie plague and it's only going to get worse!

 

10 Signs Of The Smartphone Zombie Plague - Listverse

Young people "get post-traumatic stress" when separated from their mobiles | Metro News

 

As a none mobile user, I feel quite blessed!

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Indulging a bit more in my disapproval, the lack of rules and discipline, especially for children I must admit irritates me. Since the dawn of 24 hour supermarkets I often shop late (avoiding the hell of family rush hour with children running around the aisles) but nonetheless see adults with very young children there after 10 pm. I must confess this irritates me, it seems to be to show a casual disregard for discipline and a kind of selfish laziness. I try to remind myself that society is now very different to even 20 years ago, including economic pressures on parents leading to odd and difficult working patterns and knock on effects on childrens' upbringing. But then you see a child being allowed to play a loud harmonica as they are wheeled round the supermarket, with the adult seeming to have no concept that this might be annoying to other people .... I'd better not get started ... 

 

Very young kids is ok, might be the only chance the parents and kids have to see each other after long shifts and long travel times, and depending on child minding arrangements the kids may very well be getting enough sleep during the day. School age kids is more worrying though, but again people end up with no good options. The joys of immensely rich societies who like to pretend to be too poor to look after our people. 

 

I can see why stressed, exhausted, slightly desperate (and shopping when you can't afford to buy the kids what you'd like is a horrible feeling even when it's temporary, never mind a permanent state) people might not be too tuned into how their children's musical talents are affecting others.

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Another member of Team Terpsichore, has just returned from Florida where she saw the Miami City Ballet perform a triple bill consisting of Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Wheeldon's Polyphonia and a new ballet specially commissioned for the company from Ratmansky called The Fairy's Kiss at West Palm Beach.

 

My colleague enjoyed the review very much and I have just posted her review to our blog but she complained that the auditorium emptied as the artists were taking their curtain call.  She was shocked as would I have been.   As she put it in her article:
 

"I can think of nothing more demoralizing for an artist who has danced his or her heart out than to face rows of empty seats or the backsides of retreating patrons. These are some of the best dancers in the world. They have spent years at ballet school giving up many of the pleasures that other children and teenagers enjoy in order to perfect their art. They have competed against the best in the world and somehow found their way into a very tough and very competitive profession. They deserve respect and in most other theatres of the world I am sure that they would get it."

 

I like to think the artists would get the respect they deserve in most theatres in North America but it is many years since I last visited the USA and things may have changed.  Is this a case of tempora and mores or is it just the way they do things in West Palm Beach?

Edited by terpsichore
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I have been thinking of ways the management of the theatre in West Palm Beach that I mentioned in my previous post could discourage its patrons from flouncing out of the auditorium while the dancers are still taking their curtain calls.

  • It could send its valet parking staff off for a coffee break until after the reverence had finished.
  • It could charge a supplemental fee for retrieval of a parked car before the performance had finished approximately equal to a generous bouquet of flowers and apply the proceeds of such fee for that purpose.

Any other suggestions?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Good to see a letter in The Times today complaining about the antics of the phone users and photo takers at the ROH on 1 March. Not so good to read that the correspondent has received no response from Kevin O'Hare, to whom the letter was sent. I suspect that theatres have got to the stage where they accept there is little they can do.

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A contributor to coughing in the auditorium at Sadlers Wells must be the siting of the air conditioning inlets above where all the nicotine addicts rush out at the intervals to have a cigarette - it sucks the smoke straight into both the foyer and the auditorium. It really stank of smoke on my last visit.  It would make sense to have no smoking zones and explanatory notices that channel the smoke a short distance away from the immediate front of the theatre...

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[T]he auditorium emptied as the artists were taking their curtain call.  She was shocked as would I have been.   As she put it in her article:

 

s it just the way they do things in West Palm Beach?

 

My experience with Kravis Center in West Palm Beach is that many, if not most, of the patrons are elderly.  After all, West Palm Beach, as well as other Florida locations, have several retirement communities.  I simply assumed that the elderly leave for an early dinner or go home to rest.

