Audience Behaviour

[Blondie]

Watched Elmhurst Summer Show final performance last Friday.Got good seats in second row(graduate year parent).Unfortunately had to sit next to elderly lady texting on her Blackberry for the whole performance.Infuriating!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Petunia]

Last Saturday I went to the opera (Castor et Pollux by Rameau) and when everybody was seated and the doors were closed, a pleasant voice came via the speakers - first we were very politely greeted and then the voice continued: “And from now on, please don`t make any calls or send texts, and please refrain from twittering or googling or facebooking or looking anything up on the internet.”

(Giggles in the audience)

And a little sterner: “So would you please switch your phones off NOW.”

(More giggles and applause).

 

That helped.

[2dancersmum]

Watched the Hammond end of year dance show last Friday. Act I was Giselle Act II and contemporary, both performed by selected upper school students and inbetween was lower school ballet. Act II was all lower school showing various styles of dance and act III was all upper school showing various styles of dance. An elderly couple next to me chatted throughout act 1 and 2 as they spotted their granddaughter - both wore hearing aids so their comments were rather loud. Unfortunately, it transpired that their granddaughter was upper school and they had been watching the wrong child. I could however switch off to their constant chatter - worse were the elderly couple sat behind who just after the 2nd interval, upon discovering that their grandchild (year 10)had finished dancing, moaned loudly 'do we really have to sit through this next act if X is not in it' and started loudly discussing their plans for the weekend. Unbelievably rude - but their grandson obviously thought so too thank goodness - asking them to be quiet and show some respect to the rest of the dancers.

[Katie]

When I went to see the last performance of a 'Winters Tale' I had chosen to sit on those bar stools on the balcony which I will never do again.

 On arrival I found I was seated to my left next to a young couple, and to my right another lady.   As I took my seat the couple began discussing me in earnest.  How I looked, how I sat etc.  It wasn't nice, and to be honest I nearly left. Then after the first act the middle aged lady in front of me began trying to flick her very short, and overly lacquered hair constantly and moving from left to right, to point where I couldn't concentrate at all. 

After Act II I spoke to the attendant and told her all of this, and asked if there was anywhere I could stand instead as I was a little upset.  She kindly took me to where her seat was, and I stood beside her for the rest of Act II.

 

More recently I went to see the Concert triple bill, and the couple behind me in the STC, who were an older couple, ran a commentary for the first two ballets until the lady next to them sshed them.  If the dancers went out of view, the woman in the couple would ask other people around her if they could see what was going on.

Then while all of this was going on,  I  witnessed a man in the front row tapping the lady across the aisle's shoulder, as she was on the end of the A1, A2 STC row where an elderly couple seated nearer the stage kept leaning forward every time any of the dancers were on the far left of the stage, and w and were driving that lady and all the other people around them mad. Actually the man just kept leaning forward where ever the dancers were.

 I don't understand this, if I sit somewhere where I know I will not see the whole stage I just wait for the dancers reappear, but I see this kind of behaviour a lot. 

I think the Concert was the only Act I really took in, as I was so distracted by all the carry on.  Apparently there were VIPs opposite on the tier, but I was oblivious as the audience carry on was an act in itself.

[alison]

When I went to see the last performance of a 'Winters Tale' I had chosen to sit on those bar stools on the balcony which I will never do again.

 On arrival I found I was seated to my left next to a young couple, and to my right another lady.   As I took my seat the couple began discussing me in earnest.  How I looked, how I sat etc.  It wasn't nice, and to be honest I nearly left. 

 

How charming

 

You have my sympathies about the bar stools: it can be so hit-and-miss.  I've had some experiences which have been fine, and others where I've been tempted to throttle the patrons in front of me, usually because they won't keep still.  It's a similar situation in the amphi sides these days: I used to think row C was bearable, but don't think it is any more - although that's probably down to the behaviour of individual patrons rather more than anything.  If you go regularly, you get to understand the viewing problems and accept them, but I get the feeling that quite a few people who sit in those seats are fairly new and just go for cheap seats, without cottoning on to the problems.  And it's difficult to explain to someone two rows in front of you that if they lean this way or that way they suddenly take out 50% of your view of the stage.  I did once have someone who was rocking to and fro to such an extent that I suspected he might have a medical condition, so I went and spoke to somebody downstairs about it and they were fortunately able to move me.

 

After Act II I spoke to the attendant and told her all of this, and asked if there was anywhere I could stand instead as I was a little upset.  She kindly took me to where her seat was, and I stood beside her for the rest of Act II.

