Audience Behaviour

[Lizbie1]

2 hours ago, Geoff said:

Calling out the arrogant man in Row A Amphi at the ROH Forza rehearsal today:

 

* Watching appalled from a distance I noticed that however often you were asked - by those next to you, behind you, as well as by staff - to try not to lean forward blocking the view of others, you then determinedly leant forward even further. 

 

* But you got very upset with a little old lady to your left when she finally said something (this was towards the end of the show) and told her off for speaking, during the show. 

 

So are you the pot or the kettle? 

 

Did he seem like a regular? You'd think someone at the general rehearsal would know it's not the done thing to lean forward in the Amphi, so I'm wondering if this is another case of Friends tickets not going where they should.

 

[penelopesimpson]

3 hours ago, Geoff said:

Calling out the arrogant man in Row A Amphi at the ROH Forza rehearsal today:

 

* Watching appalled from a distance I noticed that however often you were asked - by those next to you, behind you, as well as by staff - to try not to lean forward blocking the view of others, you then determinedly leant forward even further. 

 

* But you got very upset with a little old lady to your left when she finally said something (this was towards the end of the show) and told her off for speaking, during the show. 

 

So are you the pot or the kettle? 

Why wasn't he removed?

[capybara]

5 hours ago, Geoff said:

But you got very upset with a little old lady to your left when she finally said something ................

 

Appalling behaviour, I agree, Geoff. But why are women 'of a certain age' always called "little old ladies"? A similar term is never applied to men. The person concerned was, surely, a rightly affronted member of the audience, irrespective of her age, height or gender.

[alison]

"Little old gentleman"?  Doesn't really work, does it.  Hmm ...

[Geoff]

9 hours ago, capybara said:

 

Appalling behaviour, I agree, Geoff. But why are women 'of a certain age' always called "little old ladies"?

 

You are right Capybara, I did not make enough clear in my account, apologies. The man in question was a hulking big chap (albeit with a sweet little jewel in his earlobe) so his looming forward was even more of an issue for those who were near him, who happened to be small, female and old enough that perhaps discretion or natural wariness held them back from intervening too directly.

 

I believe - but can’t prove - that the reason the two women adjacent to him left in an interval is that they preferred to give up on the event to taking on the bloke who was stopping them seeing anything, Whereupon he moved up so his new neighbour  - also small, also older, also female - finally spoke up.

 

I tried to indicate this in shorthand in my post but in these days of language policing I should probably have spelled it all out in detail. The trouble was primarily between one “large” “younger” man and several “smaller” “older” women. In an age of enforced equality I should probably not notice such differences but I can’t help it: I am from the age of chivalry and so I do notice. 

 

Sorry for any unintended offence. I wish my original post could reach the bloke in question though: he is someone I would *like* to offend. 

 

Edited March 19, 2019 by Geoff

[Mary]

It's just that the phrase 'little old lady' has become associated with patronising images, and is probably best avoided. Nothing wrong with pointing out that someone is small, female and no longer young, and in this case it is very relevant as he was clearly intimidating.

 

He sounds a very unpleasant individual and if I wasn't a lady I would say, a right bastard.  As a small-ish woman, I certainly know how unpleasant it can be to have large men next to you who invade your space and don't seem at all bothered about doing so- it is not an uncommon experience in the amphi, as on the tube.

However it sounds as if some of the women around him did speak up, but there was insufficient response. I have always found the ushers v good if I go and ask for help. I suppose physically removing him during the performance would have been too disruptive or even impossible. But they could have offered some of the smaller people round him alternative seats.

They can trace him from his ticket and send him an email though- barring him I hope. ('Right, you're barrred' said in a John Thaw voice)

 

 

[Geoff]

11 hours ago, penelopesimpson said:

Why wasn't he removed?

 

10 minutes ago, Mary said:

I  have always found the ushers v good if I go and ask for help. I suppose physically removing him during the performance would have been too disruptive or even impossible. But they could have offered some of the smaller people round him alternative seats.

They can trace him from his ticket and send him an email though- barring him I hope. ('Right, you're barrred' said in a John Thaw voice)

 

I spoke to the usher who had tried - but failed - to tackle him. She, perhaps also intimidated, clearly felt there was nothing more she could do.

[RuthE]

Just to say, I would use "little old man" just as routinely as "little old lady".  Though "gentleman" would sound wrong...

 

(My mother has always used an expression "little old man syndrome" to describe a certain way of driving, particularly on country roads; a few mph shy of the speed limit, approaching junctions tentatively, and squarely in the middle of the lane so they are almost impossible to overtake.  When you do get past and see the driver, it is invariably a little old man!)