 

I have been thinking of ways the management of the theatre in West Palm Beach that I mentioned in my previous post could discourage its patrons from flouncing out of the auditorium while the dancers are still taking their curtain calls.

  • It could send its valet parking staff off for a coffee break until after the reverence had finished.
  • It could charge a supplemental fee for retrieval of a parked car before the performance had finished approximately equal to a generous bouquet of flowers and apply the proceeds of such fee for that purpose.

Any other suggestions?

 

Often times, I, too, criticize those who leave a performance early.  But, in my mind, Kravis Center is an exception.  Live and let live in West Palm Beach.

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Good to see a letter in The Times today complaining about the antics of the phone users and photo takers at the ROH on 1 March. Not so good to read that the correspondent has received no response from Kevin O'Hare, to whom the letter was sent. I suspect that theatres have got to the stage where they accept there is little they can do.

Can you give us the gist?  What was on March 1?

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Pleasantly surprised by a well behaved audience at the Sheffield Lyceum yesterday afternoon. Pretty much a full house I think. There was a pre curtain up crystal clear announcement about use of phones and cameras being forbidden, which could not have left anyone in any doubt, even the most determinedly entitled. There was a bit of coughing but I think the performance had people drawn in from the off. It was one of those times the atmosphere was obviously one of rapt attention. Even the woman next to me didn't touch her rustly sweets more than twice.

I was in the circle, watching people coming in as you do. Well, I do. A woman came in wearing a rather elaborate goth outfit, complete with top hat. Luckily she was seated somewhere behind me. Surely she would have been obliged to remove that hat for the benefit of whoever was unlucky enough to be sitting behind her.

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No doubt this has already been covered but what do you do when folk lean forward in ROH Stalls Circle, arms on finger boards and head in hands?  Immediately 50 per cent of the stage view is lost for those sitting close by and no doubt there is massive obstruction for those in rows B, C and D.  We had great Row A seats for Jewels Matinee, including an aisle seat, but folk the other side of the aisle seemed either to have no spatial awareness or considered that they could sit forward and obstruct others' views as of right.  

 

We we did ask them to sit back (which they did) but the glares were not pleasant.  Had we waited for an interval to ask front of house staff to intervene we would have missed virtually a whole Act.  Has rather spoiled what was a wonderful performance.

 

I have contacted the ROH to pass on my concerns and have suggested including messages on tickets or in situ about respecting others etc but it's disappointing that we now seem to have to remind folk of the need for common courtesies.

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47 minutes ago, JohnS said:

No doubt this has already been covered but what do you do when folk lean forward in ROH Stalls Circle, arms on finger boards and head in hands?  Immediately 50 per cent of the stage view is lost for those sitting close by and no doubt there is massive obstruction for those in rows B, C and D.  We had great Row A seats for Jewels Matinee, including an aisle seat, but folk the other side of the aisle seemed either to have no spatial awareness or considered that they could sit forward and obstruct others' views as of right.  

 

We we did ask them to sit back (which they did) but the glares were not pleasant.  Had we waited for an interval to ask front of house staff to intervene we would have missed virtually a whole Act.  Has rather spoiled what was a wonderful performance.

 

I have contacted the ROH to pass on my concerns and have suggested including messages on tickets or in situ about respecting others etc but it's disappointing that we now seem to have to remind folk of the need for common courtesies.

 

This often used to be an issue in the front/side amphi; so I now never book rows B, C or D because I got tired of either having my view blocked or having to psyche myself up to ask people to sit back. Very strange that people are so oblivious of others behind them! But in contrast, a very nice young woman yesterday afternoon asked if she was blocking my view because she had to lean forward slightly to see - in fact it was OK, but it was a refreshing change. A message on the tickets is a good idea. (And after all, if you buy a restricted view ticket you should expect to have a restricted view! And not lean way forward in order to make it not restricted; all that does is restrict the view for others who have bought more expensive tickets.)

