Audience Behaviour - Thread 2

[Richard LH]

19 hours ago, FionaE said:

Fortunately she hadn’t noticed the stairs at the centre which the dancers were using as part of the show to enter and exit through the audience.  If she had, she’d have been up them before theatre staff could escort her away!

😂

[Smiler]

A new one for me at the cinema this afternoon, someone FaceTiming during the film and pointing the phone at the screen so the other person could see the film and chat about it !

[Jan McNulty]

41 minutes ago, Smiler said:

A new one for me at the cinema this afternoon, someone FaceTiming during the film and pointing the phone at the screen so the other person could see the film and chat about it !

 

Blummin' 'eck!!

[AnneMarriott]

10 hours ago, Smiler said:

A new one for me at the cinema this afternoon, someone FaceTiming during the film and pointing the phone at the screen so the other person could see the film and chat about it !

Perhaps inspired by those two-for-one offers?

[alison]

Not behaviour as such, but at Alvin Ailey the other day I had the misfortune to be sitting behind a row of four women all wearing, if that's the right word, updos.  Fortunately I was able to move along the row so they weren't blocking my view.

[Ondine]

This one is from the US, a Congresswoman no less.

 

Lauren Boebert escorted out of “Beetlejuice” musical in Denver after “causing a disturbance”

 

https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/12/lauren-boebert-removed-beetlejuice-musical-denver/

 

 

 

 

[alison]

She's on the theatre's board, but unaware that photography isn't allowed in the theatre

[dance fan]

On 13/09/2023 at 10:30, alison said:

She's on the theatre's board, but unaware that photography isn't allowed in the theatre

Did she have her AR-15 with her?  

[Ondine]

On 14/09/2023 at 18:14, dance fan said:

Did she have her AR-15 with her?  

 

😏

 

She certainly appears to have been behaving badly. The film of her and her companion in the theatre has been doing the rounds on social media.  I won't post it. 🤨

 

Howve, there is a description in this report.  Not for those of a sensitive disposition.

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/16/lauren-boebert-apology-beetlejuice-video

 

 

 

 

[northstar]

Just wanted to do a bit of vent/catharsis here on audience behaviour, and reflection on the matter since the pandemic. I went to BRB Coppelia in Autumn 2022 (Birm. Hipppodrome) and experienced what I felt was the worst behaviour I'd ever witnessed at live ballet. After hearing about several more incidents of bad behaviour on this forum, and from theatre in general in the mainstream media, I've been reflecting on it more and wanted to post about it. 

 

Just to briefly describe the behaviour in Autumn 2022, I was in Upper Circle (so 'cheaper' seats) a pair of women sat next to me, it was a packed house. First was the very loud crackling sweet papers, which they did seem to realise, and tried to dampen, but only by trying to painfully/carefully slow down their sweet-unwrapping which actually made it even more irritating and noticeable. But far worse came later in the grand PDD and finale, when the younger one got a fit of the giggles and continually snorted and guffawed (unsuccessfully trying to smother it). I do wonder if I was being over-sensitive but I noticed other people around me being disturbed/upset by this commotion too. I found it more than annoying, I would actually say it was upsetting -  it felt like my experience of the ballet was being violated. I've never felt like that at live ballet before. Unfortunately I can remember this quite well, a year on. More bizarrely, on the other side of me another couple actually got up and left in the middle of the galop final !  But actually this was not particularly upsetting, and an advantage to me as I quickly scooted along into their vacated seats and at least got away from the badly-behaved women, to catch the fabulous final moments of the ballet with a bit of space to myself.

 

Also in Autumn 2022 I was at ENB Swan Lakes which which were touring Liverpool/Manchester, I saw people filming the performance on mobiles and even getting out of their seats to get a better camera angle. In Manchester it was packed and again the audience behaviour felt rather like being in a school classroom. 

 

I've been wondering 'is it just me?' (I feel I had some particularly bad pandemic life events, and possibly over-sensitive/grumpy because of that). But I've been reading this forum thread which started late 2022 and noticing the comments on worsening behaviour, e.g. the link to Graham Watts Instagram post from RB Nutcracker Dec 2022 were he experienced his worst-ever behaviour at ROH. Several more posts I've seen about 'worst ever' experiences and links to newspaper articles describing the phenomenon of this awful new trend in anti-social behaviour since the pandemic. A correlation seems to be vastly more seat sales. I've never seen the ballet so busy these past couple of years, I used to sit in half-empty theatres pre-covid. I do see newspapers talking about the huge appetite for theatre experiences post-lockdown, and unfortunate simultaneous decline in behaviour. I even notice in cities at weekends, the 'hen/stag party' atmosphere is absolutely horrendous and starts at midday, not just late evening. 

