Although Theatre Etiquette is a subject often talked about online, I have never spoken openly about it in great detail.
However, I personally think it is getting out of control.
A few weeks ago we attended a show, which didn’t have a full auditorium and as we have a wheelchair space, and I am the companion, we don’t have the opportunity to move seats. We enjoyed the first half and no one was really sat near us. After the interval, a couple sat further forward moved to sit in front of us, I did wonder why, but as soon as the show started I realised, they never stopped talking and they couldn’t really do that sat front and centre. I waited a while but it was clear they weren’t going to stop, so I asked them to and the turned round and quite aggressively told me I was rude and selfish asking them to stop talking. I responded that was rude was moving to sit in front of a wheelchair user and talk non-stop as the wheelchair user couldn’t move seats.
This week we had an even worse experience. We attended a show and when the lights went down, a group of three in front of us proceeded to talk during every song, just for a short while, as if commenting on something and then going back to watch the show. As I sat in my seat, I wondered what was going on, the seat was shaking and something kept hitting me. I realised after a while the young lady who told me she had drunk two bottles of the Prosecco was mouthing the words of all the songs. That would have been was fine but she was doing the dance numbers as well, whilst sat down. Eventually I felt sick from the amount of movement from her actions.
As if that wasn’t enough, for the last two songs before the interval the group in front me proceeded to sing-along, doing dance actions and waving from side to side in their seats. At this point I decided to leave, whispering to my husband I would wait for him. He followed soon after.
What would you have done in these situations? After the aggressive response I wouldn’t speak to anyone myself again but should we be expecting theatre staff to sort these issues out? There was a staff member very near and she must have seen what was going on.