Edited March 19, 2019 by RuthE

[Jane S]

Flashback to the olden days: a disruptive drunk was sitting near us in the Stalls Circle and at the beginning of the first interval the chief security man (not Sergeant Martin, I think, but his successor) appeared with two of the younger male ushers, pointed to the drunk and said calmly "This gentleman is leaving". And, helpfully assisted by the young men, he left.

[zxDaveM]

2 hours ago, RuthE said:

Just to say, I would use "little old man" just as routinely as "little old lady".  Though "gentleman" would sound wrong...

 

(My mother has always used an expression "little old man syndrome" to describe a certain way of driving, particularly on country roads; a few mph shy of the speed limit, approaching junctions tentatively, and squarely in the middle of the lane so they are almost impossible to overtake.  When you do get past and see the driver, it is invariably a little old man!)

 

 and nearly invariably with a little old man hat on!  🙂

[capybara]

4 hours ago, Geoff said:

I spoke to the usher who had tried - but failed - to tackle him. She, perhaps also intimidated, clearly felt there was nothing more she could do.

 

Well done, Geoff. But unacceptable from the Usher. Would you feel minded to report this incident formally?

I had cause to report 'disruptive behaviour' witnessed from the Stalls Circle during a Bolshoi performance and it was 'investigated', I believe on the basis of a Seat No. But that was in "the good old days" of 3 years ago!

[Lizbie1]

2 hours ago, RuthE said:

a few mph shy of the speed limit

 

...except the speed very often has no relationship with the limit, staying at a fairly constant 40mph through a 30mph zone.

[penelopesimpson]

Err, call a Manager?  Call Security?  Pretty pathetic.

[LinMM]

In response to Geoffs post seems like that man in the Amphi needs setting on by John Bercow ....pretty sure he'd put him in order!!

[Sebastian]

For those who have not yet caught up with the ROH “punch-up” story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830481/Oxford-educated-lawyer-42-punched-fellow-classical-music-fan-picked-wifes-coat.html

[Thalia]

1 hour ago, Sebastian said:

For those who have not yet caught up with the ROH “punch-up” story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830481/Oxford-educated-lawyer-42-punched-fellow-classical-music-fan-picked-wifes-coat.html

 

Cor, what a drama!  We need to follow this case through to its verdict.

 

I have to say that I’ve done similar in the past (picking up a coat, that is, not throwing a punch or three), although in this case it was definitely my seat (I had been sat in it before the interval) and I “assertively proffered” rather than slung the coat back to its owner as soon as I realised they were oblivious to my return. 

I had already suffered said coat encroaching further and further onto my lap during the performance because its owner had no sense of its size, my personal space nor the cloakroom facilities available, yet clearly didn’t want it touching the floor.

Then again, I suppose it could have been some kind of precious, magical coat made out of mistletoe... 

[Quintus]

On 20/03/2019 at 20:26, Sebastian said:

For those who have not yet caught up with the ROH “punch-up” story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830481/Oxford-educated-lawyer-42-punched-fellow-classical-music-fan-picked-wifes-coat.html

 

Like a scene from 'Frasier' !  I can just see the Crane brothers in this situation...

[Rob S]

On 20/03/2019 at 20:26, Sebastian said:

For those who have not yet caught up with the ROH “punch-up” story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830481/Oxford-educated-lawyer-42-punched-fellow-classical-music-fan-picked-wifes-coat.html

 

What a silly article, the headline tells me two of the things I wanted to know, where he was educated and his occupation, but incredibly the value of his home has been left out, I can't see details of it anywhere!!! 😮

[MrsBBB]

On 20/03/2019 at 20:26, Sebastian said:

For those who have not yet caught up with the ROH “punch-up” story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830481/Oxford-educated-lawyer-42-punched-fellow-classical-music-fan-picked-wifes-coat.html

A friend of mine who had booked a nearby seat for cycle 2 (but was unable to go due to illness) said he was contacted by the Met Police about this incident. Obviously he couldn’t tell them anything.

[ninamargaret]

punch ups used to be because of the music, not coats!

[Scheherezade]

I was there that night but much higher up. The fracas filtered up to the higher reaches of the amphitheatre but, obviously, we couldn’t tell what it was about. The usher assured us that everything was under control and everyone was ok. 

[Anon2]

Why don’t school teachers sit among their pupils when they go on a theatre trip? Why do they see it as an opportunity to fail in their supervision duties? 

At a matinee performance of The Remains of the Day we had a group of teenagers sat behind us. During the first act we tolerated being kicked and their feet trying to tip our seats. Before the second act we asked them to refrain from the behaviour and during the act actually had to tell them to sit still. At the end of the show one of my party spoke to one of the teachers sitting on the row behind the pupils about the disruptive behaviour. Her initial reaction was they were a group of ADHD pupils so she thought they ‘did well’, followed by ‘hope they didn’t disrupt you’ and her final comment was ‘the performance was so good she couldn’t take her eyes off the stage’ - think her eyes might have been better used looking at her charges occasionally. 