 

That was kind of her, but it really shouldn't have to come to this, should it?  If you pay the money for a seat, you shouldn't have to stand in order to be able to see.

 

I don't understand this, if I sit somewhere where I know I will not see the whole stage I just wait for the dancers reappear, but I see this kind of behaviour a lot. 

 

So do I, by and large, but I think it's a case of unrealistic expectations.  Now that I come to think of it, though, does the ROH website still mark its seats as restricted view?  It used to tell you precisely what the viewing restrictions were, and you had to tick that you'd read and accepted them, but I don't think it does any longer.

[A frog]

 

 

So do I, by and large, but I think it's a case of unrealistic expectations.  Now that I come to think of it, though, does the ROH website still mark its seats as restricted view?  It used to tell you precisely what the viewing restrictions were, and you had to tick that you'd read and accepted them, but I don't think it does any longer.

 

It still does, and more importantly, you now have pictures of the view from your seat for every single one of them, displayed automatically as you click on the seat.

I understand that not everyone will do research or know the auditorium, but given the reputation ballet and opera ticket prices have, I would assume people going for "cheap" ones could look at the fine print. A friend once told me he was standing in the balcony next to a woman who was there because her grandson had bought her the ticket as a gift, she definitely didn't expect to stand for the whole performance, and apparently couldn't.

[Sim]

I was at a school performance on Saturday.  The theatre was very compact, and throughout the whole thing there was a guy sitting in the stalls looking at his large iPhone, which emanated a lot of light.  I got so fed up with it that just after some applause finished I shouted out "turn it off", which he did, but then after around 30 minutes it went back on.  I just can't believe how rude and inconsiderate some people are.  This performance involved little girls from the age of 3, up to professional guest dancers, and all had worked so hard on this show.  To then just sit there in the audience and look at your phone the whole time is appalling.  Everyone was also told 'no photography', which was totally ignored and throughout the show there was the sound of whirring and clicking.  It seems that many people just don't know how to behave anymore, or they just don't care.

[Katie]

Thanks Alison I couldn't agree with you more about not having to move, but the sheer relief of being able to move from those people was enormous,though I kept eyeing my seat thinking I should be on that stool, it has made me more picky about where I sit now.

 

I was wondering about booking the amphi theatre for the coming season and have booked for couple of ballets in row A, even though I would have preferred row B, as the seat I saw there was £10 cheaper. 

I remember a previous occasion witnessing someone in row B tapping the shoulder of a lady in row A of the amphitheatre because she leaned forward a bit, and thought better of it.

I love looking at the ROH interactive seating plan have spent the last day and a half since 10am yesterday manically studying the distances from certain seats to the stage over and again some cases.  Wow C31 and B31 are seriously unpopular seats on the balcony nearly every ballet and each performance shows those seats available.  I have decided when I am there again on the 9th for the Mariinsky's Apollo I am going to look at the view and see if they are really as bad as they look on the websites interpretation of their views.

[Wulff]

There is in fact a note at the back of the ROH programmes under "enjoying the performance" asking people not to lean forward; however this is so hidden away and in such small print that I  suppose that few people ever read it.

If I find someone in front of me leaning forward I have no hesitation in asking them to sit back, and they usually comply with good grace; after all I have paid good money to watch the performance, not the back of someone's head, wondrous sight though it may be.

[AnneMarriott]

 

, you now have pictures of the view from your seat for every single one of them, displayed automatically as you click on the seat.

 

 

 

True, but you get a view of the closed curtains and when the curtains open the view is far less panoramic than people may expect, at least from the sides of the auditorium. 

[alison]

And also I bet a lot of people don't take any notice of the photo: I don't usually, unless it's a seat I'm familiar with.

 

Katie, balcony C29-31 are known for not having a very good view. On the odd occasion that I get to stand in the standing places behind them, I've quite often heard people in those seats saying "We're not using this one, would you like to sit down?" and most standees respond "No thanks"!

[Katie]

Alison thanks for that, it explains the mass availability of those seats, it does seem like they are most unpopular seats in the house, and I will definitely not take a chance on either of them, which I had briefly considered doing.

[penelopesimpson]

Furious with ROH tonight not standing behind their no photography rule.  A group of four women sitting to the right of me spent the whole of the first act fiddling with their mobiles and distracting me with their lights.  Then, as soon as the dancers stepped out from the curtain they all held up their phones and started taking pictures.  I complained at the interval and one of the staff said she would sort it.  Then, exactly the same happened at the end of Act 2.  I spoke to a Manager in the front Hall who said the women had been spoken to but the Marinsky allows filming so there's nothing they could do.  I said they should be asked to leave and the man said, snootily 'That's not how we do it here.'

