Why Musical Theatre Audiences are Suddenly Out of Control… 

I would LOVE to hear your horror stories of bad theatre etiquette, but I'd especially love to hear your moments of utter joy spent in the theatre. Drop them in the comments please!!

I saw Dear Evan Hansen in Toronto and at intermission a teenage girl sitting in front of me turned to her mom and said "UGH I WANT TO SING ALONG SO BAD BUT COURTNEY [her friend sitting with her] WON'T LET ME!" and im like bless u courtney ur the best

When I finally was able to see Hamilton with my mom (she knew how ecstatic I was and this was a big deal for me), for the first couple songs, this couple in front of us kept singing along (quite badly.) my mom noticed I looked disappointed every time they would start singing along and after a while she had enough, tapping on the woman’s shoulder and effectively saying “hey. This show is really important to my daughter and she has been waiting to see it for a very long time. Can you please not sing along anymore?” Thanks mom! Also, the woman seemed SURPRISED my mom asked her to be quiet in a THEATER

I went to see the first showing of Mary Poppins after Covid and the actors were clearly buzzing to be back on stage and encouraged the whole audience to stand and sing and dance. It was an incredible experience, but we were very clearly cued by the actors and everyone knew when to sing and when to be quiet. There's a time and a place.

A couple of years ago I went to see a production of The Rocky Horror Show in a small, local theatre. I had carefully instructed my family, so they knew how to properly participate. We sat in the front row and, as it turned out, that night we were the only audience members, who knew what to do. The rest of the audience was absolutely clueless and that lead to them angrily telling my father and me off for yelling 'Boring!' at the Narrator. It was rather hilarious and got even better, when after the show we ran into the actor who played the Narrator (he was standing foh, still in his costume) and he loudly thanked us for properly participating, much to the dismay of some of the audience members who told us off.

I went to see Les Miserables recently with my boyfriend and the girl sitting next to us sat down and said “just so y’all know, I’m gonna be singing along”. We didn’t know how to respond at all. She hummed throughout the entire productions no matter how many dirty looks I gave her. The show was still fantastic but so many times, it took me out of a moment where I was on the brink of tears. It was so rude and inconsiderate and if someone comes in again with that attitude, I will probably say something. The actors on that stage work their entire lives to be up there singing and they deserve our full attention period!

I was in the pit band for Grease and I could hear 2 people singing in the front row far louder than the cast I was supposed to be playing for. I stared them down till they noticed me looking and put a finger to my lips, which to my surprise did the job

The only experience I've had like this was years ago when I went to see the lion king. A couple rows ahead of me there was a mother and her young daughter (couldn't have been older than 6). Anyway the mum starts singing long during Hakuna Matata if I'm remembering correctly. She only sang along during this song so it wasn't horrible but annoying. The worse part was when her daughter tugged the mum's sleeve and said "mum stop, people are looking" all my annoyance turned to sympathy for this young girl who was being embarrassed publicly by her mum.

I was FOH at the theatre that night and a lot of discourse has come out about police being called because of the singing, but it was because several staff were abused and assaulted. This is what should be talked about.

I see a lot of people argue “Well the theater is only for snobby rich people so who cares if the show is being interrupted” and as low wage actress right now that comment makes me so mad. It’s like we’re going to completely disregard not only the cast and crew who put their blood, sweat, and tears into bringing a performance to life but also the FOH and staff who are often times volunteers. It’s just a completely gross argument, I’m not rich by ANY means, I still need my parents for financial support, theater is my passion. I DO NOT want to hear anyone interrupt ANY performance, whether I’m a part of it or not, because it’s just disrespectful to the artists. This isn’t just about the audience.

I saw Beetlejuice last month. A guy behind me didn't sing along, but he did say every single one of Beetlejuice's punchlines right before he said them on stage. It was frustrating as hell. Also hearing about accessible shows literally made me tear up. A show of Beetlejuice with less crazy lighting would have been wonderful for me. The flashing lights gave me such bad migraines. They were like literal strobe lights pointed AT the audience. One time they flashed for like 15 straight seconds.

Rocky Horror is a great illustration of the fact that the issue isn't enthusiasm or even interaction, just context and expectation. Rocky audiences go further than dressing up, singing along or even dancing - not only are there set lines and moments that everyone knows will warrant a response ("kick it!" just before the kick or "sl*t" and "a***ehole" after Brad and Janet's names) but part of the joy comes from the constantly evolving script as new audiences and regions craft more inventive jokes and call-outs. Eg: One of my favourite Rocky moments was the first time I heard a lone person shout "What's your favourite Lionel Richie song?" before Riff-Raff's famous "Hello", which made the Riff-Raff cast member smile and the audience applaud. At a Rocky show, causing the actors to corpse is a badge of honour but similarly, the way a cast member responds to the callouts can make or break their performances. When actors are able to take the callouts in stride or can fire back at the crowd in a funny way (which they almost always can, as nobody decides to tour with Rocky without knowing what to expect), the audience LOVE them for it. It's a sign that they respect and love the history of Rocky Horror as much as the audience does, and that mutual respect is CRUCIAL. Because the thing I think people miss is that Rocky Horror shows are not a lawless place. For as chaotic as they can seem to new people, there are very strict rules that audience members have to follow. Yes, dancing in the aisle is acceptable for the Time Warp and yes you can bring a water gun and newspapers, but the gun can't have water and there is no Kit-Kat or hot dog throwing. Not only that, but when the tonal shift happens and the floor show rolls around, all shenanigans cease until the curtain call. For as unruly as the first half of Rocky Horror can be, in my many, many viewings I've only ever seen one example of Frank having to shush an unruly patron when the show took its tragic turn, and the rest of the audience was on his side. Subculture (especially queer subculture) is beautiful, and part of what makes it so wonderful is the self-governing capability of an in-group. The ways in which elder Rocky fans model correct behaviour for those young or new to the show is what has allowed it to survive in both shadow cast and theatre forms for so long. It shows that loving something and feeling ownership over it can be a supremely positive thing when that partial ownership comes with a respect for the work that goes into maintaining and consistently improving it for everyone. (I could say SO much more but thesis over lmao)

I'm a stage manager (off-west end is mostly where I work) and usually, the microphone that picks up the show relay is not connected to the soundboard but is either over the stage or sometimes by the stage at the front of the auditorium. If people are singing along to shows louder than the performers I can not hear the cue lines that could change lighting states or revolve cues. For me, this is going beyond an annoyance to the performers and is now approaching a health and safety issue where it might not be safe to go into a blackout or a revolve cue because what if mis-hear the cue and the performer is not ready and gets hurt.