 

Admittedly my Coppelia/Swan Lake 2022 experiences weren't 'beyond the pale' . And I should state that I attended another BRB Coppelia in the same week which was fine (but I made sure I bought front circle seats!). I must also state that BRB DonQ at the Lowry Salford March 2022 was well-behaved (but sombre tone set initially and Ukrainian anthem played, just post-Putin-invasion). And lastly, just to remember nicer experiences - at BRB Swan Lake in Sunderland Empire (March 2023), really well behaved crowd (fab perfromance too); but I do think north-east people are inherently so 'sound' .

 

I'm hoping the anti-social behaviour people mention here and in the media is just a process of readjustment due to the extreme conditions society has been through recently (primarily the pandemic), and that more moderate, respectful behaviour will again develop soon.  

 

Thanks for listening.

[Tango Dancer]

31 minutes ago, northstar said:

I'm hoping the anti-social behaviour people mention here and in the media is just a process of readjustment due to the extreme conditions society has been through recently (primarily the pandemic), and that more moderate, respectful behaviour will again develop soon.  

 

Thanks for listening.

 

I hope so and behaviour seems to be improving somewhat.  I must say everyone was very well behaved at Generations at Northern Ballet last week.  No disruption and everyone sat good as gold.  

 

I also went to a concert at the Wigmore Hall on Tuesday and everyone there was very well behaved and attentive.  

 

I shall hope it's 3 for 3 at the Kyiv city ballet performance next week.  

[MAB]

25 minutes ago, Tango Dancer said:

I also went to a concert at the Wigmore Hall on Tuesday and everyone there was very well behaved and attentive.  

 

I've never known the Wigmore Hall audiences to be otherwise.

[Scheherezade]

11 minutes ago, MAB said:

 

I've never known the Wigmore Hall audiences to be otherwise.

Nor me. What else from an audience for whom a scarcely noticeable, suppressed cough is considered an unacceptable outrage. 

[Mary]

1 hour ago, northstar said:

've been wondering 'is it just me?'

No, it isn't just you - behaviour definitely has got worse, and you are not alone at all in feeling very fed up with this sort of thing. I understand entirely the feeling of almost 'violation' you describe: it is upsetting. Many posts on the forum have discussed the problem and the feelings of frustration we all experience when our visit to the theatre is spoiled by rude and thoughtless people. 

 

There are still places where people behave...I just avoid the others and will do until things improve, which I think they will do, perhaps...There has been quite a lot of comment in the media,  and paying audiences (paying more and more)  may have decided they don't want all this disturbance,  and start to pressure venues to provide an appropriate atmosphere again. Let's hope so.

[northstar]

Thanks for the responses, and the sympathy Mary . I am trying to do the same selectiveness of places where people behave, which unfortunately may lead me to think twice about certain ballet performances I would normally have attended. As you imply, theatres for ballet performances (and other shows) may respond to this behaviour phenomenon by some new ideas, maybe such as starting to selling performances labelled 'quiet'. I rather hope it will just come from a rebalancing of society behaviour, since you can already feel the 'reaction' in the media and audience commentary.  

 

I have to admit I'm thinking of BRB Nutcracker at Xmas (not seen it since the production refurb), but wondering will that be well-behaved? Maybe I will just become a reclusive hermit. I may just have to go to the Wigmore Hall, I've never been but that sounds perfect for me🤣, thanks MAB and Scheherezade.

[Tango Dancer]

33 minutes ago, northstar said:

 

 

I have to admit I'm thinking of BRB Nutcracker at Xmas (not seen it since the production refurb), but wondering will that be well-behaved? Maybe I will just become a reclusive hermit. I may just have to go to the Wigmore Hall, I've never been but that sounds perfect for me🤣, thanks MAB and Scheherezade.

 

I've been to BRB a couple of times this year and the audience was pretty well behaved.  Nutcracker always has slightly more children / young people so I can't vouch for how people would behave but I've always found it a fairly well behaved audience. 

[Mary]

If only we could persuade the Wigmore Hall to put on some ballet . It would have to  be a rather small scale production admittedly...........................................

[Emeralds]

Have to say the audiences at two shows I saw in different areas  (second circle and Stalls) for ENB’s Theme and Variations/Les Noces/Four Last Songs were great at Sadler’s Wells. No chatting, disruption, filming, smart watches /Fitbits flashing (a bugbear of mine), nor ringtones/alarms going off and people only turned phones on at the end of the ballet or the intervals. And although drinks were allowed to be brought in, I couldn’t smell any pungent food/drinks nor hear any slurping/ munching/ crunching during the show at all. I saw one man bringing a small beer in to finish but it was gone the next time I looked over- he must have finished it before curtain up. Impressive audiences. Maybe some were Wigmore Hall regulars. 😄 (I’m impressed that at Wigmore Hall the programme sheets for lieder/song recitals even ask audiences not to turn the page before the singer has reached the end of the section!) 

Edited September 25, 2023 by Emeralds

[jm365]

and on the whole the programme sheets are free!!  Sometimes with all the lyrics in the original language and an English translation.