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The only place where leaning forward is acceptable is the upper slips IMHO, where you'd be watching a bannister otherwise if you're short, or a sliver of stage if you're above 5'5. 

 

Row A leaners are quite common in theatres other than the ROH, so I'm not sure whether it's spatial awareness, or simply a bit of entitlement attitude but it's always worth trying to explain about sight lines in the hope that the message gets through...

 

Shame it ruined your experience. I recently had someone telling me to shut up somewhat aggressively when I looked at him  unimpressed for loudly chewing his peanuts during a quiet bit of Hamlet. Seeing that I hadn't actually said anything yet, the comment seemed a bit premature, though I suspect I used my ex-nanny expression of utter disapproval. I chose to interpret his reaction as embarrassment for being called out on something he was aware as being inconsiderate, but still - if you know it's not good form, why do it?

 

There was also a formidable rant in front of Sadler's Wells this week by a woman effing and blinding about someone daring to shush her. Haven't heard that many swear word repeated so often since possibly ever. She was going on about 'My rights', 'I payed as much as they', 'I'm showing my appreciation', and my favourite 'How dare &£#%# to ask me to be quiet when I'm WHISPERING'. Judging by her volume outside, I assume that her whisper is on the very audible side. 

Edited by Coated
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Sightlines in the amphi are generally very good as long as people sit back in their seats and don't lean forward. Unfortunately I often find myself in a situation where I am sitting behind the only person in the whole row in front of me who decides to lean forward. I have no qualms whatsoever in asking them to sit back and very seldom have a problem. I think that most people have no idea that in leaning forward they obstruct the view of those sitting behind them. There used to be  a reminder to this effect in very small print in the programme, but I think that this has now disappeared. I reckon it should be brought back in larger print

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So true - and the knock-on effect of one person leaning forward can be enormous.  I've been aware of leaners in front of me, and when I look more closely I realise they're leaning because someone in front of them is leaning, or shifting around frequently, or whatever, and so on ...  Unfortunately, the seating layout doesn't always allow you to have a gentle word with the person causing the problem.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just seen 2 screenings-Bolshoi and RB - usually I find the audiences for screenings much better behaved than for theatre, but my concentration in A Hero for Our Time was frequently broken by 3 ladies who decided to comment at regular intervals on the performance-mainly when they got lost about the storyline or didn't approve of something. Not even whispering but talking in normal voices. It was even more annoying than it would have been as it was such a small theatre. Anything they thought  remotely sensual produced loud titters. 2 days later, lovely audience in Aylesbury Odeon for RB Jewels- except for 2 ladies who started the first act sitting a few seats away but then for some unknown reason decided to move closer to us for Rubies- and to proceed to comment in normal voices at regular intervals. Again, it was about anything outside the 'normal' confines of a classical ballet step-especially if they thought it slightly risque (hoping to goodness they're not going to grace the upper circle with their presence when we go to see Casanova next week!).  They were noticeably quieter in Diamonds which I enjoyed the most. Emeralds I love, but the cinema resembled a ward for acute chest complaints throughout. I was struck with a completely unexpected cough in some of the quietest bits of Sleeping Beauty the other month and i know how mortifying it is, but I was bemused by the call-and-response nature of the coughing in Jewels- it seems that once a couple of people start then gradually more and more join in.

We couldn't decide what to do about aforesaid ladies- it's a dilemma whether doing something would cause more disruption than leaving it- not to mention creating an unpleasant atmosphere as there were so few people there. So we left it but it put us on edge as everytime we got our concentration back, another comment would come along.

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A lady fainted in the right hand standing section of the Stall Circle last night at the ROH just before the final section of Emeralds. She went down with a real thump.

 

Thankfully help got there very quickly (a doctor was sitting very near to where it happened)  but the lady landed at a really awkward angle so it took a while to sort out - basically until the end of the piece and into the interval.

 

Everyone around knew it was pretty serious incident so shame on the person standing further along, well aware of the situation, who kept going 'shush' when she was being helped.

