Bad Behaviour at a Show

Very good point BVM . The bar at the Lowry, RET, HM is always rammed pre-show but I don't recall seeing any drink related incidents.

As an frequent visitor to both Manchester (I'll include Salford / Bolton / Oldham in this as well) and Liverpool venues, I've certainly had more show disruptions from the ATG venues than non-ATG ones with respect to drink related issues. 

Frequent visits to the Lowry, HM, Bolton Octagon, the REX, HOME, Bridgewater Hall and even the Oldham Coliseum over the years have passed without incident but yet the Opera House and Palace do seem to be venues that have had issues. I would say it is the jukebox style shows that seem to be the issue as has been reported on in the MEN / BBC, but as I found out, a visit to the OH a few years ago on a Saturday night to watch "Of Mice and Men", we had a group of ladies chucked out at the interval for being well intoxicated and causing problems for everyone in Act 1. I had the same experience at the Kit Kat Club in the WE a few years ago, a mum and daughter sat near me were kicked out by theatre staff at the interval for drunken antics.

With respect to the Liverpool venues, again, frequent visits to the Playhouse / Everyman and Royal Court can pass without incident but yet the Empire as an ATG venue whilst not reaching audience fights from my own experience, the venue definitely does attract the more lively folk.

Casting the net a little wider on my theatre travels, visits to across the Pennines to Leeds and Sheffield as well as WE / London venues have been great with decent audiences who can watch a show without causing any disruption. 

It is jut so frustrating and annoying that what should be a great couple of hours of escapism and enjoyment can be ruined by people who couldn't give a toss about other people. Have some respect for yourself and other people. It isn't hard. 

Manchester audiences again....
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/look-bloody-tip-jason-manford-28221569?fbclid=IwAR085zEIqVnEn4aRTH4S4OfWcbi3KIjNvq6gJgpv4K2oPnC6g7StBzi8t84

I think it's something that happens across theatres generally. People leave rubbish everywhere. I know it's technically part of an usher's job to do the pick-up afterwards, but I'd much rather more bins were provided by the theatres for patrons to use. I never leave my rubbish behind on the floor when I leave. I'd be too ashamed.

We have bins in all the foyers, ushers patrolling the auditorium with bin bags in the interval, and ushers on every door with bin bags at the end of the show.

The auditorium is still an absolute state and takes the ushers ages to do the pick-up - absolutely knackering, especially on a 3-show Saturday.

My favourite group who came to see a show was a school group - at the end of the show the teacher bellowed "RIGHT YOU LOT! I want all your rubbish picked up, if there's anything left you'll be in detention for the week, and I want to see you with one piece of someone else's rubbish too, let's show the staff how much we value them!"

I asked her if she could come back for all performances :-)

That is horrible, why are people so lazy.

Literally why though? For what purpose? How does a habit like that even form? People are terrible.

Some theatres don't help themselves though. I know that DMT theatres have very few bins in their venues because "Cameron doesn't like them".

Ah, so schoolteachers still go in for mass punishments.  Having been a non-offending child who often suffered under them, I still think they're rotten.

When I worked at a cinema, I witnessed a kid do that just as we were opening the doors for the end of the film. I gave them such a bollocking. I don't think they had a parent with them though, I wouldn't have been brave enough to otherwise.

Re: CamMac & bins, I noticed that at Wyndham's last night. I had to finish my coffee from McDonald's quickly in the queue to get in & was then surprised there were no bins in the foyer. Lovely BO person took it off me & put it in his bin.

One of our teachers used to try the 'everyone in detention for one offender' thing and I basically started a revolt at 14 by saying I wouldn't be staying and offering to go to the head teacher's office to talk about it. The class (barring the offender) went home on time.

I wondered if that was a tactic taught in teacher training college as it could easily lead to bullying unless the offender was the "class bully". We all had good and bad teachers, some I would still resoect hugely others I won't say what I'd wish on them.

Teachers controlling a group in a theatre is hard but I've read about FOH staff and teachers having arguments when a group was told to sit on the floor of the foyer thus causing a H and S access issue. Also teachers trying to stop other patrons going into the loos/blocking the loo door as their party were using them!