[JNC]

On 23/09/2023 at 12:53, northstar said:

 theatres for ballet performances (and other shows) may respond to this behaviour phenomenon by some new ideas, maybe such as starting to selling performances labelled 'quiet'. I rather hope it will just come from a rebalancing of society behaviour, since you can already feel the 'reaction' in the media and audience commentary.  

given your second sentence I don’t think this is something you’re in favour of anyway but “quiet” performances to me sounds (no pun intended) like a terrible idea!

 

it would just give licence to people to make noise in the non quiet ones, and depending on casting and dates not everyone would be able to attend quiet ones anyway.

 

I totally understand the feeling that someone else is ruining and violating your evening. I’m still 2 years later cross about Giselle with Bonelli and Morera being ruined for me by a horrible young woman sat in front of me who (when someone not even me told her off for taking a picture as the curtain rose) decided to retaliate by lifting her hands up to try and obstruct my view. I gave her some very sharp words and she stopped but it still made me feel very uncomfortable as I could feel the tension and the ill intention in the air. I’m still upset that what would have been probably my favourite performance of the run was ruined by her selfish and revenge / petty seeking behaviour. 
 

In good news, despite the annoying lady rustling around in her handbag sat next to me (for some medication or sweets I can’t tell but it was straight after an interval as well so why she couldn’t have done it then…) I found the Sadler Wells audience well behaved tonight. Not many drinks seemed to be brought in and no phones or hardly any chatting from where I was. Maybe things are finally getting better! I really hope so. 

[serenade]

On 26/09/2023 at 23:36, JNC said:

In good news, despite the annoying lady rustling around in her handbag sat next to me (for some medication or sweets I can’t tell but it was straight after an interval as well so why she couldn’t have done it then…) I found the Sadler Wells audience well behaved tonight. Not many drinks seemed to be brought in and no phones or hardly any chatting from where I was. Maybe things are finally getting better! I really hope so. 

 

The rustling drives me nuts, the last few times at ROH the person is sitting perfectly content next to me...the lights go down and then suddenly they urgently need something out of their bag.  As soon as the bag unzips I almost feel like saying oh what is it?  What do you need? 😂  

[Sophoife]

I am happy to report exemplary behaviour from all those around me at the sold-out Swan Lake in Melbourne last week. Including all children and old ladies.

[Pas de Quatre]

Is this a good production Sophoife? It is currently available to buy the stream online and I am thinking about doing so.

[Sophoife]

I would say yes, give it a go @Pas de Quatre because I can't make a fair assessment of the production from the cast I saw - the couple I saw in the lead roles had (to my eyes) technical excellence but zero chemistry (which is how I feel every time I see them dance together, very weird as they are married in real life!).

 

I'm also buying the stream, as I'm very keen to see a different lead couple and it's way cheaper than going to Adelaide, Sydney or Brisbane 🤣

[capybara]

It has been reported that Just Stop Oil  protestors disrupted the performance of Les Miserables tonight.

 

[Sim]

10 hours ago, capybara said:

It has been reported that Just Stop Oil  protestors disrupted the performance of Les Miserables tonight.

 

Yes they did. It’s worrying how these disruptive people are able to get onto London’s stages.  Security needs to be tightened. 

[Blossom]

 

11 hours ago, capybara said:

It has been reported that Just Stop Oil  protestors disrupted the performance of Les Miserables tonight.

 

It makes a couple of incidents in the stalls circle last night seem like nothing. There was some pretty brazen photography happening on the front row during the performance and on the other side of the light box, a flash even went off.

Then there was the phone which rang and was completely ignored until it rang out…

 

[Sim]

Just now, Blossom said:

 

It makes a couple of incidents in the stalls circle last night seem like nothing. There was some pretty brazen photography happening on the front row during the performance and on the other side of the light box, a flash even went off.

Then there was the phone which rang and was completely ignored until it rang out…

 

Didn't the ushers do anything about the photography?

[Lindsay]

Just now, Sim said:

Didn't the ushers do anything about the photography?

They got up to sort out someone who seemed to have inadvertently switched on the torchlight on their phone and was having trouble turning it off.  It looked entirely accidental from where I was sitting.

[Sim]

Just now, Lindsay said:

They got up to sort out someone who seemed to have inadvertently switched on the torchlight on their phone and was having trouble turning it off.  It looked entirely accidental from where I was sitting.

Ha that would be me....I still don't know how to switch off my phone's torch!!  However, my phone is in my handbag during the performance so I wouldn't know if it were on until the interval.  

[bangorballetboy]

If it's an iphone, you can use your Harry Potter spells with Siri - lumos to turn on the light and nox to turn it off again!

[AllAboutTheJourney]

22 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

If it's an iphone, you can use your Harry Potter spells with Siri - lumos to turn on the light and nox to turn it off again!

 

This is perhaps the most exciting thing I have ever learned on this forum!

[LinMM]

I’m going to try the above!! I’ll be very disappointed if it doesn’t work! 

But usually panic a bit when either phone torch goes on accidentally or trying to use Siri ….I usually confuse Siri by not quite using the right words ….or too many ha!