Etiquette of moving to an empty seat ..

Interesting discussion.

I have never upgraded or swapped seats prior to the first act. I would be too nervous of the real ticket holder turning up late and being embarrassed having to move.

I completely agree about the law in this matter in that you have paid for the seat you are sat in and not “entitled” to upgrade. However I have frequently upgraded myself at the interval - I have never been challenged as I am clearly an asset to any audience and completely fabulous!

The move of seats can be for many reasons. Sitting behind someone tall or with big hair or bad behaviour and simply moving to a different seat in the same price band. Moving back to an empty row for more room or solitude.

My most outrageous upgrade was for Chess last year with friends. They had booked cheap seats in the gods (£10) and due to the staging and behind a tall man I could not see a thing. During the first act I spied an empty Upper Circle Box - so we moved. I did expect to be challenged but we weren’t!

I disgracefully upgrade myself at my local ATG theatre frequently. Most recently at Glengarry Glen Ross in a very empty theatre. They NEVER discount and for this show there was not even a discount for senior citizens! So the show was quiet. The box office refused to sell me a front stalls seat at a discount so I bought a seat at the back and blatantly told him I would move forward - which I did. I was happy to be challenged but I wasn’t. @ryan did not come and sit on my lap unfortunately but then I am sure he never ventures into the provinces with the great unwashed!!

I once moved three times 😮

It was towards the end of the run of Sunset Boulevard at the Palace last year. I’d already seen it but booked again with the blerk I was seeing and foolishly decided to try the top price circle seats, second row central. 

The chosen seats found our knees round the earholes of the couple in the front row. We moved back a row but still had the hard edge of our original seats sticking into our knees. We moved again to the very outer seats of the circle on the front row... hideous. We stuck it until half time and then snook down to some lovely leg roomy seats on the side of the stalls. 

It was a quiet night towards the end of the run and I doubt whether Ria Jones noticed. The seats we moved to in the end were probably the same price as the original circle but I’d have done it regardless. it’s an interesting thought as to whether the “fit for purpose” rule in consumer law should apply to theatre seats (it clearly doesn’t at the moment!) 

I've always wanted to do that at the Proms (there's almost always at least one box empty and I'm always up in the Circle) but have never dared try!

If I spot an empty seat further forward I just go for it. At the interval of course
Never been challenged yet. I don't see the crime. The seat's there gathering dust whether I sit in it or not. For the last West End outing of Glengarry I managed to get from the middle of the Upper Circle to the second row of the stalls, that's the best so far.

As I said I have never been challenged "upgrading" and if I was I would be perfectly polite and move being the gentleman I am and of course knowing I am technically in the wrong. However, I would say to the usher that it is a pity that bad behaviour (phones etc) are not dealt with by them in the same ruthless manner!!!!!

Modern theatres and cinemas have better rakes (no problems at Liverpool Everyman, Theatr Clwyd etc. or Cineworld, Picturehouse etc. where I feel I can happily book any seat) but the fashion for low stages and actors sitting and lying down means crap sightlines for the short in old theatres. Just make the stage higher!

I think it has the same designers as the Dorfman and Bridge - I'm off to the teatime Sweeney this afternoon with £10 'behind the band' seats. I also asked if they'll let my friend in if she's running late and they said yes, to a house seat when there's the first opportunity, though I'm not sure whether that applies to non musicals.

If it's the first time they've been to that theatre then I don't blame them. I've booked upper circle seats, then looked online at audience pics of the vertiginous view and thought "no way!". In one recent case (I think it was True West) I asked if I could change my seat for a stalls seat and pay the extra (my gods seat was around £10, so an extra £30 for the £40 stalls) and, amazingly, they said no - I had to have both the stalls seat and the gods seat! I said forget it, and booked to see a different show at another, more reasonable theatre.

If they are scared of heights, why are they booking a seat in the highest part of the theatre in the first place?

Because they're poor.

The only balcony seat I’ve actually found bearable was at the Lyceum for Local Hero, as it’s quite a small theatre, so it didn’t feel too high up. You could still see their facial expressions, even from the last row.