Seasoned theatregoers and actors agree that basic etiquette might be dying, but you don’t have to be one of the offenders. You can easily avoid the top three sins in a live performance, as Brisbane Powerhouse lists below.
Turn Off Your Mobile Phone
Mobile phones must be made from some sort of magic because owning one suddenly makes a person so important that they couldn’t bear turning off their phone for the duration of a stage play. A cellphone ringing does not just disturb the audience but could also potentially disrupt the concentration of the actors on stage. In fact, high-profile performers have been known to go off character to reprimand audience members whose phones rang during a performance. Don’t be the one they tell off.
Zip Your Lips
A live theatre performance is not the place to catch up on the latest gossip with your long-time friend. And if you’re in a musical, don’t even think about singing along with the performers. The audience paid to hear the actors sing and won’t care that you know all the words. Remember, the place for a chat is out in the lobby and the place to sing is in the nearest karaoke bar.
Don’t Be Late
Are you that person who has to scoot through several audience members’ legs in the dark to get to your seat? You aren’t just a bother to the person whose legs you had to go over but also to everyone seated behind them. Besides, don’t you find it a little bit awkward that your bum is in some stranger’s face even for just a few seconds? Think about it, then be punctual next time.
Going to the theatre isn’t the stuffy affair that it used to be, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice some basic courtesies. It always pays to be polite and it often takes no more than that to help make the experience enjoyable for everyone.
