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Post by martin1965 on Sept 12, 2016 6:29:04 GMT
Yes thats the one, think it was Paul Greenwood aka "Rosie" on tv for the older amongst us😀😀
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Post by Jan on Sept 12, 2016 6:36:22 GMT
Yes thats the one, think it was Paul Greenwood aka "Rosie" on tv for the older amongst us😀😀 I did not name him to spare his blushes. The even older of us remember when it was called "The Growing Pains of PC Penrose". Tony Hayward was in one/both versions, he famously had some sort of nervous breakdown during previews of Aykbourn's "Way Upstream" at the NT when night after night there were problems with the boat - another comic play tragedy. |
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Post by Stasia on Sept 12, 2016 7:21:49 GMT
Never left the show during the actual show (although I felt the urge at Something Something Lazarus, but there was no interval, and I've been sitting in the middle of front row, so I had to stay till the end), but there were a couple of times when I had to leave during the bows. Even when I was sitting on the balcony near the aisle and knew that it would not affect anyone watching and the actors won't notice, I felt terrible anyway!)
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Post by alece10 on Sept 12, 2016 7:39:29 GMT
Just remembered that I left at the interval of The Killing of Sister George at the Arts Theatre as I was in terrible pain. A few hours later I had to go to A&E and diagnosed with Gall stones.
All I remember was that the play was not brilliant but Dawn French sat next to me.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 8:19:37 GMT
Yes thats the one, think it was Paul Greenwood aka "Rosie" on tv for the older amongst us😀😀 The memories are flooding back...! Yes, I saw that Peggy Mount play at the RSC too. I couldn't have told you he was in it though... But I do remember he was in the Jane Lapotaire Piaf! (Didn't like Rosie on TV  ). |
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Post by ali973 on Sept 12, 2016 8:38:40 GMT
I think I did it only twice, once was at Wicked and I know that I did it somewhere else but I can't remember where. Wicked was simply because I booked it for the lack of anything to see and do on a business trip to London, where I've been just a week before and saw everything new and needed to see. So I booked Wicked because the weather was typically sh*te (sometime in March).
I remember it was Rachel Tucker and Louise early in their run. I thought Rachel was really loud, angry and shouty more than necessary, and I thought, wow this Louise girl has a kick ass belt and really ought to have been Elphaba! You'd think I had a crystal ball. So sometime during intermission my friends texted me telling me that it's gorgeous outside and that they are getting drunk in the park. That's all I need to leave. Later, green bitch!
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2,711 posts
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Post by viserys on Sept 12, 2016 9:29:47 GMT
I only left twice at the interval - "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum" at the Open Air Theatre because I found it terribly unfunny and was bored and somehow worried myself into a tizz about walking back to the tube station late in the evening through the "dark park".
The other time was "Shakespeare in Love", though it had nothing to do with the show (au contraire, what was not to like with Tom Bateman and David Oakes), only with a terrible migraine that required me to crawl into bed as soon as humanly possible. I learned from an earlier mistake where I had tried to sit out a headache in a theatre - it was "Nine" at the Donmar Warehouse many years ago, where I got so sick suddenly that I had to barge past people in my row (luckily up on the Dress Circle) to rush for the toilet half-way in the second act. They would have allowed me back in, but I decided to call it a day and seek my bed.
I suppose it helps that I'm in London as a tourist, so it's not like leaving early would get me to my comfy own flat and creature comforts. If it's a choice between being in the hotel room by 9pm or sitting through the rest of whatever I'm seeing, I usually sit it out on account of "I paid for it anyway and who knows, something might happen"
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Post by zak97 on Sept 12, 2016 9:38:10 GMT
I've only ever wanted to leave a performance once, and that was for 'The Trial' at the Young Vic. I can't praise the cast enough, they were brilliant, but I just couldn't enjoy the direction, sound or lighting designs; it was all too aggressive for me. The only reason I didn't leave early was as it was a no interval play, had there been I definitely would have left.
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Post by Michael on Sept 12, 2016 9:41:38 GMT
Never have, but on a few occassions I wish I had: Hamilton, Wicked Germany (only because of their strange translation) and Bat Boy.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Sept 12, 2016 9:46:30 GMT
Was tempted to leave at the interval of High Society tour at High Wycombe - Michael Praed and Daniel Boys, not good. Went outside at the interval for fresh air as was dozing off (like the man next to me), others heading for the car park, couple dithering about staying or not. I toughed it out as I was central second row ..
But I did walk out at the interval for Miranda Sings at the Leicester Square theatre. She has her fans, but I ain't one.
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Post by danb on Sept 12, 2016 9:47:34 GMT
I think I must be terribly rude then! If I've paid money for something, and I'm not enjoying it, why on earth would I stay 'til the end? Obviously I've only ever left in the interval (except once) but I was certainly very discreet. The other side of the respect coin is that as a customer I should be able to enjoy my purchase, and if the product or interpretation of said product is not of the expected standard, I should be entitled to bail out! (I would not ask for a refund though  |
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Post by jess173 on Sept 12, 2016 11:59:08 GMT
I never left at intermission, but I was tempted a couple of times. I really wanted to leave at Once and A Gentlemans Guide to Love and Murder. I stayed for both in hope something good might happen in the second half... It never did.
And I once saw a German production called "Der Schuh des Manitu". This was so horrible but I could not leave because I got the tickets for my birthday and the person that gave them to me was with me that night. So it would have been very rude in several ways...
I had to dash from wicked once because they had a technical problem with the set and there was an extra break because of that. The show ran late and I had to catch my train so I had to run for the exit right after the last note...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 12:18:17 GMT
I've only left once, at a local open air production of Sweet Charity. It's not my favourite and it was a good production, but it was freezing and I was ill, so I departed subtly at the interval.
There are a few productions I WISH I'd left...a really bad tour of Hobson's Choice springs to mind. But usually I tough it out on the ground of 'something might improve' or 'at least I can say I gave it a fair crack'
That said no judgement on those who do leave, personally I'd rather see the odd empty seat than have an audience full of people who would rather be anywhere else!
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Post by stuartww on Sept 12, 2016 12:23:50 GMT
Cliff The Musical....starring DJ Mike Read as the 80 year old Lord Cliff, looking back at his life through the power of virtual reality.
The only reason my companion and I walked in was because we had comps and had drunk a couple of glasses of champagne...
The only reason we lasted until the interval was because we were hemmed in by women of a certain age who were loving it...
How this made it to the west end, I do not know!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 12:33:44 GMT
Cliff The Musical....starring DJ Mike Read as the 80 year old Lord Cliff, looking back at his life through the power of virtual reality. With the possible exception of "as" and "the", every word of that says "no". (Matthew looks it up.) Ah, it's a "written by, directed by and starring" show. Much becomes clear. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 13:21:54 GMT
I won't judge people for leaving - I've only been taken ill once, had to run for a train (or another show) a few times, and only left at the interval maybe half a dozen times. I will judge people for leaving if their doing so causes disruption to other audience members who may be enjoying the show, but if you're able to sidle out silently or even better during the interval, then go for it. You're not doing anyone any favours by staying, and it's not like they don't already have your money.  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 13:57:07 GMT
I don't mind people leaving early. But I do mind them coming back in again and expecting the rest of us to have our view obstructed again. Have come across this a few times now. