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Post by bellboard27 on Apr 4, 2018 10:19:08 GMT
Bat Out Of Hell yesterday generated a pair of persistent offenders. Sitting in row D of the stalls (I was 3 rows behind), a couple of women proved particular pests (partly fuelled by alcohol intake). To begin with it was hand-waving, which FOH asked them to stop (not least as there was a child sitting behind them who would have difficulty seeing the show).
However, then they started talking and talking. FOH asked them to stop. They didn’t. One of them did video part of the show, but this was not spotted by FOH. A woman in the row behind them eventually shushed them early in Act 2. This prompted one of the couple to leave her seat, go to the woman and lean into her face and say “Don’t you shush me!”. The woman called FOH. In the meantime, another woman sitting next to me said “shush” rather loudly and when one of the couple turned round, pointed at her and said “shush” again. This time, they did not try to intimidate her. By now more FOH turned up and more words were spoken.
Only when the songs became slower did the talking stop and the couple started getting into each other. At least the groping was less distracting than the talking! Of course the talking returned. Eventually FOH came back again and this time asked one of the couple to come outside about 20 minutes into Act 2. She went without objection. Her companion sat there looking around for about five minutes and then went out. Neither came back. FOH did, however, come back to retrieve their coats, so I assume the couple were not being allowed back in.
This was obviously a hard one for FOH to deal with. What do you do when people simply won’t shut up? They gave them several opportunities and then removed them. After the show I spoke to one of the FOH involved and thanked them for how it had all been handled.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2018 10:24:49 GMT
Bat Out Of Hell yesterday generated a pair of persistent offenders. Sitting in row D of the stalls (I was 3 rows behind), a couple of women proved particular pests (partly fuelled by alcohol intake). To begin with it was hand-waving, which FOH asked them to stop (not least as there was a child sitting behind them who would have difficulty seeing the show). However, then they started talking and talking. FOH asked them to stop. They didn’t. One of them did video part of the show, but this was not spotted by FOH. A woman in the row behind them eventually shushed them early in Act 2. This prompted one of the couple to leave her seat, go to the woman and lean into her face and say “Don’t you shush me!”. The woman called FOH. In the meantime, another woman sitting next to me said “shush” rather loudly and when one of the couple turned round, pointed at her and said “shush” again. This time, they did not try to intimidate her. By now more FOH turned up and more words were spoken. Only when the songs became slower did the talking stop and the couple started getting into each other. At least the groping was less distracting than the talking! Of course the talking returned. Eventually FOH came back again and this time asked one of the couple to come outside about 20 minutes into Act 2. She went without objection. Her companion sat there looking around for about five minutes and then went out. Neither came back. FOH did, however, come back to retrieve their coats, so I assume the couple were not being allowed back in. This was obviously a hard one for FOH to deal with. What do you do when people simply won’t shut up? They gave them several opportunities and then removed them. After the show I spoke to one of the FOH involved and thanked them for how it had all been handled. Amazing resolution. Such a shame it took until mid second act to complete and many others audience members will have had the majority of the performance repeatedly disturbed as a result. Glad FOH took an active approach in managing the situation.
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Post by bellboard27 on Apr 4, 2018 10:37:55 GMT
^I have to admit it's a fair part of why I booked stalls row A for this one. Knowing the likely crowd, at least any disruption is going to happen behind me and thus outside of my conscious sightlines. Should also be loud enough down the front to drown out noise, too. Stalls row A last night did have its fair share of very keen fans of the show. Apart from an occasional hand wave and a few whoops, however, they seemed to be reasonably well behaved. If there are still there on your visit, you should be well in the mix.
Dress appropriately! [Don't go mad, just put a few rips in your shirt and apply a bit of eye liner]
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Post by tonyloco on Apr 4, 2018 11:20:26 GMT
Don't go mad, just put a few rips in your shirt and apply a bit of eye liner So, the usual Royal Opera House outfit, then. Thanks for the tip. I'm in Row A next Tuesday night so I am finding these dress code tips very helpful. As I am now almost bald, should I wear a wig of some kind? I don't want to obstruct the view of the people behind me but I do very much want to fit in. Any further advice will be gratefully received.
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Post by bellboard27 on Apr 4, 2018 11:29:43 GMT
Don't go mad, just put a few rips in your shirt and apply a bit of eye liner So, the usual Royal Opera House outfit, then. Thanks for the tip. I'm in Row A next Tuesday night so I am finding these dress code tips very helpful. As I am now almost bald, should I wear a wig of some kind? I don't want to obstruct the view of the people behind me but I do very much want to fit in. Any further advice will be gratefully received. Bald, you say? My recommendation, if you are sitting in row A, is a very tall hat.
