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Post by FrontrowverPaul on Mar 6, 2024 15:11:01 GMT
I take with me a minimum of a flask of coffee and a flask of (non alcoholic) cold drink plus a sandwich, cake and chocolate. Sometimes I also have a little shopping - always reduced price yellow labels! I am aware most theatres include a warning in their terms and condition like " You may not bring food or drink purchased elsewhere" but usually the door staff just shine a torch in bags or very occasionally ask what's in the flasks. Sometimes I say " No hot food, no alcohol and nothing I plan to eat here". At the Bridge Theatre they also ask about nuts, presumably as there's someone there with a severe nut allergy
I've never had a problem bringing my refreshments to any theatre ... except the Sondheim where I see Les Miz two or three times a year. A couple of years ago they told me and others that sandwiches were not allowed. I hurriedly ate mine, others threw theirs away. Another time the security chap made me undo both flasks and sniffed the contents. Previous two visits nothing was queried so I guess I'd assumed they had become less strict.
Last night I had my usual, plus some reduced pre-packed cooked meat just bought from Sainsbury's and some bargain Waitrose pastries When I heard a lady in front of me being told that she could take in her box of chocolates but not her packet of crisps I knew I was heading for trouble. The bag checker picked up the cold meat packs and said they weren't allowed in. I protested that it was shopping to take home but he was adamant, I asked if I could speak to a supervisor who confirmed - not allowed. He didn't look beyond the cooked meat. So I went away, ate what i could and returned. This time a different bag checker looked in the bag and he said I couldn't take my remaining small home-made sandwich in. Neither seemed concerned about the pastries, bar of chocolate or my flasks. Not going to argue about a sandwich at 7.20 so discarded it.
I'm minded to make a complaint because in my opinion the no food /drink rule should either be absolute - as it is in the O2, not even water gets in there - or operated primarily to keep out alcohol and hot or smelly food which I think is what most theatres do. Why should chocolate be allowed but not crisps - both of which are sold inside - and why are pastries okay but not sandwiches or sealed cooked meat ? Any views appreciated.
Incidentally I've visited every West End Delfont Mackintosh theatre in the last 12 months including the Novello twice this year without any hassle. Just seems to be the Sondheim.
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Post by drmaplewood on Mar 6, 2024 16:24:29 GMT
A bottle of water is all you need to have, have your dinner beforehand.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 6, 2024 16:32:22 GMT
“Why should chocolate be allowed but not crisps - both of which are sold inside”
I think that answers part of the question, they want you to pay the silly prices they charge for crisps. That doesn’t account for the other in inconsistencies though. Of course they don’t know you’re not going to pull your packet of ham out mid-show and start munching on it which I’m sure has happened. We’ve had people reporting full burger meals and Chinese takeout being consumed during the show so anything goes!
I have to say I’m surprised you’ve been allowed to take flasks of drink inside. That wouldn’t be allowed at the ATG venues in Manchester. Not just because of the possible content but because they’re deadly missiles… Manc audiences and all that 😐
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Post by toomasj on Mar 6, 2024 16:36:59 GMT
I think people munching sandwiches and the like a real distraction and impolite behaviour, not as bad as loud drunkenness (I’m fine with silent drunkenness) but still very unpleasant to be sat next to/behind/in front of. A lot of the time it smells bad, food gets dropped, it’s just not what you do. People have forgotten they are in a theatre not their living room.
I have no issues with bringing in (quiet, pre-wrapped) sweets or any kind of non-alcoholic drink. I don’t really care if it’s an alcoholic drink really as long as they are subtle and behaving. They usually aren’t.
Hot food of any description is a massive no-no. Very poor form.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 6, 2024 16:49:38 GMT
I used to sneak little bottles of wine into west end houses and always succeeded but now i dont bother. Im with Paul in often having some grocery shopping with me but never snacks or drinks ... Glyndebourne is a different though!
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Post by ceebee on Mar 6, 2024 16:55:03 GMT
I find covert food smuggling as objectionable as I would find somebody giving the full on jazz hands whilst tap dancing their way down the fruit and veg aisle in a supermarket or delivering a soliloque in the bakery section.
I don't want to smell somebody else's pre-packed meat. The farty waft and the rrrrip of the the plastic should be sufficient embarrassment, before even contemplating chowing down on a satay on a stick, peperami or whatever stinky food option is in the reduced items section at Sainsburys.
If this behaviour in theatre continues, I'm going to start taking in my M&S fish platter with the hot smoked salmon, mackerel and prawns with the little pot of dip that comes with it.
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Post by cavocado on Mar 6, 2024 17:17:23 GMT
That seems like a lot to take in. If I need to bring food I eat it on the journey or outside the theatre beforehand. I only take in water and maybe a small snack for the way home, but not something that bag checkers would notice. I think it's reasonable to object to people eating 'proper' food (ie more than a few small snacks) on the premises. How can they tell which customers will keep their meat and pastries in their bags and which ones will be eating all through the play?