 

Great.  I spent £120 on my ticket, plus £60 in rail fares and travel for 7 hrs.  The rules are no photograph - the announcement was quite clear - why will ROH not implement the policy?  I am really mad.  I save for my tickets and it's a big deal for me, spoilt by others.

[Coated]

That's a shame. I noticed someone posting a picture on twitter that appeared to be taken mid-performance, so it seems the theatre was rife with offenders. I for once was in a perfectly behaved corner of the stalls circle. Nary a whisper or rustling, no fiddling, texting, nothing. After some of my bolshoi experiences, I was prepared for every type of potential disruption...

 

Regarding the FOH manager, I find that response sadly lacking but not entirely unexpected after overhearing some quite snappy responses from stressed management staff at the mad scramble for unallocated seats at the Arthur Pita on Sunday.

[penelopesimpson]

I was front row Stalls Circle A84.  Offenders were in 85/86/87.  Not often I have such a lovely seat. Still smarting this morning.

[aileen]

Whether or not the Mariinsky allows filming, surely it is the ROH which decides the rules on photography, filming etc as the Mariinsky is performing at the theatre in the ROH not at its home theatre. Up in the Amphitheatre there was a sharp " cameras off" order last night just before the ballet began. Penelope, I'd be inclined to ask for a partial refund on such an expensive ticket. I'm very surprised at the manager's attitude. Normally, the staff are very professional and helpful.

[penelopesimpson]

Thanks for that Aileen.  My view entirely.  Seat purchased from ROH who run the House so it is their job to protect the customers and provide a suitably well run environment.  I am so mad I just called them and had a very sympathetic ear from customer services.  Box Office are apparently going to call me later.  Yes, I agree, staff are usually really lovely.

[alison]

I said they should be asked to leave and the man said, snootily 'That's not how we do it here.'

 

Well, that's surely a big chance in policy, isn't it?  Pretty certain I've heard of people being escorted out of the theatre before for persistently failing to comply with the "no photography" rule.  And as you say, it is *their* theatre.

 

I'm glad you complained, Penelope, and only sorry that your evening was so spoiled.

[Coated]

The ROH made announcement at the start of each act today, reminding the audience that photography is forbidden during the performance since it is dangerous for the dancers and a nuisance to other audience members.

 

Victory for Penelope!

[aileen]

Did it make any difference? The ROH needs to add that transgressors will be escorted out of the auditorium and will not be allowed to return to the performance. Perhaps a bit heavy-handed, but it would show that it is serious about enforcing the rule.

[Coated]

I think it did. Saw a lot of raised phones in the stalls on Tuesday, none today.

[Jacqueline]

I see Kate Bush has politely requested that audience members refrain from recording/photographing her upcoming concerts. She wants to have that connection with the people who have come to see and hear her performance, rather than be faced with a sea of cameras recording events so they can watch them later. I agree with her stance and hope people will respect it.

This is not the same as a well known American pop star, who just wants rigid control over her image and to prevent unflattering pics getting about.

I remember seeing Kate Bush at the Palladium all those years ago, before the days of mobile phones. She was a theatrical wonder.

I really don't understand why people have this obsession with filming/photographing live performance. Discourtesy towards others aside, the number of times I have heard offenders say it is so they can watch it again later. They're watching it there and then through a lens. Why not not just enjoy the performance in the moment and remember it. 

[sarahw]

I went to the ROH for the first time last Saturday 16 for the Cinderella matinee. I watch ballet elsewhere but not often London.

 

I was surprised by what I consider to be rude behaviour by 2 women sitting next to us. They spent a lot of time saying how disappointing it was and how it was better the previous time they'd seen it. (Unfortunately not bad enough for them to leave in one of the intervals! !) Then they got up to leave fairly early in the curtain call so our whole line had to stand and our line and those behind couldn't see.

 

Have decided I was naive to think there would be 'perfect' audience behaviour at ROH!!

[Nina G.]

The audience attending performances at ROH during the Season are in my experience a "near perfect" audience; they know and respect the rules of Theatre/Ballet/Opera going.

 

It is during the summer, when the ROH gets a lot of overseas visitors (who behave very differently) and one-off tourists attending a performance by the visiting companies ( I have encountered very rude Russian attendees in the past too, who behave as if the ROH belongs to them and there are no rules to be respected! It's one of the reasons I avoid going to ROH during the summer).

