On Theatre Etiquette: Some Do's and Don'ts

Lesley Manville, doyen of stage, film and television, is currently appearing at the National Theatre in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and has been on something of a mission to discourage audience members from taking photos of her during the nightly curtain call. In BBC Radio 4’s arts programme Front Row, Ms Manville deemed the practice both insulting and disrespectful. Her comments, which have been widely re-reported, have proved contentious, stirring up a hornets’ nest on social media platforms, where opinion has been divided, to say the least.

Firstly, as a reviewer who attends between 175 to 200 performances of live theatre each year, I should like to be clear that in terms of theatre etiquette, mobile devices have become horribly intrusive and a source of considerable irritation. The compulsion of some audience members to check their screens every few minutes is a massive distraction to both those on stage and everyone in the auditorium. When a mobile ring goes off, it is usually accompanied by an equally distracting rummaging in pockets or bags in a frantic bid to locate and silence the offending device. To be clear, an individual’s freedoms should never trump the assembled throng’s right to enjoy a performance. Switching a device to silent mode before curtain-up will eradicate this problem entirely – but if you feel compelled to check messages during the interval, remember to make sure your device is returned to silent mode once you’re back in your seat!

Of course, phones aren’t the only irritations in a live theatre setting, so to avoid antagonising the performers and your fellow patrons (who have also paid good money for a ticket), here are a few bad habits to be mindful of, and avoid committing in a public space:

Singing, Talking and Whispering -- We are all guilty of chatting or passing comments while sitting in the comfort of our living rooms in front of the telly, but such behaviour is fervently discouraged in a theatre setting. No-one wants to hear an audience member’s whispered commentary and certainly no-one should directly address the actors unless specifically encouraged to do so, which is usually only in a pantomime setting. In recent times, there has been a spate of widely publicised show truncations due to arguments between patrons and subsequent ejections by security. This has usually been as a result of rowdy groups belting-out every word of a showstopper – particularly at performances of jukebox musicals. Everybody is entitled to have a good time, but resist the urge to spoil the enjoyment of others by caterwauling an ABBA number because it’s your go-to karaoke fave and you think your voice is as good as Agnetha’s. You are not going to be ‘discovered’ at a theatre simply because you’ve seen the show a dozen times and once queued 4 hours to be a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent! The cast of professionals invariably trained for many years and won’t appreciate your contribution, nor will those sitting closest to you.

Get there on time -– There is nothing worse than sitting down to an intriguing play only to have the entire row in front of you erupt, as a silhouetted latecomer starts squeezing past knees, bags and coats as they inch towards their seat. “Did you miss your bus?” has become a commonly uttered and humbling rebuke, which I have begun to hear more of on such disruptive occasions. Check when the performance starts and leave in plenty of time.

Eating and drinking -- Whilst many venues sell confectionery and drinks, the consuming of smelly food is unpleasant for everyone, along with the loud munching of popcorn, unwrapping of cellophane sweet papers, the crinkling of the now ubiquitous plastic water bottles, and the opening of ring pull canned drinks. All should be avoided wherever possible during a performance.

Fidgeting –- Of course some patrons may be afflicted by a specific condition like sciatica, cramps and others which require periodic movement to avoid painful muscle and joint aches, but repeated fidgeting can prove massively annoying to others. I once sat next to a young woman who spent a full hour twirling her hair, then plaiting it, unravelling it and plaiting it again, first on one side of her head and then the other. If I had had a pair of scissors, I swear I should have been tempted to end her seeming perpetual dilemma of which tress to fiddle with. On another occasion I sat alongside someone who every few moments animatedly delved into their programme to check some detail or other about a performer, flicking through pages and holding it up to read with the aid of the stage lights. Whatever the compunction, it is distracting and should be avoided. Focus on the stage and let the performers transport you to their world.

Falling asleep –- Yes, it happens. In the warm. In the dark. After a long and busy day at work after a sleepless night. After a pre-show meal with a glass or two of vino. If you nod-off and have been nudged several times due to snoring, try taking 10-15 rapid deep breaths which can sometimes trigger alertness.

Returning to Ms Manville’s specific objections, I should like to clarify that nowadays a production no longer succeeds or fails on the basis of a review in The Times, or indeed in the case of Broadway, a review in the NYTimes. Many individuals (including bloggers and those who write for online sites) will take images of the pre-set and the bows which are subsequently posted to their accounts on a dizzying array of social media platforms. PR and Marketing agencies who represent the producers (those who pay the actors and ideally want a return on their investment), are acutely aware of this practice and often will actively encourage it, particularly where a musical has a choreographed finale specifically designed for the purposes of wider (and free) promotion and publicity. To suggest that a patron is intentionally engaging in an act which is insulting or disrespectful towards an actor, particularly one whom they clearly admire and are thrilled to be in the presence of, perhaps misses the zeitgeist and risks accusations of elitism and condescension. I have long been a fervent admirer of Ms Manville’s work and have found her performances technically impressive and emotionally compelling in TV shows like Mum, and films such as Mike Leigh’s Another Year and alongside Daniel Day Lewis in Phantom Thread. I both nominated and cast my vote for her in the Best Actress category for the Critics’ Circle Awards last year and was delighted when she won for playing Jocasta to Mark Strong’s Oedipus. I would suggest that with a modicum of reframing, Ms Manville might view the practice of taking curtain call images as a hugely flattering indication that she is genuinely appreciated and widely revered as an exceptional talent.

Read my full review from 1st April’s press night for Les Liaisons Dangereuses currently playing at National Theatre Lyttelton.