Dance*is*life Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 I do hate it when parents give a loud non-stop monologue in order to explain to their young children what is happening on stage! Why can't they tell them the basic story line before they even go to the ballet and then just remind them of what's going to happen before each act. And why can't they whisper the story anyway? One can also teach children to whisper in your ear if they do have questions or something they don't understand. I take my own small grandchildren and have drummed into them how to behave at the ballet. It is possible........ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Indeed, Arky, it's not as if I expect better behaviour in the posh seats...far from it. More that, having paid more, the annoyance is EVEN more when the performance is disrupted. I have a new theory for why the amphi behaviour is better- we are all packed in so tightly, like sardines, that we have less scope to misbehave like the drunken lady or the lady putting her feet in my face...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 The usher apologised and said that he was not going to let her back in after the interval. I passed a comment about how shocked I was and had never seen such behaviour before in ROH. It was clear from his reaction that it was not the first time he had been obliged to deal with someone in that state!! I'm sure it's not: I've heard several reports of drunken patrons over the last year or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coated Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 And that's not restricted to the lower parts of the house - a friend of mine still has petrified memories of an former acquaintance she met up with for an opera arriving drunk and somewhat belligerent, eventually falling asleep on the poor gent sat next to her in the amphi. He didn't come back after the intermission, and neither did the acquaintance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Well, I hope he simply went down to the foyer and asked if there was anywhere else he could move to. I'd hate to think of some poor innocent person having to miss out on the rest of the performance because of someone else's behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Talking of people trying to get into unexpectedly available seats, on my recent visit to the ROH, the three seats to my right were empty for the Brandstrup. During the interval, the whispering, Malteser crunchers behind me decided to avail themselves of the opportunity to upgrade. He was able to climb over but the 'lady' was too fat and had to walk round. The usher/steward was onto them almost immediately, telling them very firmly that they were not supposed to be sitting there and would have to return to their own seats. I felt a quiet satisfaction! Two people turned up for those seats in time for 'Anxiety'. Unfortunately, the man was of the sort who can't keep still or within the boundaries of their own seat. At one point, he stretched right across me, completely invading my space. Towards the end, he put his left arm up and reached to scratch the back of his head. Both times I reacted and he did a hand out gesture as if to say sorry. I thought do it a third time chum, and you will be! The third empty seat was finally taken for the Wheeldon but was no trouble. As for alcohol, the woman on my left, whose partner spent a lot of time ostentatiously draping his beloved's shawl around her delicate, bare shoulders as if to show us how caring he was, gave off a curious smell of what can only be described as booze and hairspray. Perhaps she thought one disguised the other. During the second interval, I couldn't be bothered to get up so I people watched. I noticed in the front row of the stalls circle, two very life like dolls sitting there staring ahead, glassy eyed. I knew how they felt. I waited to see who would claim them and it turned out to be two little girls, aged about seven with some adults. They must have been bored out of their minds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 The comments about struggling past people to get to seats reminded me of the time I went to the opera house when I was heavily pregnant! My stomach just would not let me squeeze through - in the end I had to do a sort of couru sideways on demi-pointe, so that I would be tall enough to lift my vast stomach over the back of the seats in front. Unfortunately it meant that I disturbed two rows of people, muttering "sorry" and "excuse me" as I went, but fortunately people were considerate of my "condition" and didn't complain!!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 The comments about struggling past people to get to seats reminded me of the time I went to the opera house when I was heavily pregnant! My stomach just would not let me squeeze through - in the end I had to do a sort of couru sideways on demi-pointe, so that I would be tall enough to lift my vast stomach over the back of the seats in front. Unfortunately it meant that I disturbed two rows of people, muttering "sorry" and "excuse me" as I went, but fortunately people were considerate of my "condition" and didn't complain!!!! Next time it happens to me, I shall try the same, with my arms gracefully (?) aloft in fifth position. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Regarding manners. I have always taught my children that manners cost nothing but can have great value. The homeless young person no matter what city always, always says thankyou when you give them something, even when you say sorry I haven't got any change, in my experience they always say thanks anyway love. These people have absolutely nothing, however they have a lot more than some people I have come across. