Bad Behaviour at a Show

Catastrophic events just speed up change. It is always coming anyway. I think in general within society there is increasing disrespect. This has been shimmering away for a good long time. It has been considered normal to verbally abuse sports stars from the stand for years. Theatre etc has always been seen as different. People were general more respectful. However, the way people are in schools, hospitals, police stations you do have to wonder if it just was a matter of time. I would never dream of behaving like that in public. I can get a bit salty when I don’t want to pay extra for my sky though.

However for a long time it was acceptable to heckle the stage etc but then theatre became a respectable career and past time and people behaved more gentile. It’s another thing if people get in on the act when you corpse on stage. It’s another to actually be abusive.

That’s everywhere. Everyone is afraid of being fined, sued, getting it wrong. Every I needs to be dotted and t crossed before you can act.  Meanwhile all the front line staff and responders just quit because the abuse they take is horrendous and already stressed public services become worse. Granted theatre is largely private but what happens when they can’t even staff their theatres.

We were at Back to the Future last night when the safety curtain was brought down near the beginning of the first act. Clearly the table and chairs in the kitchen scene didn't arrive on stage and Biff had nothing to put his boxes on! After about 3 minutes members of the audience started whistling and slow clapping. Is it just me that thinks this was a bit excessive? Show was up and running a few minutes later!

From today’s Popbitch email:

“Seems like those rowdy West End audiences we heard so much about last year aren't settling down. Rod Stewart was at the Kit Kat Club last Tuesday to see Cabaret and was evidently very taken with the show's immersive atmosphere.

Not only was Rod singing along with all the songs, he was shouting comments to the performers as they went on and off stage (including a hilariously hearty "There she is... Go on, girl!" at Fraulein Schneider ahead of her big number).

He got so stuck into the chorus of Tomorrow Belongs To Me that, during the interval entertainment, one of the ensemble sidled up to him to tell him to pipe down. But Rod didn't pipe down. And a few dozen refunds were issued to neighbouring punters as a result.”

Crikey… surely a case of someone who should absolutely know better!

Luckily Jason Manford butted in and said that it wasn't ok.

That's a stupid thing for a performer to say! What made him say that? Did they ask him?

If someone started hollering while Alfie Boe was singing in a musical I would have to take extreme action:
"Excuse me! I, and the rest of this audience paid to hear professional singer/actors, not audience members singing along. However, on this occasion you may proceed, but only if you up the volume as I can still hear him. Ta".

Manchester audiences again!!
And not even a jukebox musical to blame this time

metro.co.uk/2024/01/29/ballet-fan-repeatedly-punched-left-broken-eye-socket-swan-lake-20187994/

Sad but true. 

Saw The Color Purple musical film, local Odeon, last Friday, at what would have been only the second showing but still poorly attended. We were left block five rows from front, two women in the other block two rows forward. Nobody else nearby. One woman started filming the screen the moment the film began. After a few minutes it seemed likely she wasn't going to stop any time soon, it was distracting as well as illegal. I went over to her and said " Please stop filming, you know it's not allowed and if you carry on you're likely to be thrown out". She told me to F off but did stop.

Soon afterwards she left the auditorium for a couple of minutes, when she returned she glared at me, sat down, and for the rest of the film talked on and off to the other woman and looked regularly at her phone. At the end of the film she got up as the titles came up and came over to me unleashing a torrent of F and C words to tell me to mind my own business. She said she was only filming the opening titles for her daughter who has bad eyesight (!!) - I did not say a word in reply. The other woman who looked about the same age never spoke. I have no idea how she thought that justified filming, just a lie I suspect.

Anyway I decided to speak to the duty manager. She was so hostile it actually crossed my mind that there was some form of collusion. She said the woman had complained about me for threatening her for using her phone and that I should have reported it to a member of staff. When I pointed out that it was her filming the Film that had prompted my intervention she said they check screens every 20 minutes or so. I made the point that all it would take is half a dozen people filming as much as they can and a full pirate version of a new film could easily be assembled. No comment. I suspect the woman had conveniently forgotten to tell the cinema manager why I had approached her and made up the story about her companion at the end of the film to cover her back

I firmly believe the two women were there for the sole purpose of making a copy of as much of the film as possible. Perhaps I was wrong to speak to her but I wasn't rude or threatening and I acted on impulse. I doubt if the film production company or distributor would have taken such an unconcerned attitude to copyright theft as did that Odeon manager.

I suspect the 7pm start time will mean this happens a lot. I think they should not let late people come in until the interval, but I might just need more coffee. I was surprised how empty the theatre was until about five minutes before curtain.