Two years ago, I went to a touring production of Rent. The girl next to me started to sing all the songs. I asked her by the third song if she needed a microphone. She explained that the show had changed her life and she could not help it. At intermission I told her off. Again changed life etc. People behind me complained to usher. I actually moved back a few rows. They continued to sing during the second act. They were escorted out finally. It was loud enough that people 10 seats and 4 rows away could hear them. Also note my seat is only 7 rows from the stage.

I don't have a huge amount of experience with Musical Theatre, but as someone who spends a LOT of time in comedy clubs, a lot of this still sounds familiar. The amount of heckling, abusive behaviour to staff and just generally being a dick has skyrocketed since the pandemic. We've speculated it to be a combination of isolation rewiring people's social skills a bit and... Coke. Very drunk people are annoying and potentially problematic, people on coke are active menaces to a night out. Any sense of entitlement is amplified 100-fold and they WILL make it their mission to be the centre of everyone's attention, thank you very much...

I work front of house at the Savoy Theatre, and entitlement is the exact word for these kinds of people. Don't get me wrong, we get some lovely people watching the show (Pretty Woman) and they make the job worth doing, but the amount of people who not only feel that they deserve to experience the show and the theatre itself however they choose, but also decide that the staff are the ones who decided every rule and price and should therefore take the abuse. My favourite comment from the people we have to remove: "I've paid good money for these tickets!" as if everyone else got theirs for free 🤷🏼‍♀️

Recently went to see The Play That Goes Wrong and a group of 16 year olds on a trip from Dubai were sat in front who clearly didn't want to be there. They were on their phones throughout, arguing with the usher, playing fart noises, shouting 'Bomboclaat' during quiet moments, and taking the piss out of the performers. The teachers were sat next to us trying to discipline but had little success, one of them even telling us they were the most entitled group of kids she'd ever met and she'd given up trying to stop them. Meanwhile, a few seats down, two girls were cackling even when jokes weren't being made, and trying to interact with characters by shouting out their names. It's not call and response! Please don't feel you need to participate! There was so much going on we could barely concentrate on or hear what was happening on stage as the actors are not mic'd. It's put me off going back to the theatre as this seems to be becoming more common than not. Miss the days of just being a bit miffed when someone rustled their pack of minstrels

I saw Beetlejuice recently and was sat right in front of a girl who sang along to all the popular songs and spoke openly about the plot during the performance. I can’t fathom how some audience members don’t realize that no one payed all the money they payed to listen to them. It’s incredibly infuriating to me both as a regular audience member and an actor myself

I want to encourage my fellow audience members to be more confident about CALLING OUT bad behaviour. Obviously only do it if you feel safe, but there have been SO many times when I've asked someone to please stop singing or put their phone away, and they've immediately done it. Don't let people get away with this. Be the change you want to see. Anyway, I'm really happy to have discovered your channel. So funny and great analysis.

I feel like it's actually a regression of theatre-going experience rather than a new development, harking back to the 18th century musical halls where the lights were never dimmed, actors on stage were regularly pelted with food and random crap from the audience, and the play was really just a background piece for people to drink and socialise to. It's not about appreciating the art form or skill on display, the actors on stage are just dancing monkeys and it's purely an opportunity for a good night out. But I also agree about the jukebox musical analysis, combined with the fact that newer musicals tend to have a more contemporary pop sound that wouldn't sound out of place on the radio. It attracts a different kind of audience who treat the experience more like a concert than a stage play with an actual narrative that the songs are moving forward where people really need to hear what the performer is singing for things to make sense. Regardless, I actually can't conceive of anything ruder than singing loudly over a performer or talking or texting in the theatre, or being so patently blind to your fellow audience members experience.

I've always felt quite strongly about audiences making noise over the performers. I, for one, want to get lost in the story and I can't do that if someone nearby is rustling sweet wrappers, singing along, fiddling with their phone, or talking to someone. I suppose I am sensitive to distractions more than the average person, but I long to reach a point where the rest of the audience isn't in my consciousness at all. Don't even get me started on clapping along to music. It has been demonstrated since the beginning of time that people cannot clap to the right beat or stop themselves speeding up, but people still insist on doing it which makes the music sound terrible. I think there are just too many people out there with Main Character Syndrome.

At my first musical visit have sung along until someone was kind enough to tell me that was not appropriate. They said it kindly and calmly and I apologised and thanked them for letting me know. I am very grateful for that, since I would not have known this etiquette without it. This is a once in a lifetime thing, after which you learn. Please be kind, some people may be first time theatre goers. And not everyone is privileged enough to experience that in childhood. That being said, some of the examples here sound like absolute horror and clearly a lack of respect for the performance. I have worked in a theatre as technician, and I definitely see the difference between first-time goers and people that lack basic respect. Glad to hear shows are being adapted to diverse audiences, although I don't think the volume of shows in the Netherlands would justify those for a while.