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4 hours ago, Shirley said:

Everyone around knew it was pretty serious incident so shame on the person standing further along, well aware of the situation, who kept going 'shush' when she was being helped.

 

I didn't hear the shushing (seriously, why would anyone DO that in this situation), but got a little annoyed at the person sitting in front of me desperately trying to rubber neck. It's horrible enough for the person who fainted without having someone stare at them in the hope to get tittilated.

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  • 1 month later...

At today's matinee I was really upset with the family sitting in box 60 (the one nearest the fixed seats) in the grand tier. I was sitting in the front row next to the box and one of the family had shuffled their seats right up to the boards and at a right angle so they were blocking 1/3 of my view. Before the performance started I asked politely if they would mind moving one of the seats a bit - I'm not sure they understood, but after much gesturing the seat was moved.

 

But it didn't end there. Throughout the mixed bill there was much shuffling, swapping of seats, noisy scraping of chairs, a rustling mac put on, rustling bags, whispering, and the young son was so bored he had his arms and head flung over the finger boards without objection from parents. I've never seen a whole family behave so badly. Does sitting in a box imply that you are somehow insulated from the rest of the audience and the racket you make isn't heard by anyone else and you can do what you want?

 

By the time M&A came around, the seat was back to where it was, and the guy sitting in it was blocking more of the view. Between scenes I tapped his arm and asked if he would mind moving his chair again but he looked at me blankly, then moved his arm up onto the barrier between the box and my seat, blocking even more of the view! (and probably those of others next to and behind me) I tapped him again and he ignored me and just made himself more comfortable. At this point I lost my temper, which I've never done in more than a decade of going to the ROH (many of those years sitting in cheap restricted view seats), jabbed his arm and told him off in loud whisper and was more than a little disruptive to the people around me, which I am very, very sorry for. But it worked and he moved.

 

I don't think I've ever felt so angry and powerless. The view was so blocked, I would have left if I could have or spoken to an usher but I was trapped (and am very pregnant) at the end of a row. I couldn't lean forward without getting in the way of the people around me. I considered standing and leaning discreetly against the box but I didn't think I could manage it for the whole ballet. I just felt so unhappy because this was going to be my last ROH visit for a while, and having had such a long journey into London I just wanted to watch Ferri comfortably, who was the main reason I came. I've put up with worse views with leaners, lampshades and the poor rake when I was a poor student which was perfectly fine, but paying so much money for the occasional ticket nowadays, I don't think I'm asking too much for a clear view. 

 

Anyway, rant over. Lovely performances, but I think I'll enjoy the near empty cinema screening on Wednesday a bit more.

Edited by Sunrise
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So sorry you had this experience Sunrise.

Unfortunately it seems a continuation of the same problem have talked about on here before that there are some families .....thank goodness it appears to be the minority still at the moment.....who wherever they are just carry on as if in their living room  at home with no seeming awareness that they are in a public space. I don't think these children are taught the difference.

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20 hours ago, Sunrise said:

should have complained to the usher. Yup ninamargaret, I was on the right side. 

 

My sympathies Sunrise. I don't know if the usher would/could have done something. However in this case I think (if you can be bothered) it would be worth you writing to ROH. The reasons being

 

i) You know exactly where the trouble was coming from (so staff can identify the culprits)

 

ii) You have a witness (you could try sending a PM to ninamargret to ask if she will back you up) - you can in any case enclose copies of the relevant postings from here. 

 

The ROH receives an astonishing amount of public money and are, I am pleased to say, beginning to learn how to engage properly with their customers (who pay for their tickets twice, through their taxes and then again, directly) Often the issue is not worth a letter but this time I recommend it, as above. You could try addressing your letter to the Chairman; or to the Chief Exec; or to the Front of House Manager, depending on exactly what point you would like to make. Hope this is helpful. 

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I do sympathise very much, but it isn't ROH's fault is it..it's the fault of the individuals concerned....

 

I am not sure it's quite right to say we pay for our tickets twice is it?

If we didn't have the public funding- the tickets would be entirely beyond people like me.

 

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