So, the house lights go down, Ralph Fiennes, as Oedipus, enters, comes downstage and says, ‘Citizens of Thebes, I...’ and the mobile of the woman sitting two seats down from me goes off. She reaches into her bag and shuts it up, then tries to turn it off completely, thereby making it ring again!
To his credit, Mr Fiennes did not walk off in disgust. I might have.
The companion of the woman in question arrived fifteen minutes after the start of the play and plonked herself in the empty seat next to me: she obviously was the person who had been calling at such an inopportune moment. I saw them both later at the Press Night party: they were with one of the actors in the Chorus. People who are somehow involved in the theatre can be the worst audience.
Slap!
Thursday 16 October 2008
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Unforgivable. Gruesome people.
ReplyDeleteI was at the South Bank the other night and was impressed by their announcements about turning off mobiles and keeping down coughing -- not only at the start of the performance, but also after the interval.
5 mighty slaps ! I hate it and each time it makes me so aggresive that I could really slap that ringing person !
ReplyDeleteOh, how I do hate people like this!!! It's all I can do to keep from actually hitting them.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you're so lucky to be seeing such actors as you do, that I can't feel too sorry for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's the worst. They always choose ring tones that are unique, like the theme from Bonanza. Also they tend to look at the screen fr a few minutes, trying to decide whether or not to answer.
ReplyDeleteHow was the performance?
Sincerely,
Carole
Gah. I think this is completely sold out now. Sorry I will miss it. However, I did see No Man's Land a couple weeks ago - thought it was superb. But is it just me - there seems to be a dry spell of good theatre this season. I can't really find anything that grabs me (that I can get tickets for - missed out on Waste too), contemplating Twelfth Night just to see Derek Jacobi and Ron Cook.
ReplyDeleteIIWQ, even the first woman turned up after the announcement. Anyway, there is always one phone that rings at some point - only, usually, not right next to me. I jumped out of my skin when it did. I think I yelped too.
ReplyDeleteLJG, I felt totally murderous towards her and her friend.
Oh, poor TLP! I'm sorry I keep dangling all those wonderful things in front of you. There has to be some compensation to living in a dark, rainy, exhausting metropolis like London.
C, you're right: those ringtones are always so loud.
The show was wonderful (not just my biased opinion - the reviews have been mostly great). Have you been here? :-)
Anon (do you mind logging on as something next time? I don't really like anonymous comments - even nice ones), it is probably sold out, yes, but there are always tickets on sale on the day (from 10am) and you could try for a return.
I don't know about a dry spell: you seem to have seen good stuff. I'm in two minds about the Twelfth Night. I'm going through a 'Don't want to see another Shakespeare - ever' period. It won't last, I hope.