While I think you’ve got a good point, I don’t think it’s entirely the jukebox musicals fault. The general publics behaviour has taken a noticeable plummet over the past up to 5 years and not even just in the theatre. The amount of times I’ve seen people behaving actively disrespectful in the cinema is heartbreaking, the amount of people in the theatre even more upsetting. I definitely think social media and smart phones have a huge influence in it, even though that opinion makes me feel like I’m a million years old haha I once had a group of four young teenagers at a 9/10pm showing of Death on The Nile who wouldn’t stop talking, being on their phone at the brightest setting, taking pictures with the flash on - why they were even there and had spent the money to see the film I have no clue but they genuinely didn’t think they were in the wrong. Even worse, my own mum had to get given into trouble for having her phone out and texting on full brightness in the middle of a ballet performance after I had told her multiple times to stop. My mums done a lot of things I could be embarrassed by, and that’s the only time I’ve ever been deeply mortified by her.

I've never seen a Broadway show (I have neither the time or money for it), but this sort of behavior stretches everywhere. The lack of respect people have for those around them is absolutely insane. And I've noticed that it got significantly worse after COVID lockdowns ended. I work at a movie theater, and the way movie-going audiences have changed from my childhood in the 90s to today is mind-numbing. I remember when I was a kid, anything other than a laugh at a joke, a gasp at a jump-scare or a small applause at the end of the movie would immediately be met with someone quietly saying "Shhh" and the distracting behavior immediately ending. Now I'm lucky if I go more than 30 minutes without having to go into a theater to tell about 50 people to put away their damn phones, tell a dozen teenagers to stop talking at full volume and threaten to call the cops on two grown adults who have decided that the premiere of _Super Mario_ was the perfect place to try and pick a fistfight. And the worst thing is, the adults are almost worse than the teenagers anymore. It's like all sense or etiquette has gradually vanished over the past 15 years.

I’m an usher at a west end show very popular with families, daily entitlement, audience members screaming and verbally abusing us and constant singing and talking. We specifically asked the theatre director to add a part of the preshow announcement to say no talking or singing during the performance but not much has changed. Unfortunately it has become the norm in the theatre world 😭

if i had a penny for every time someone chose to use my seat as a footrest in the past 12 months alone, i'd have 2 pence. which isnt a lot but it is ABSOLUTELY WILD that it happened twice. however i did go back to watch this youth theatre group i used to be in when i was younger, and this absolutely adorable older woman recognised me from the shows i used to do with said group, and i havent stopped thinking about that

definitely not a west end/broadway example, but i was sitting front row a few months ago at Into The Woods which was being put on by my city's largest theatre company, and someone sitting next to my partner was on their phone for a bunch of the first act UNTIL the two of us had a loud passive aggressive conversation during the intermission about how awful that kind of behaviour is, after which they didn't pull it out once. sometimes being petty and non-confrontational works wonders, and i'm glad it didn't result in a huge fight like some of these.

Went to see Heathers at the Millennium Centre in December 2021 and the audience was INCREDIBLY well behaved. Not a single a voice singing or even whispering for the entire performance despite, not even joking, almost half the audience in some form cosplay. (For the record I did a gentle nod to JD and Heather Mac in black dress, leather jacket and a classic yellow scrunchie) BUT on the flip side, I then went to see Dream Girls at the MC in April 2022 and then audience was terribly. There was a group of incredibly drunk women in front of me who, after being asked nicely by fellow audience members to stop talking constantly, almost started a fight when told a little less politely to shut up during the beginning "It's All Over". They then all left (thankfully) so everyone could enjoy the rest of the song. PLOT TWIST, this was when my friend and I realised there were 2 girls behind us singing all the songs. Not loudly, but it was super distracting and took away from trying to hear the brilliant Nicole Racquel Dennis. I cannot confirm nor deny that since the ladies in front never came back for Act 2 that my friend and I sat in their seats for a slightly better view and to be slightly further away from the girls, to the encouragement of another lovely audience member...

Did you hear the story about the drunken woman who brought a performance of the recent Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman to a screeching halt and had to be removed by the NYPD? It was the Tuesday after Christmas, and I was sitting in the balcony. Despite the heroic efforts of the show's star, Wendell Pierce, who came back onstage and tried to calm her down and reason with her, this woman would not leave or stop throwing a fit. She was lucky to have the police escort her out of the auditorium, because many people in the audience sounded like they wanted to kill her. I still don't know how the performers managed to finish the show after that.

What's weird - And correct me if I'm wrong - I think that most all of this behavior is not from audiences that are majority young people, but older people. Not *old* people, thirty and above seems to be the sweet spot for this behavior. I've attended plenty of shows where the audiences were majorly teenagers and young adults (Think the likes of Heathers, Be More Chill, Six, ect.) and I was worried the behaviour would be awful. Nothing ever happened! If you wanted to complain about anything, there was a lot of enthusiasm, but it was always at the right parts; Clapping and cheering at the end of songs, cheering for character entrances when appropriate, laughing at jokes. And yet, the only shows I've ever experienced people being disruptive are shows were more ADULT adults are expected to attend. This is just anecdotal, though, so I might be completely off the mark.

I think part of the issue for UK audiences is that we're raised on a diet of Panto where audience participation is encouraged to the nth degree and some people just don't stop doing that, regardless of what they're watching in the theatre.

When I was 8, I went to see a Cinderella panto. It became exceedingly clear very quickly that the actors were trying to make each other corpse. Eventually, I think in the second half, Buttons makes the Prince, played by Gethin Jones, break.The whole cast is either pissing themselves or trying (and failing) to hide their laughter. The audience is right there with them. Many years later the memory still makes me grin.

I think theatres need to start having signs saying "Don't be a dick" How on earth do people not understand the difference between going to a theatre and going to a concert (or in some cases between going to a theatre and going to the toilet...) Baffling 🤯 Also I don't get how people have the balls to sing along (and louder than) incredibly talented singers. Don't get me wrong, I sing very loudly to the Heathers soundtrack but in the comfort of my own home and the discomfort of my baby and cat 😅 wouldn't dare do this in a theatre... There's a time and a place, read the room! Another great video 😊

I've been to a lot of metal gigs and festivals. At one festival there was a mosh pit that opened up and seconds later a guy got knocked over backwards and his head smashed against a rock and he was KO'd. The people in the mosh pit spontaneously stopped the entire thing, the crowd opened up with numerous people signalling in all directions what happened and they were able to get people in to check he was OK and carry him out. This kind of self-policing at mosh pits is common because everyone knows how dangerous it can be but it also comes from decades of experience with them and things going badly wrong with numerous accounts of people dying in them. While the theatre isn't ever likely to be that extreme unless metal operas become a thing, I think there's some lessons that can be learned there. I think unfortunately there's going to be a period of adaptation which you guys are living through just now and over enough time, social norms will adjust. It might even be that it's different for each show and each one can go some way to setting those norms from the beginning. You just have to keep talking about it and having these conversations with people and the knowledge will slowly (far too slowly unfortunately) but surely propagate until these incidents become extremely rare although never zero.