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Post by tonyloco on Apr 4, 2018 11:40:45 GMT
Bald, you say? My recommendation, if you are sitting in row A, is a very tall hat. Thanks, bellboard27, but I don't have a very tall hat so I guess I will compromise by wearing my pearlies with my TL bowler hat. That may not actually fit in with the period in which BOOH is set but I will be comfortable for when I start whooping and hollering and I just hope that Strat notices me!
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Post by TallPaul on Apr 4, 2018 12:21:21 GMT
I just hope that Strat notices me! If you wear only your hat, and start winking at him, that should do the trick.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 4, 2018 13:48:28 GMT
^I have to admit it's a fair part of why I booked stalls row A for this one. Knowing the likely crowd, at least any disruption is going to happen behind me and thus outside of my conscious sightlines. Should also be loud enough down the front to drown out noise, too. If you’re anywhere near the rocks on the left or the car on the right, much of the show will be outside of your conscious sightlines too!
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 4, 2018 14:58:20 GMT
^Too true, my furry friend, hence front and centre blocks . Hopefully, the centre of the the centre blocks. Either side of the centre blocks is rather restricted as well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2018 9:39:10 GMT
This was obviously a hard one for FOH to deal with. What do you do when people simply won’t shut up? Chloroform?
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Post by d'James on Apr 7, 2018 2:02:54 GMT
Placing a bag of Maltesers on a seat does not automatically make it yours, so do not look at me like I killed a puppy when I tell you that the seat is taken.
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Post by bellboard27 on Apr 9, 2018 15:34:44 GMT
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494 posts
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Post by ellie1981 on Apr 9, 2018 16:22:38 GMT
Excellent. I never understood why traditional cinema snacks were so noisy anyway. When I sneak my Tesco Meal Deals in, i always get a pasta pot or a cheese and pickle sandwich. If they sold them at the cinema I’d be perfectly willing to buy them there. Nachos and Popcorn just aren’t for me.
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Post by ensembleswings on Apr 10, 2018 14:42:52 GMT
Two girls very blatantly filming parts of Kinky Boots last night, One recorded 'Hold me in your Heart' without any ushers or anyone sat around her saying anything (I was sat too far behind them to say anything unfortunately) so having successfully recorded the whole song they both decided to try and record the finale as well. An usher did put pay to that, a quick no shouted at them from the end of the aisle and the girls did put their phones down without much fuss just the odd dirty look to the usher because naturally he was in the wrong rather than themselves and a few sighs. What's so difficult about turning your phone off, living in the moment and actually enjoying the show?
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Post by harrietcraig on Apr 10, 2018 15:05:13 GMT
What's so difficult about turning your phone off, living in the moment and actually enjoying the show? I once heard Helen Mirren interviewed at the New York Public Library. At one point in the interview, the conversation turned to the phenomenon whereby so many people these days obsessively take photos on their holidays, or record performances they attend, to "remember" their experiences by later, instead of just enjoying them at the time. She said something so wise and wonderful about that, I wrote it down: "Sometimes it's much better to remember things by remembering them."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2018 15:14:20 GMT
That's so true! If I go on holiday and take loads of photographs, then in the years to come, I only really remember the photographs, and my unphotographed holidays live much more vividly in my mind. It's like with phone numbers; when the brain knows it has to remember them, it can, but when the brain knows the number you need is stored in your mobile, you're never going to fully commit it to memory.
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Post by lynette on Apr 12, 2018 20:09:30 GMT
Champagne down my back this afternoon at Matilda. Yes, champagne .. silly woman behind me bent down with her cup of champers. Not much of an apology either. Smelt alcoholly for the rest of the afternoon ( NO comments please)
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Post by alicechallice on Apr 12, 2018 22:46:30 GMT
Excellent. I never understood why traditional cinema snacks were so noisy anyway. When I sneak my Tesco Meal Deals in, i always get a pasta pot or a cheese and pickle sandwich. If they sold them at the cinema I’d be perfectly willing to buy them there. Nachos and Popcorn just aren’t for me. I was quite amused in the cinema when during one of the (rare) sections of noise early in the film was the point when everybody quickly made all the noise they needed to before returning to the hushed atmosphere a few seconds later.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2018 5:46:43 GMT
Champagne down my back this afternoon at Matilda. Yes, champagne .. silly woman behind me bent down with her cup of champers. Not much of an apology either. Smelt alcoholly for the rest of the afternoon ( NO comments please) Oh that's dreadful. I hate it when that happens. What a waste of champagne.