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 We had the most annoying experience at a Blue Man Group concert last week. This woman sitting a couple of seats away from us was giving a running commentary at the top of her lungs, in a gravelly voice that sounded as though it had been well seasoned with years of smoke and alcohol. Every couple of minutes she yelled "oh my GAAAHHHDDD! oh my GAAAHHHDDD! That's so FUNNNEEEEE! oh my GAAAHHHDDD!" Then when some oversize iPhones appeared on the stage with text messages on them, she started reciting all the messages out loud, and every time the messages changed she'd recite the new ones, all interspersed with "oh my GAAAHHDD, that's so FUNNNEEEE!". And "oh, he's walking back to the phone now, oh my GAAAHHHDDD!" And "oh, he's cutting up a Twinkie, oh my GAAAHHHDDD!" and on and on. People were glaring at her from all around but she was carrying on regardless, and her husband wasn't doing anything to tell her to pipe down. Then one of the kids in front of us started imitating her, so that after her "oh my GAAAHHHDDD!" there was a little "oh my gaaahhhddd" and a bunch of giggles from the kid, until the parents stopped him. There was a completely empty row behind us, and that family moved from sitting in front of her to sitting right up at the other end of the empty row - which was nice for me because I was behind the father, who was tall with a huge head that blocked out the whole centre of the stage, but that was the only positive outcome. Finally my husband leaned across the couple of empty seats between us and asked her to stop talking. She glared daggers at him but did pipe down for the rest of the performance. I just wonder how many performances she's been thrown out of over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I simply cannot get with the relatively new practice of bringing drinks into the auditorium. At a performance at the Coli last week, from the outset people were struggling past others in the row behind us with drips falling from their glasses as they went. They then put their drinks on the floor a level below them - i.e. among the coats of those in the row in front. Unacceptable in my view. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 (edited) I think I just have bad luck at Blue Man Group performances, because the last time I went (years and years ago), the girl sitting next to me brought a tall container of a sticky red drink topped with whipped cream into the theatre, stuck it in the cup holder on the armrest between us, and proceeded to forget about it. At the end of the performance, long paper streamers were fed through the audience from the back to the front; this girl grabbed at the streamers as they were going past, and upended her full container of drink into my lap. Which is how I know it was red and sticky. But I suppose they make money on all the food and drink they sell, just like cinemas, so I suppose this is a trend that's likely to continue. The only reason they might not do it is because of the extra cleanup required because of the inevitable spills. Edited December 15, 2014 by Melody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 (edited) Melody, a few years ago I had an experience at the ballet very similar to yours at the Blue Man Group - a woman sitting next to me calling out, applauding with her hands over her head, and generally overreacting, very noisily - she also gave off a strong smell of alcohol. Halfway through an act the man she was with stood up, said - very loudly - "This isn't a f***ing rock concert" and left, and at the interval I asked one of the ushers if she could do something as no-one for several rows around could concentrate on the ballet (and I learnt later that the dancers could also hear her). It turned out that the lady had Tourette's Syndrome - until then I hadn't realised it could present like that. Edited December 15, 2014 by Jane S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 It doesn't usually, Jane. I'm wondering if someone had advanced this as a more acceptable explanation of the behaviour than lack of social sensitivity aggravated by alcohol, in order to defuse the situation.. The behaviour would be perfectly normal at a rock concert (so I'm told) so isn't an example of the sort of involuntary tics and vocalisations associated with Tourette's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 So agree about the drinks Capybara! At a recent performance .....wonderful performance in fact....of Dracula in Brighton more people were taking drinks into the small auditorium there than were not. Then a couple arrived to sit next to me and the girl had a whole glass of red wine and her partner a full pint of lager/beer. As they sat down I said as nicely as I could to the girl......especially as my winter coat was under the seat....I hope you're not planning on putting that on the floor on my side because I cannot guarantee I won't accidently kick it over......to her credit she didn't and didn't glare at me or anything .....in fact held it throughout the first act. There was only one interval and on their return they both brought another full glass of wine and lager etc back to their seats!! Obviously the theatre was just an extension to going out to the pub for them. In another aisle in front there were two people with a whole bottle of wine with them and what looked like their