My favourite show of all time is Come From Away, I saw it a silly amount of times, 5 of those in its final week in London. From Monday to the final show on Saturday you felt the audience building, each day more hardcore fans were there to catch their last show. That last Saturday evening was one I will never forget in theatre and I'd do anything to live it again. Most of the original cast were there and they lead the way in what was acceptable in terms of audience participation. They started the standing ovation at the opening number, every song got a cheer, every joke got an audatious laugh, every actor had their moment to shine. It was the perfect send off for a gorgeous show. New Fandoms seem to want that every night. I was shocked when I saw Heathers, I now don't want to see Six because of it. Audience participation has it's time and place very clearly set out in the world of theatre ettiquette. Go to a show and sit quietly, learn the social cues and then happily enjoy more theatre.

As someone who failed A-Level physics, your Newton analogy was spot on, nicely done

We simply need Patti Lupone working as a bouncer during every theatre performance ever.

a very similar problem is happening in live music right now, a ton of teens (not just teens but,,,) who spent the last couple years online and out of the public never learnt the etiquette for concerts and are showing up to mitski shows and yelling at her during the set. the harry styles concert stories ive heard about are truly so horrible. everyone seems to have this idea that they are the main character and that these artists are there solely for them and so they can do whatever they want at these shows. not to sound old (im only 23 wahhhh) but i hope these people get off their phones and learn to actually enjoy the experience.

I haven’t seen any actual theatre since before the pandemic, but I have noticed audiences acting a lot less respectful at any big-audience events I’ve been at for the last year. I thought it might even have been a problem with danish audience etiquette specifically, but apparently this is, unfortunately, more universal.

That’s why they’re called musicals, not sing a longs. The actors deserve our full attention to their craft. Unless they cue us or encourage us to sing along, I’ll just respect their space and enjoy the show. And the staff do not deserve to be copped with abuse for enforcing the rules and to make sure we all have a great theatrical experience. I get your frustration and I do too. That’s why I’m always modelling to my son (he’s seven and on the spectrum) that in public places there are rules to adapt to and there are certain behaviours they wouldn’t accept. He has also begun to enjoy watching musicals of which Frozen is his favourite. I’ve always enjoyed going to the theatre since my parents introduced my to phantom of the opera, which I watched 4 times. It then led to les miserables, wicked, avenue q, the lion king, the LOTR musical, the jersey boys, Aladdin, frozen and joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat. Now I’m waiting in queue to watch Beauty and the Beast and rewatch wicked. The majority of the audiences are quite polite and the staff are often professional so of course I would follow the rules. I remember I was so ecstatic that we are allowed to participate in singing and dancing to the Joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat and to record the performance if we want. I did and my son and I had a blast.

This actually happened like a month ago. Went to see Heathers for the first time (btw loved it, going to see it again in August) and these two old ladies were sat behind our group. They talked through the entirety of the first half, even filming some shots of dead girl walking (I know that because they had the flash on ffs) and during the second half, a member of our group, Kat, asked them to be quiet. And instead of telling eachother what was happening during the show, they started talking shit about Kat, until they eventually got kicked out. They had to literally restart a scene because of them because they ended up throwing a tantrum and refusing to leave. Anyway, still loved Heathers though, just a shame they kinda ruined it. Though in all honesty, still was worth the money.

I watched the Totoro live production at the Barbican last winter and I think it's the most magical experience I've EVER had. I was (silently) sobbing at the artistry of the puppets, the performance, the score. The audience reacted- we all gasped, we all laughed, and we all fell truly silent, when it was needed. I'm emotional thinking about it!!

I was in London last week for my mums 60th birthday and was so insanely excited to get to go and see Hamilton, a show I’ve dreamed of seeing since it became popular. We had amazing seats and I got teary by the end of Alexander Hamilton, but we were sitting next to a couple who clearly didn’t even care to be there one bit. Personally I am the least confrontational person I’ve ever met but the typical British tutting and looking at them did absolutely nothing so I mustered up the courage to actually say something to them when the boyfriend decided to talk at above full volume during another big song in the second act along with some over animated imitating (in a mocking kind of way) of the dancing that was going on on the stage (there were some very excited children behind them who I can imagine would have been devastated to miss even the tiniest bit of the show because of this guy). It was absolutely disgusting disruptive behaviour and thank god the girlfriend started shooshing him after I spoke to her and they never came back for the second act. But I was insanely disappointed for it to have tainted my experience of the first act and really upset at the notion that it could have tainted the young girls behind us experience. Edit: It has been extremely clear and frustrating since coming back from CoVid how many people that don’t understand theatre etiquette have started coming to the theatre. This is not the only time I’ve had people talking through shows I’ve gone to see in the past two years, I would say about 1 in 3 shows there has been some clear issue. Whether that be talking or use of phones or even singing, it just taints the experience

can confirm, i saw the mamma mia uk tour a couple of weeks ago and 80% of the audience thought it was a singalong. it wasn't so bad that people got kicked out etc. it was just a general chorus of singing but was still very irritating. i also saw jersey boys in august and the group of women behind us were particularly annoying with their singing. a man also shouted out something lowkey homophobic during a pivotal emotional moment in the show. funnily enough i've never had issues at some jukebox musicals & juliet or beautiful (the carole king musical) and i've seen both of those at saturday night shows! it is strange how some shows have such problems with audience behaviour yet some are absolutely fine.