 

[Mary]

It seems a strange choice of trip for them indeed. They would have got more out of a different show,  surely,  and avoided spoiling other peoples' pleasure.

 

[capybara]

Calling out all those groups of Osipova supporters in the lower parts of the auditorium who, on Monday night, clapped and cheered her alone and sat on their hands for everyone else.

Hoping for more generosity of spirit, and a wider appreciation of the performance, on Saturday evening.

[Scheherezade]

6 minutes ago, capybara said:

Calling out all those groups of Osipova supporters in the lower parts of the auditorium who, on Monday night, clapped and cheered her alone and sat on their hands for everyone else.

Hoping for more generosity of spirit, and a wider appreciation of the performance, on Saturday evening.

 

Far more generous crowd in the amphitheatre, with much appreciation shown all round. Although, to be fair to Osipova, she was very good on Monday. 

[Anon2]

13 minutes ago, Mary said:

It seems a strange choice of trip for them indeed. They would have got more out of a different show,  surely,  and avoided spoiling other peoples' pleasure.

 

We wondered if it was now a GCSE text as did seem an odd choice. Never seen the film but the play jumps from the 1930s to post war every few minutes so you did need to give it your full attention. 

 

[Balletfanp]

10 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

 

Far more generous crowd in the amphitheatre, with much appreciation shown all round. Although, to be fair to Osipova, she was very good on Monday. 

 

I’m sure she was - but it does seem particularly mean-spirited to applaud no one else, especially since, if reports are correct, the whole cast was on fantastic form.

[Scheherezade]

I don’t disagree, Balletfanp, just pointing out how much more balanced the amphitheatre audience was. With a balancing acknowledgment of my own that Osipova was, however, as others have pointed out, at the top of her game on Monday. I must say that there wasn’t any discernible bias in my part of the amphitheatre as whoops and claps were afforded to pretty much everyone. 

[Lizbie1]

Sometimes it can feel a bit like that on here (though for other dancers, rather than Osipova)...

[Balletfanp]

56 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I don’t disagree, Balletfanp, just pointing out how much more balanced the amphitheatre audience was. With a balancing acknowledgment of my own that Osipova was, however, as others have pointed out, at the top of her game on Monday. I must say that there wasn’t any discernible bias in my part of the amphitheatre as whoops and claps were afforded to pretty much everyone. 

 

No criticism of your comment intended, Scheherazade 🙂 - I’m seeing that cast on Saturday and very much looking forward to seeing Osipova. Just pointing out that the one-sidedness of that section of the audience seemed rather miserable....

[Scheherezade]

1 minute ago, Balletfanp said:

 

No criticism of your comment intended, Scheherazade 🙂 - I’m seeing that cast on Saturday and very much looking forward to seeing Osipova. Just pointing out that the one-sidedness of that section of the audience seemed rather miserable....

 

As, indeed, it is.

Changing the topic somewhat, I noticed that the ushers, for the first time in ages  (or the first time that I’ve noticed), were instructing audience members at the front of the amphitheatre not to place anything on the ledge in front of them.

[LinMM]

Sorry to hear about the disruptive school party.

As a retired teacher I did take Junior age children ( 7-11) to the theatre including the ballet quite a bit at one time but can honestly say was pretty hawk eyed at any signs of disruptive behaviour! 

It is probably easier for a teacher of younger children to separate certain children from sitting together and we always had a teacher on either end of the row and in the middle too. I don't ever remember sitting next to another member of staff on these occasions. 

We looked after any  sweets ( luckily phones were not a problem in those days!) and gave them out just for the Interval ( and the journey home) but didn't encourage them to bring any. 

They were mostly well behaved I have to say .....occasionally getting a bit excited if they recognised bits we had rehearsed! 

I think Secondary children are more difficult in a way especially if haven't been prepared for a performance they are attending. 

But I do think the teachers if they had seen any problems should have intervened and at least apologised to those who had been disturbed .....though it looked from the post that they did in this instance. 

We only ever attended matinees so am assuming this was a matinee too? 

There are always more children attending matinees .....though of course from other posts here it's seems the adults can be just as disruptive on occasions!!

[alison]

3 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

 

Far more generous crowd in the amphitheatre, with much appreciation shown all round. Although, to be fair to Osipova, she was very good on Monday. 

 

Muntagirov was rather good, too  

 

2 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

I don’t disagree, Balletfanp, just pointing out how much more balanced the amphitheatre audience was. With a balancing acknowledgment of my own that Osipova was, however, as others have pointed out, at the top of her game on Monday. I must say that there wasn’t any discernible bias in my part of the amphitheatre as whoops and claps were afforded to pretty much everyone. 

 

Standing in Stalls Circle, it was pretty noticeable to me that there were a lot of Osipova enthusiasts in the audience, at least at stalls level.