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Post by parsley1 on Mar 6, 2024 17:50:13 GMT
I find covert food smuggling as objectionable as I would find somebody giving the full on jazz hands whilst tap dancing their way down the fruit and veg aisle in a supermarket or delivering a soliloque in the bakery section. I don't want to smell somebody else's pre-packed meat. The farty waft and the rrrrip of the the plastic should be sufficient embarrassment, before even contemplating chowing down on a satay on a stick, peperami or whatever stinky food option is in the reduced items section at Sainsburys. If this behaviour in theatre continues, I'm going to start taking in my M&S fish platter with the hot smoked salmon, mackerel and prawns with the little pot of dip that comes with it. Yet it’s okay to have to smell inferior alcohol next you |
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Post by parsley1 on Mar 6, 2024 17:51:47 GMT
Next time just wear a big coat and take the items in your pockets
The attitude experienced was rather nasty and petty
And quite funny as most WE venues are dire sh*t holes
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Post by TallPaul on Mar 6, 2024 18:11:55 GMT
When I was at the world-famous Crucible Theatre earlier this year, the young woman a couple of places ahead of me at the 'ticket gate' was carrying a Zizzi's pizza box. I'm sure it wasn't her intention to continue her meal whilst watching White Christmas, but rather her leftovers from a nice meal out that she was saving for the following day's breakfast.
Being nice in the north, she was politely directed to the nearby cloakroom, where it issued with its very own ticket, the other half being affixed to the box with Sellotape, all ready for collection after the performance.
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Post by raiseitup on Mar 6, 2024 18:27:33 GMT
Was it the Royal Opera House a few years ago who got a lot of media coverage because of people trying to smuggle vodka or another clear spirit in plastic bottles, so they banned anyone even bringing a bottle of water in for a while?
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Post by n1david on Mar 6, 2024 18:34:12 GMT
Was it the Royal Opera House a few years ago who got a lot of media coverage because of people trying to smuggle vodka or another clear spirit in plastic bottles, so they banned anyone even bringing a bottle of water in for a while? No, that was ENO at the Coliseum. |
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Post by justfran on Mar 6, 2024 19:09:05 GMT
I have to say I’m surprised you’ve been allowed to take flasks of drink inside. That wouldn’t be allowed at the ATG venues in Manchester. Not just because of the possible content but because they’re deadly missiles… Manc audiences and all that 😐 I recently attended a weekday matinee of a play at my local ATG theatre (with a mainly older audience) and the security staff on the front doors were making everyone empty their bottles of water/other drinks out before entering the venue. |
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Post by longinthetooth on Mar 6, 2024 19:33:55 GMT
This reminds me of a Japanese lady in front of me at the Sondheim who had purchased a hot, presumably Japanese but possibly Chinese (I wasn't close enough to examine it!) dinner. She was told she could leave it with them and collect it after the show, which she was quite happy to do.
I've seen someone try to take in a large pizza, which was refused, so the group all stood to one side and consumed it outside the theatre.
I have also witnessed a full, three course picnic being consumed in the front row, in full view of the cast. Can't recall offhand where, but it wasn't London.
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Post by marob on Mar 6, 2024 20:12:49 GMT
The only time I’ve ever been to the Sondheim I had someone waving a metal detector over me. Rather OTT. Maybe they should check for banners and/or superglue.
I remember reading about someone taking a pizza into Storyhouse in Chester. They were sat on the front row and ate it during the show. Theatre/cast joked about it online, but in a ‘this can’t happen again’ kinda way.
When I saw Hamilton there was a whole stack of confiscated food on the door, much of it sushi.
At An Inspector Calls at the Liverpool Empire a large group of school kids were passing around a supermarket birthday cake.
The only shopping I ever take in would be a few books or blurays. If I do take a bottle of water or pop in with me, more to keep for the trip home than drink there, then that ends up inside my coat as I can’t be bothered with the argument.
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Post by hannechalk on Mar 6, 2024 20:59:52 GMT
That sounds more of a picnic.
If someone is sat near me 'quietly' munching away through their whole tuckshop, it annoys me no end. The sounds, the smells, the constant movements...
I either eat beforehand in a pub or buy a meal deal and sit on a bench to eat it, before entering the theatre. I rarely eat anything, not even sweets, inside the theatre. I may have a packet of crisps with my drink before the show, but it's eaten in the bar then.
I once spent a few hours in a park in Bristol before entering the Hippodrome (ATG) - I was told to decant the remainders of a bottle of Coke into open plastic pint glasses before I was allowed in. I didn't fancy juggling a bag and two open pints of liquid, so I just left the bottle at the door.