As far as I can recall, I've never had a poor audience experience during a theatre show, but I do remember seeing Bear's Den in concert Feb 2020 (just before all the lockdowns kicked off) and being amazed by the number of people having full-volume conversations throughout the whole thing. It sounded like most of the conversation was happening up in the circle and the combined talking was so loud, it felt like being in a school cafeteria. I remember it got so bad at one point, someone in the audience yelled for them all to "shut the f*ck up" and got a little impromptu round of applause. At the same concert, there was a guy close to us who found himself behind a fairly drunk young woman dancing in a *very* enthusiastic manner (very much in his personal space and disrupting his enjoyment). After he politely asked her to tone it down a bit or at least move over slightly, she spent the next 10 or so minutes giving him the evils and deliberately invading his space, dancing in a very provocative manner. I think he might have moved in the end just to get away from her. She and her two friends naturally found the whole thing hilarious. It baffles me that some people seem to be so utterly lacking in basic self-awareness. As you and other commenters have said, 'entitlement' is exactly the right word for it.

" Um, I listen to singers. I very rarely listen to people who can not sing. " this is EXACTLY why I don't go to karaoke

I used to work FOH in the west end and on one of my first shifts as a supervisor a woman peed on the staircase in the auditorium on purpose because she didn't want to miss any of the show by going to the toilet. We could have our pronouns on our name badges and that became a target for harassment towards us. I could go on and on with horror stories but the job was made worth it because i got to talk about and share something i loved with thousands of people every night!! its a shame that that got overshadowed by the bad stuff but ill never forget that job!

I guess it's an international thing and it affects all generations. I went to a circus recently (not one that has animals, don't worry) with my family, an evening show aimed at grown-up audiences. A couple in their 40s behind us was talking CONSTANTLY and loudly and did not respond to looks to get them to shut up. Guess some people have forgotten how to behave around other people and that sometimes things aren't about them.

i usher for a local theater during the summers, and psa: if the theater is in the round, most likely the aisles you walk in on are the route to the "backstage." i've had to stop multiple people who tried to walk up aisles either right before a performer entered through that door (spotlight and all!) or right before a big set piece was about to be pushed in. people have been injured by those set pieces! i was so pleased when last year, for the first time, a guy asked me what he should do if he really needed to leave the theater for whatever reason. it might depend on the theater (and whether it's understaffed), but ime most ushers are glad to respond to any questions you might have! and a lot of that info is also in the pre-show announcement and/or program.

It's really interesting because I've noticed that theatre audiences are getting rowdier, concert audiences are getting quieter. Rock shows encourage being rowdy, singing, screaming, dancing but recently there have been more concert-goers who just stand there and record it on their phone. Some even complain about other people being rowdy. It's almost like the audiences, or the understood audience etiquette, has switched.

When I saw Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of) there was a girl in my row who apparently had never read or seen any version of Pride and Prejudice and didn't know the story at all. She was SO invested, and gasped incredibly loudly at every reveal. Darcy says "how ardently I admire and love you," GASP, he reveals that Wickham ran away with his young sister for her money, GASP. I've known that story for such a long time, it was hilarious and refreshing to hear someone experiencing it for the first time and go on that emotional rollercoaster with them. She improved the experience for that whole section of the audience, and I hope wherever she is now she's deep diving into more Austen with the same energy.

Laugh out loud funny,Dan. You have a beautiful turn of phrase. My worst recent experience was at Turandot at the Sydney Opera House (go culcher!). We wait 2/3 of the show for Nessun Dorma, which I'm assuming is why all us non-opera people are here. It's sublime, transcendent. The woman behind me starts singing along. Traalalalas even. To OPERA. Jesus wept.

A few years ago I saw a slime tutorial of Les Miserables and LOVED it. I was completely moved by it. Now, I’m Dutch, so I couldn’t see it live back then. For my birthday my parents ‘ gift was going to Londen and a ticket for Les Miserables. It was one of the best nights of my life. I hate to imagine how someone in the audience could’ve ruined such a special night for me.

I remember going to a showing last year of Frozen and at the beginning everyone was reminded that it was not a sing-a-long and to please not to, and my god the reaction. There were massive groans and a woman behind me loudly complained saying that it was ridiculous, and I quote “what’s the bloody point then”. How about not to listen to your kids wail?! Luckily the groans didn’t amount to anything, especially with an audience which was majority under the age of 11. I am all for participation if there is need. Panto like you said or a cheer at a pivotal moment, song or line. Saying that I do think people shouldn’t go overboard. I know it’s common that people will cheer the entrance of a famous or well known actor/celebrity upon the first introduction but I went to a showing of Strictly Ballroom and every time Kevin Clifton came on stage in each scene or did any sort of dance move tonnes of people would cheer and woop and clap. Don’t get me wrong, I love strictly come dancing and kev is cute but It was really annoying. Let the show and the cast do it’s thing. Cheer at the end. On a positive though, sharing those joint emotions on a small scale with others is brilliant. I watched Dear Evan Hansen, knowing the story and I was in quiet sobs when the pin dropped on the woman next to me about a foreshadowed plot point and said ‘shit’ in a normal volume (not loud enough for disrupt everyone but loud enough for those around her) and I swear I snorted. She was mortified and covered her mouth but I talked to her afterwards being like ‘same, you weren’t alone’. Which was nice.