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 13, 2018 7:27:39 GMT
I was quietly enjoying a show last night, when someone shoved a camera in my direction, a microphone in my face and garbled in my general direction.
On the positive side, everyone sat around me was very well behaved so they didn't accidentally attract attention.
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Post by asfound on Apr 13, 2018 10:01:16 GMT
Took a punt on Frozen yesterday based on the dark subject matter (I'm getting tired of forced irony and comic book humour in nearly every production) and was reminded why I avoid the West End like the plague. Full of wittering, whispering bridge & tunnel yokels who seem to think it's fine to start talking OUT LOUD during the interludes between scenes. Then some old guy's phone starts ringing during a hushed, pivotal meeting scene between two characters. It rings three times straight and this sets the witterers off on a giggling fit. It's going to take something special to get me back in that theatre.
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Post by lynette on Apr 13, 2018 11:47:10 GMT
I was amused by the primary school tone and vocabulary of the turn off your phone message at Matilda but hey, it worked. No phones in a long show and only a very faint murmuring at times. Mostly pin drop ..So I think the theatres should announce very clear TURN OFF phone message before the show.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2018 11:58:33 GMT
From the Dreamgirls thread:
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Apr 13, 2018 19:47:00 GMT
From the Dreamgirls thread: I arfed
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2018 9:46:52 GMT
From the Dreamgirls thread: And this people, is why they are the great unwashed. That's just disgusting. I'm sure she's the kind of person who uses that term in everyday life and can't string a sentence together without using an expletive. How common. I hope she fell over on her way home and ripped her favourite outfit. Scum.
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Post by lynette on Apr 14, 2018 9:52:39 GMT
The 'line' is so interesting now. We are always complaining about people treating the cinema or Theatre like their own sitting rooms with all the eating and talking and we all shout at the telly and comment out loud, something that Gogglebox has picked up on so well. So do people really not 'see' the line. Or is is it plain rudeness? Or do people feel they have to be part of the 'entertainment'?
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Post by d'James on Apr 14, 2018 12:30:27 GMT
Don’t think I really need to wonder. I think I can guess.
Don’t get me started on popcorn at the Theatre.
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 14, 2018 13:20:18 GMT
"Do not take kids!!!! I took 4 7&6 year olds and 4 adults the whole way through people moaned (more adults attend the show ) we spilt popcorn and a member of staff made a comment to a customer about the mess we had made and got shhhhhsed every time one of the kids did so much as move. The member of staff then proceeded to stand at the end of our seats for the show.iv taken my children to see lion king and many other west end show and we can honestly say we have never been made to feel more unwelcome. I would not recommend at all if your intending to take children. It seems they would like to aim there shows at more for adults than family’s. please don’t waste you money our daughter birthday trip was ruined." Now, does anyone else wonder exactly what the story is from other people seated around them?! I'm sure there's more to that story. The majority of children in theatres are well-behaved. It tends to be the adults who let them down, starting conversations to see if they understand what's going on, passing sweets around, buying them crisps that children often just can't eat quietly etc. Does warn me to avoid The Lion King if the ushers there are happy with such behaviour. (can't imagine Wicked being suitable for a 4 year old anyway)
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Post by kimbahorel on Apr 14, 2018 13:56:52 GMT
From the "Wicked" feedback on londontheatredirect.com: "Do not take kids!!!! I took 4 7&6 year olds and 4 adults the whole way through people moaned (more adults attend the show ) we spilt popcorn and a member of staff made a comment to a customer about the mess we had made and got shhhhhsed every time one of the kids did so much as move. The member of staff then proceeded to stand at the end of our seats for the show.iv taken my children to see lion king and many other west end show and we can honestly say we have never been made to feel more unwelcome. I would not recommend at all if your intending to take children. It seems they would like to aim there shows at more for adults than family’s. please don’t waste you money our daughter birthday trip was ruined." Now, does anyone else wonder exactly what the story is from other people seated around them?! Popcorn! 😲😲
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Post by lonlad on Apr 14, 2018 16:32:56 GMT
Given the barely literate nature of this parent's post, as cited above (your/there/iv etc etc), the family needs remedial tutoring, not a night at the theatre ruining other people's evenings. or matinees. god only knows the monster that daughter will soon become .....
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