own glasses so it's not just a case of someone not having finished a drink bringing it in to finish it seems quite normal behaviour. The audience for this show was on the younger side but some middle aged(50's) people were in with their drinks as well!! Personally I can't understand why people can't take an hour (each act was about an hour) of entertainment without having to drink at the same time!! But as I'm in my 60's perhaps I'm just an old fuddy duddy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I can understand perhaps wanting to take the remains of your interval drink back in if you hadn't finished it - heaven knows, intervals can be pretty short, especially when you spend half of it queuing to be served, and we all know that many people won't avail themselves of the opportunity to order drinks before the performance starts - but to expect to start a new drink while you're in the auditorium, unless it's one of those supper-club-type theatres, is totally inappropriate. And there is always the question of what if you spill the drink? Will the patron next to you really appreciate going home with their coat stinking of beer, or their clothes ruined by red wine, or whatever? And ultimately, if damage is done, who is responsible? The theatre will presumably get the blame for its policy of allowing the drinks in in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I'm sure the theatre will have a "we are not responsible" legal disclaimer for damage caused by drinks whether in the bar or the auditorium. Management must have done a calculation of the profits they can expect from selling the extra drinks versus the costs of cleaning up spills in the auditorium and decided it's worth it. I just hope they don't start also selling popcorn and other noisy food items like in the cinema; I also hope we don't get to the point where audience members get up during the performance to go out to the bar to buy things to drink (and eat) in their seats like they often do in the cinema. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Well, if they do that, at least they won't be allowed back in again until the interval. I forgot to mention that I tend to find the smells of beer, red wine and popcorn particularly nauseating, so you can imagine how I feel when someone brings any of them anywhere near me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 One of today's Links seems to find a natural home here: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/conducting-people-near-ballet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 One of today's Links seems to find a natural home here: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/conducting-people-near-ballet All good until it came to "male ballerina". I believe "facepalm" is the relevant expression here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I wonder what BBB was photographing at the end of the first interval during Alice performance on Tuesday.... #caughtredhandedonthecinemabroadcast :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I wonder what BBB was photographing at the end of the first interval during Alice performance on Tuesday.... #caughtredhandedonthecinemabroadcast :-) See my tweet sent seconds after the picture was taken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) I was in the supermarket the other day with my youngest grandson sitting in the trolley and listening to me quietly telling him what we were buying, when a woman with a little girl joined us in the aisle. She started asking her what she wanted her to buy at the top of her voice - literally shouting it out. I really wanted to ask her if her poor child was deaf, but restrained myself. However two minutes later I passed her shouting out a conversation on her mobile with someone, who presumably was also deaf. Aaaagh, I know it's the super and not a theatre, but it was so disturbing - everyone was looking at her and she was totally oblivious to the fact that she was shouting. Edited December 17, 2014 by Dance*is*life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Some people actually shout as they get older. My friend does this even though she is only48 especially on the phone. Sometimes if I'm whispering something to her she has the cheek to say to me shhhh sound travels you might be heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanR Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 I was at the Connaught in Worthing this afternoon for the live showing of the Nutcracker which was spoiled, once again, by the audience's behaviour! The woman behind me was talking very loudly during the overture & I turned around & told her I was trying to listen to the music to which she replied that I was rude........she didn't seem to understand that she was the one being rude. Then, the man next to me started humming along to the music. I was so furious I asked him to stop & he & his wife laughed. To add insult to injury when I wanted to leave my seat in the interval, he ignored my 'excuse me'. They finally got up but I couldn't get back to my seat after the interval as they wouldn't move, so I had to disturb the old lady next to me who had told me she'd recently had an operation & couldn't move easily...... What is the matter with people? Susan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 There is something seriously wrong with those people, they are rude, disrespectful and totally selfish! They never feel they have a responsibility towards others. It's their total lack of education full stop! I get very irritated by such behaviour and more and more I avoid going to theatres, the ROH being an exception (although I have encountered rude and selfish ones there too but it's rare). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Much of the annoying behaviour that we have described on this thread is by "older" people i.e. the generation that went to the cinema from a very young age, as this was the only way they could see Disney full length cartoon feature films. They would be well trained in the correct etiquette required when attending entertainment in a public place, which was to sit properly in the seats, keep quiet, and not talk, sing, wriggle, crackley sweet wrappers noisily, or get up during the film. So why are they so badly behaved now? There is absolutely no excuse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 I really don't think this sort of behaviour has anything to do with age to be honest. Ive seen it with young, middle age and old age.....which I deem as people of post 65 ......however being in this bracket myself it's still hard to say "old" person or "pensioner" for me!! Anyway it's all just bad manners and I guess some people have been brought up more correctly than others whatever age they are though you would expect older people to have at least picked up some manners along the way even if didn't start with them!! So it's probably harder to tolerate in an older person I think. You can see this for the next generation just travelling around on trains etc. There are the unruly kids running up and down with parents not bothering to supervise and who then leave all their "rubbish" on the floor and seats etc and then those children who are delightful speaking in normal voices and where the parent has either provided something for them to do or is engaged in conversation. On the train last Wednesday going up to London from Brighton there was a mum with two girls who had eaten something. One of the girls was about to clear the crumbs onto the floor but the mother stopped her and said "and who is going to clear that up then? You know what to do?" The little girl then said "sorry mummy" and proceeded to gather the crumbs into a napkin and then give it to mum. Nothing was left around their seats. So right from the start the future rude /polite members of an audience are being trained......or not as it were. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coated Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 (edited) The girl in front of me yesterday definitely fell into the 'not taught' category, since her mother also stuck her hand into their very rustling sweetie bag. But kudos to them, they put the bag away for the rest of the performance when I asked them to (nicely, I hope - by the time I ask I'm often quite wound up and a bit sharpish) The only venues where I still feel reasonably certain that the audience won't be utterly atrocious are the ROH and Wigmore Hall. Saying that, I recently went to see Assassins at the Menier and barely noticed the impeccably behaved audience until the rapturous applause at the end. Edited December 21, 2014 by Coated 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanR Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 (edited) I am also an older person, Lin, so like you, I don't think bad manners are to do with age. Whenever I am at a performance I am conscious of others around me & sit as quiet as a mouse. Incidently , as I left the cinema yesterday I noticed that the same people who had been so rude, had left their empty ice cream cartons on the floor! Says it all really, doesn't it? Susan Edited December 22, 2014 by SusanR 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 I don't think good manners are particularly age related either. You either have them or you don't. They can and should be taught from an early age, but sometimes they are just instinctive. I have met the most delightful people and the most obnoxious from all backgrounds, all ages. Some people are plain ignorant and some seem to get a kick out of behaving badly, in the belief that it makes them look clever to their equally stupid friends. I agree that very often, by the time you say something about offending behavior, such as talking through an overture or rustling sweets, you may have reached a point of no return and can sound a little sharp. This offends the offender who is of course, terribly sensitive to criticism and then you are to blame. As for sweeties, I gather from my recent visit to the ROH, they have stopped giving out free cough sweets. I overheard somebody asking and the steward saying they don't do it anymore. I wondered why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Incidently , as I left the cinema yesterday I noticed that the same people who had been so rude, had left their empty ice cream cartons on the floor! Says it all really, doesn't it? Susan I don't think it does, actually: faute de mieux, even from a child, I have always left my ice cream cartons neatly on the floor under my seat in the cinema (and sometimes elsewhere if necessary). After all, they pay someone to come round and pick them up afterwards, and there's usually nowhere else to put them. What I wouldn't do, though, is to scatter items of food or drink on the floor like the disgusting people I had the misfortune to share a row with when I went to see Skyfall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share Posted December 22, 2014 I've just come across this article in The Australian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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