I was just thinking, oh I'm glad no one has shat on the floor at my theatre *remembers someone pissed down the CARPETED stairs once*

A 20 minute video from Daniel J means I am in for a wild ride of emotion

i went to go see death drop (a show exclusively and wonderfully performed by drag performers) and someone threw a full coke bottle (???) on stage during a tense moment and all of the performers stopped what they were doing and gave them what for, "do you think that was funny" etc. i was shitting, imagine being told off by a group of people who could poke your eye out and break your neck with their heel while doing a pirouette in a dress i mean thats hilarious. i think it got kicked back to them by a beautiful glittery pink heel, the rest of the audience started a chant to get them out and they were escorted out quickly, such a hilarious moment but fuck me so unnecessary, not quite sure why they thought that'd be a good idea. anyway i hope they drank it and it fizzed up too much and got a faceful of foam

I think along with everything said in this videos, there's an issue with concert goers turning to musicals without understanding the vast difference in expected etiquette. As musicals become more mainstream, I think more people who didn't grow up in theater are getting interested in them without understanding that there's a very different expectation in behavior than concerts. At Fall Out Boy, it's expected that you're going to sing and dance along and be part of the energy - the same is not true for, say, Beetlejuice. Different situations demand different behavior, and the responsibility is on the audience member to behavior accordingly. On top of that, some of it is just pure selfishness. I've heard too many people say "well I paid $XXX and I deserve to enjoy the show I paid for", which neglecting to realize that the person next to them *ALSO* paid $XXX and *ALSO* deserves to enjoy the show, and that they as an individual are not more special than everyone else and entitled to do as they please. When it comes to a theater production, you'll almost always be told when, where, and what you are encouraged to participate in. A good example is Rocky Horror Picture Show, which more often than not includes call out cards in the program to tell first time audience members when and what to call out during the show. When in doubt, remain quiet until you can get a feel for the general audience expectation. If you want to sing along at the top of your lungs, that's what the soundtrack is for in the car on your way home or the next morning while you make breakfast.

I agree with most of your thoughts in this. Actually kind of spot on. But I think we need to take into account some more factors. Social media- social media has been promoting the "individual attention" for years and everything is created around this. Just look at TikTok, reels, Snapchat, facebook, instagram etc.. the individual attention (and I am going for this myself) is intoxicating and if you DON*T understand how to interact in a group this will cause problems as soon as you have to. Nr2. In Sweden we've been having the "individual schooling system" since the late 90's. This has been a system in the eye of the rest of the world (which has crashed down) and an experimental thing, all about develop the individual and taking out everything that talks about how to behave in a group, be it in a worksituation or otherwise. This has created a huge problem out in real life work situations- people coming out to work not understanding social rules, work responsibilities, respect and general behaviour towards others. I can't speak for england about this... But we have a general situation where everything is about the individual attention and nothing about responsibilities... and this is one of the outcomes of it....

I went to see Beetlejuice at Broadway. This was my first time seeing a musical in person! I was so excited! I had been listening to the soundtrack for weeks beforehand. When I watched the show, I very much wanted to sing along, but I tried very hard not to. Not because I was thinking of the other audience - I mean, of course I wouldn’t want to be disrespectful to them, but it wasn’t on my mind - mostly I tried not to for myself. Because I had heard myself sing those songs a million times, but I have never heard the performers singing it live. I wanted to drink in every moment and I didn’t want to miss anything. There were a couple songs when I mouthed the words along, but I didn’t do more than that. Gosh, it was so good! It was absolutely a MAGICAL night!

Can't help but think the issue is the same issue as most of the antisocial behaviour issues in the UK... (*Whispers* people thinking day drinking isn't an issue 🤷‍♀️)

I've had moments of loudly tutting or sighing at people, but for some joy: My boyfriend is a performer. And he's brilliant. Seeing him do what he loves (Jersey Boys, now Be More Chill!) and getting to watch audiences watch him is just pure bliss. Performing means so much to him and seeing people impacted by his shows is really something magical. Watching someone you love, while in a room full of people *also* watching someone/something they love is so so special. His passion and talent has reignited my love for theatre and knobs with no manners won't touch that

I saw mamma Mia last night and were sat near two hen dos who were all smashed and sang all the way through, one woman was one her phone half the time and one was complaining that it was too long - there were cheers and wolf whistles all the way through too and at any quiet bits someone would shout something - obviously it’s not a serious musical or anything but it was still so irritating

I do wonder if it's as simple as constant social media making people become ever more self-absorbed and short of attention span. I don't go to the theatre often, just because I don't think about threate much, but if the audience is going to behave like a children's birthday party (spiced with drunk-rage parents) then I don't think I'd bother going to a show that intrigued me anyway, anymore. As well as it robbing me of immersion, that's just not an environment I can handle in any context (including actual birthday parties...).

Went to a show recently - haven’t been in a few years - and was SHOCKED when those around me were singing throughout the show. Who raised these people?!

last time i went to the theatre, it was for neil gaiman's ocean at the end of the lane... ik that book back to front and sat lipsyncing along to the quotes i knew, bc it gave me joy to do and didnt disturb anyone !! its so easy to vibe with the material and not disturb people

This was a great exploration on this, and your explanation makes a lot of sense - I just stil can't imagine having the AUDACITY to even think to do this? Like, I have to get myself into the zone, and music be so loud that I can't fully hear myself (so I know no one else can either) to sing out at a concert haha.

I went to a ballet last year and there was this person who made a compition out of being the first person to clap. He even shouted "yeehaw" at one point... The ballet was the sleeping beauty by the dutch national ballet btw. Idk if it's the same for theater, because I havent been since I was a child, but if you've never been to a ballet, the funny thing about it is that most people have NO idea when to clap and we're all basically waiting for the people in the crowd who know the Rulez(tm) to take the initiative,, so when someone starts everyone immediately starts clapping with them. Usually there are moments when the audience starts clapping, only to notice it was not the time and it immediately and awkwardly dies out. The result this time was that this man started these awkward applauses during times that it was innapropriate, most often when the dancers were still actively dancing. For example, you're not supposed to clap when aurora comes onto the stage, because she comes on while dancing one of the more impressive dances of the ballet. Its not like she presents herself, waits for people to clap and then starts dancing; its immediately go time when she comes on. It is the moment I look forward to the most in the sleeping beauty, and it was so distracting to have this man jumpscare people and breaking away everyones attention from the poor ballerina (that was HER moment) To be clear, I dont blame people for not knowing that Aurora doesnt do the typical entrance, but it was VERY obvious to everyone (i spoke multiple people about it afterwards) that it was this mans goal to be disruptive. Ballets are not the occasion to be a hollering audience member, maybe at the end, you can be silly and shout "bravo" or some cringy shit like that (which he did too,) but you dont shout "yeehaw" in the middle of the ballet... please...

Thank you! I was just thinking about how culture in general has shifted so drastically in recent years and for the life of me could not think of a reason why until I saw this and how life shifted drastically during the pandemic lined up with the shift. Also for me the hardest musicals I have to prevent myself from singing to are ones I performed in highschool and finally got to see a professional version of but even then I can resist the temptation and just lightly hum a melody during intermission or on the way out of the theater instead

The one exception to singing along is in Hamilton when King George lll says: "Everybody!" That was such a great moment seeing it live and some of the audience joining in with the "da da da" bit.

I spent $400 to see Phantom before it ended on Broadway but I was terrified people would behave poorly and ruin it for everyone but thankfully no one misbehaved around me. During intermission a woman drunkenly berated the bartender for cutting her off, but she behaved once she returned to her seat. The show was phenomenal and I felt so lucky to see it before it left, I'm so grateful no one else ruined it with their poor behavior. Before the pandemic I saw Murder on the Orient Express at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton NJ, it was the first time I'd been some place that sold snacks for during the show - it was so disruptive to be surrounded by people constantly crunching and munching on food!

I’m so glad someone is talking about this. Everytime I’ve been to the theatre in the last few years, even pre-covid, the behaviour has been atrocious. Cursed Child? Woman taking pictures WITH THE FLASH ON. Les Mis? Singing along. The Phantom of the Opera? Two women texting throughout the show, one kid filming parts for his Snapchat story, multiple people with their feet up on the seats. Bake Off the Musical? We had the misfortune of being amongst quite a lot of young people who spent the whole show texting, getting up and moving around as they saw fit, feet up on the seats and talking loudly to one another. And sometimes I think to myself, is it me? Am I being a snob? but honestly, if the choice is being a snob or being a dickhead who doesn’t have any respect for the performers, crew, or audience members around them, I’d rather be a snob.

in every theatre and cinema i've been to post-pandemic there's been someone around me being loud or using their phone. I feel like so many people do it now that idk if people would be on my side if i asked them to stop ((which i never do because i would rather suffer than cause confrontation)). My favourite rude audience member was the angry man repeatedly shouting at a woman in front of him to sit down when she gave a standing ovation during the bows at phantom. I was so confused.

My experience with Heathers was a very lucky one. The crowd wasn't very disruptive in their behaviour (in my opinion) but just VERY excited and clearly there were lots of big fans. There was also an amazing understudy who flew in just for the weekend bc they had so many people out sick and he was an absolute hoot, his energy omg. Being part of a crowd that's respectful when it's necessary, nobody sang along or anything and then we collectively lose our minds when the heathers are revealed was such an amazing experience. I understand it's not going to be the best experience for every single person in the audience, I know my friend was often confused because she didn't understand the hype, but if I had to choose between this and those shows where you're scared to laugh bc it's so quiet, I would choose this 100% of the time.

I work Front of House, there has definitely been a huge change in audience behaviour since lockdown. People have gone mad. I've been called every slur under the sun, I've had a woman scream in my face and threaten me because her phone wouldn't load, I've been accused of theft, a colleague had a full merch table flipped by a man furious that they'd run out of a certain item. When I first started I was so exited to work in a theatre and now I dread every shift. There are certain shows that we see have been booked that have such a bad reputation for audiences that people will refuse to work (shows that attract middle aged women) (And yes, programmes have gotten worse. They are thinner with more add space and increase in price by 50p every few months)

Your ending discussion about accessible performances made me so excited to hear about. I won't be returning to live shows anytime soon (unless they're outdoors) due to being high-risk. But to learn about shows that are more sensory friendly makes me really happy.

I’m a wrestling fan but a Dan video always makes the day miles better regardless of the topic

As jukebox musicals go- I loved Jersey Boys!! the small cast really makes it, the fact that all of those vocals are coming out of those 4 men? Are you kidding? And the way they build their harmonies- stunning honestly

Went to Moulin Rouge in Sydney and this girl next to me was singing along at a regular volume and taking pictures of the stage with her phone and she didn't act like this was a problem. I kept whispering to her to stop and she would never reply. For Act 2 her friend traded seats with her so I didn't see her until I left it looked like she had been crying so I guess someone gave her a talking to. Saw Hadestown in Dallas and two teen boys who were old enough to know better talked the whole time. They were little theater know it alls.

What's more worry is not the lack of awareness about how to behave, but the lack of shame. Even if you WERE allowed to sing, why would you when you are obviously incapable?

Not me welling learning about the accessible performances and adaptations - SO lovely! My sister and I went to see Les Mis last year and it was incredible, but we were sat near someone whose phone wasn't on silent and who was singing along to some of the songs. It felt super annoying and disrespectful but I was too awkward/British to say anything.

oh i loved this!!! completely off topic to what you were talking about but you're such a good writer and your comedic timing with all the jokes in this video were so spot on. back on topic - absolutely agree with everything you said. not only is it poor behaviour but i find it so disrespectful to the cast and crew who's literal jobs it is to perform and sing those songs. unfortunately it feels like one of those things that isn't going to go away and people will just continue to do it

Absolutely agree with all your points here. Accessible shows are fantastic for those with any kind of extra needs but should not allow 'bad' behaviour like the ones you mentioned at the start. After the pandemic have also had some of my worst gig experiences with poor behaviour, I can't help but think these things are linked. I think there is a lack of respect in various aspects of society now, which is now passed down from parents to children to their friends etc. The issues you spoke about are very very similar to experiences I had in schools with both primary and secondary school students experienced as an ex-teacher myself and other teacher friends too where there is very little respect in assemblies, and classrooms etc etc.