[Anon2]

Yesterday at the showing of work at the end of the Opes summer school I was sat next to a parent who spent ages texting until her child appeared to dance when her phone was instantly put to use to start filming. The light was blinding and she obscured my view of my child. The offender was apologetic and did stop when I asked.

On the front row was a family of three, mum and teenage daughter spent most of the show filming whilst 10/11 year old boy played games on his iPad. If I could have reached them without disturbing others I would have spoken to them too.

Don't those using mobile devices realise the light disturbance they are causing to the rest of the audience and according to my dd to the dancers too.

Watching the limited amount you can see through your phone whilst filming also means they are missing most of the dancing and the atmosphere.

There were a number of very young children watching the performance yesterday who behaved beautifully and were a joy to be sat near to hear their whispered comments including 'she's got no shoes on' during the contemporary to the arm waving and enthusiastic clapping. So why a much older child had to be entertained during an hour long performance with games on his iPad is beyond me.

[sarahw]

Hi Jane,

Yes I agree on the recording obsession- people miss out on actually experiencing the event.

 

I'm surprised they were allowed to film- or were they ignoring a request not to. I was also watching a different end of SS show last night and I am pleased to report a well behaved audience in this respect.

[alison]

The audience attending performances at ROH during the Season are in my experience a "near perfect" audience; they know and respect the rules of Theatre/Ballet/Opera going.

 

Hmm, I'm rapidly becoming less and less sure of that.  Everywhere I stand/sit these days, I seem to spot signs of disruptive behaviour: people filming in the stalls circle, texting in the balcony, taking photos from a Grand Tier box the other day (okay, that *was* during the Mariinsky season, I admit), people talking, using their mobiles etc. from the Amphi ...

[BristolBillyBob]

I see Kate Bush has politely requested that audience members refrain from recording/photographing her upcoming concerts. She wants to have that connection with the people who have come to see and hear her performance, rather than be faced with a sea of cameras recording events so they can watch them later. I agree with her stance and hope people will respect it.

 

Only slightly related, but a few years ago, I went to the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone. This was back when both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were racing for McLaren together. At a Vodafone event the morning of the race, both drivers came out to talk to the crowd. You would have expected a riotous round of applause, but not a bit of it. People couldn't clap because virtually everyone to a man had their phone or camera hoisted aloft to film their stars. I felt a bit sorry (as much as one can for sportsmen who earn millions of pounds doing something awesome) for the pair as the response appeared was so muted. I felt like I was the only one clapping and showing my appreciation for the entertainment they provide us. Strange world. 

 

Possibly most bothersome, though, was the number of people holding their phones vertically to film. But that's another rant...

[Fonty]

Reading through this thread, it does seem to me that the issue of audience members filming/photographing/texting and so on, has got slightly out of hand, and staff are not sure how to deal with it. 

 

I get so annoyed by it, that I really do think that the next time it happens, I am going to stand up and shout very loudly at the offender.  The trouble is, it would probably annoy the performers far more than the person waving their mobile about!  And I would probably end up being thrown out of the building.  But at least I would have made my point. 

[Jan McNulty]

What gets me is that people don't realise how distracting they are being with the lights on their phones or digital cameras, let alone flashes going off (which must surely be dangerous to the performers).  They are downright rude when there has been an announcement specifically asking people to desist.

 

Theatre staff must have a huge problem in dealing with the issue if the individual(s) are in the middle of a row.

[sarahw]

I was surprised by the staff as well as the audience at the ROH. The ushers appeared disinterested - our tickets were not checked once- staggering. They did not try to point out our seats for us and I wouldn't have had any confidence they could deal with behaviour issues. They gave the impression of being agency staff on their first session. Maybe they were?

[alison]

The ROH staff are usually good - and agency staff aren't usually used except for outside events, I believe.

[MAB]

ROH staff do seem to be slipping a bit,  About a year ago I realised I had come out without my ticket for that evening's show, so in my break I dashed down to the box office for a duplicate.  It took a while to sort out as a friend had bought our tickets together, so I had to give his details, post code etc. but was finally given a duplicate in an ROH envelope.  As I had to hurry back to the office, I failed to check what was actually in the envelope. 

 

That evening I presented my ticket at the front door and again to the usher on the door of the stalls, then saw that someone was sitting in my seat, at the same time I saw my friend waving to me two rows in front.  We looked at my duplicate ticket to discover I had been given his ticket for the week before!  So two members of ROH staff had waved me through with an invalid ticket.