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Post by Jan on Mar 7, 2024 7:53:27 GMT
" You may not bring food or drink purchased elsewhere" but usually the door staff just shine a torch in bags or very occasionally ask what's in the flasks. Sometimes I say " No hot food, no alcohol and nothing I plan to eat here". I don't approve of you lying to door staff, it is disrespectful to them and somewhat entitled. |
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Post by ladidah on Mar 7, 2024 9:08:26 GMT
I always bring my own snacks and drinks, but I only ever eat and drink during the interval.
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Post by dippy on Mar 7, 2024 9:29:03 GMT
I don't approve of you lying to door staff, it is disrespectful to them and somewhat entitled. How do you know he's lying? From my memory he's someone who goes around the country by train so the sandwich (which was made at home) and other food possibly isn't for in the theatre but an evening meal on the way home after a matinee. Of course that's just a guess as well. I often have food in my bag but I've never got any intention of eating it in the theatre. Maybe I bought something before that I need as the shop will be shut after the show. Often I'll go to a little shop after the theatre but sometimes I've had things in my bag, you know a cauliflower or something like that. Only once have I had something taken off me when going into the theatre, it was a jar of peanut butter because I could use it as a weapon, I was allowed to collect it after the show though. |
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Post by Dave B on Mar 7, 2024 9:32:55 GMT
Almost always a drink, water or a Pepsi. Sometimes bar of chocolate - for the interval of course.
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Post by jojo on Mar 7, 2024 10:34:36 GMT
I almost always have a bottle of water, travel cup of tea and snacks with me whenever I'm out and about for any length of time, especially if I've got a bit of a journey home by public transport.
Except for sipping on water, I wouldn't consume them during a show.
I once took a sandwich (wraps) into a show because I ran out of time to eat beforehand. I ate half before curtain up and the other half at the interval, but it wasn't fish or egg or anything smelly.
I have sympathy for the theatres because sometimes consuming food and drink is disruptive, but then they sell a lot of the noisy stuff and don't mind people getting drunk from their bars, so food and drink bans come across as profiteering, or in place so staff have something to point at when it's apparent a customer is taking the piss. Hence people routinely bending the rules without too much fuss.
I'm not diabetic of anything, but I am prone to headaches if I get dehydrated and grumpy if I don't eat regularly, so having a little something to hand can make the difference between me being miserable and having a lovely night out.
It would be better if customers were more thoughtful, but also if theatres didn't sell noisy snacks.
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Post by zahidf on Mar 7, 2024 10:39:26 GMT
I always sneak in a drink or snack, though i only eat them in the interval. Mainly just soft drinks, occasionally alcohol if im in the mood
Considering the lack of food selection and prices of soft drink, i dont feel guilty about it. I wouldn't have a full meal or crunch on crisps during the show though.
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Post by FrontrowverPaul on Mar 7, 2024 11:57:43 GMT
" You may not bring food or drink purchased elsewhere" but usually the door staff just shine a torch in bags or very occasionally ask what's in the flasks. Sometimes I say " No hot food, no alcohol and nothing I plan to eat here". I don't approve of you lying to door staff, it is disrespectful to them and somewhat entitled. I am NOT lying to door staff when I say I don't plan to eat there. My remaining food is for my journey home or just shopping. I will admit to sometimes having a gulp of flavoured water or coffee and yes occasionally a very naughty "finger of fudge" but that's it. Most times I just turn on my phone and look at Theatre Board during the interval, several times that's led to a conversation when I've been sitting next to another person also alone, and once to a pleasant hour chatting to a fellow musicals enthusiast between shows, it's surprising how few regular theatre goers are unaware of this forum's existence. I live over an hour from London, don't drive, and on a two show day I leave my home at midday and return afte midnight. My food and drink is for my train/coach/bus/ between shows time. I don't go to pubs or restaurants and while I often have my main meal of the day when I get home I need a snack and coffee for the journey on that 23.10 train if only to stay awake ! My point, which I perhaps did not make as clearly as I could have, is a lack of consistency operating the "no food and drink" rule. It varies between theatres in what's allowed and what isn't, it varies between bag checkers, it even varies depending on the type of show. At pantomime time I know of one theatre that allows anything except hot food in, but go to a stand up comedy show there and it's no food or drink at all. On Tuesday I saw a matinee at Southwark Playhouse - no bag checks there just a friendly welcome, then in the evening at the Sondheim a tiny sandwich (last of four made from two slices of bread at home and containing just chicken and tomato) was refused even after I had disposed of my vacuum packed sealed packets of cooked sliced chicken - but my pastries were fine - making me feel most unwelcome. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 7, 2024 12:26:43 GMT
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Post by Jon on Mar 7, 2024 12:40:15 GMT
I'm okay with sweets, crisps and a non alcoholic refreshment but no to hot food or anything that smells.
Chocolate is my snack of choice but I tend to eat it in the interval.
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