Preaching to the choir is an interesting turn of phrase when the problem is partly people singing along. Great vid.

One thing I've also noticed is people coming in late to the show. Considering how much effort me and panicking I and my Dad once had about being late to a show it bothers me a lot.

I will say I had to tell my brain over and over that Six wasn’t ACTUALLY a concert (and sing along) when I finally saw it because it felt so much like one.

Great Comet on Broadway had a particular section (a couple lines in "The Abduction") where some people in the audience singing along was something that developed naturally over the course of the run. Part of the reason is it was a moment in the show where the whole cast is sharing a communal moment, and audience participation was already a thing at that point in the show as they handed out egg shakers to audience members. As I recall, rather than reject the sing-along, the production embraced this and even invited fans of the show to record that part for the cast album (I know because my mother was one of those fans!) When the final performance of Comet happened, the cast flat out encouraged the audience to sing during this section. That said, there is a similar scripted moment in Hadestown which is meant to have the audience sing along during "Our Lady of the Underground", but apparently that hasn't caught on the same way - it's a leftover moment from when the show was more interactive/immersive.

It's fascinating how quickly this all changed. 10 years ago I saw Pippin on broadway, and there's a part (during "No Time At All") where the cast yells "Everybody!", and a projector screen comes down. The lyrics are projected on a screen with a bouncing ball, like karaoke. When I started singing along, the guy sitting in front of me turned around and gave me an angry look. It was considered such a ridiculous thing to do in a theatre at the time that people didn't even believe they were being prompted to join in.

I feel like Be More Chill falls into a similar category as Heathers. Years ago I remember reading someone's review of the show saying the audience kinda ruined it for them, people saying the line before it was said and cheering at a characters entrance, that sort of thing.

Excellent video as always 👏 I saw Kinky Boots on tour in the UK a few years back and was sat pretty near the back next to an Older Lady who you could tell either didn’t frequent shows a lot or just had her own set of rules. The whole show she had a disposable camera in hand and was snapping away taking pictures on it. I let her get on with it because that ain’t none of my business, but I was v surprised none of the ushers noticed her 2 hour long photo shoot 🤣 I also absolutely love the relaxed performances that I’ve seen a lot more of now! It’s so inclusive and I adore how it means even more people can fall in love with theatre and its stories. I’ve seen videos where the villains of the shows (ie Hans in Frozen) will come out before the performance and introduce themselves and the characters so that audiences aren’t caught off guard and scared by anything! Bloody love it. More of that please

I'm *very* new to watching live theatre (Only saw my first musical this September just gone) and thankfully in the handful of shows I've seen, the audiences have been well-behaved. I can only imagine that if they weren't it would have put me off going and seeing anything else.

Hello! Ran across this video out of the blue thanks to the algorithm, and what a gemstone I’ve found! I love your exploration of this niche problem and how it plays into the larger issues with today’s society. Your jokes made me laugh out loud multiple times (when you’ve delved down the rabbit hole of sheer *content* for a couple hours, your eyes kind of glaze over, and you become numb to it all, but this really pushed me out of that malaise), and I repeated an especially clever line to myself a time or two. Just want to say that I thought the video ideas you mentioned for the future (the pros and cons of the jukebox musical and how Mamma Mia! changed the landscape of musical theater, etc) sound fascinating and I would definitely watch! Your passion for theater and how it profoundly impacts us as storytellers made me want to go out and watch a show pronto too! In short, excellent video, and thank you for breaking me out of that dreaded RU-vid malaise. On to creating my own art!

I absolutely loved going to see Hamilton at the theater we have in Eugene Oregon the ONLY time people sang along loudly was in King George's song, when you're supposed to.

I’ll share my horror stories and best experiences. I’m just starting out as a musical theatre actress as well and oh boy 🙃 Bad experiences: When I went to see a show on Broadway for the first time, I saw Moulin Rouge. It’s my favorite movie and I have a tattoo for it. I love it. But it was incredibly annoying for the people next to me to laugh every time they heard a song they were familiar with. Like yes. We get it. Stfu. And they were laughing in like a mocking way, not “oooh I know that one!” way. Someone behind us had to tap them on their shoulder and tell them to shut up. I also saw Hamilton not too long ago and had a very very drunk couple in front of me non stop talking and singing along LOUDLY to the music. Good experiences: When I first saw Wicked from a local touring company, I BALLED when Defying Gravity came on. It was my first time seeing the show and seeing it live. I also cried at every Broadway show I saw. When I saw Cats for the first time I had a smile on my face the entire time cuz I grew up on the 98’ VHS taping of it. It was in a word, magical.

I definitely think the pandemic has got people used to watching TV in their own homes and talking over it, being able to pause it, being in charge of it - being the main character in their experience. At the theatre your experience is inherently shared and part of a community.

This came up in my recommended. Would LOVE to see more live theater and musical theater content! This was informative and funny! The whole Dear Evan Hansen bit SLAYED me. 😂

Post lockdown brought more entitlement. I work in a cinema and the amount of abuse, snark, and nasty behaviour just over serving popcorn is something else.

Love that credit music! It’s making me want to get up and dance in the aisles

Nobody comes to the theater to hear Karen from HR belting out the atonal equivalent of vocal diarrhea over the professional singers paid to entertain you. The level of personal entitlement has hit a critical mass. Half of the world seems to be living out that "if it feels good, do it" episode of The Simpsons, without having bothered to watch the ending where hundreds of people were grievously injured (or, ostensibly, killed) because of everyone's general selfishness and apathy.

I went to multiple performances of Six in Korea one of then was specifically a singalong show, and it was honestly some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my life! Given the kind of show Six is and how much it means to fans, I do think it was an ingenious idea to create specific shows where audience involvement was expected and allowed - it was lovely to be able to sing-along with the performers without feeling like we were upstaging them, and on the performers’ front you could see that they were also approaching these singalong shows in a different and interactive manner as well! It was such great fun 🥳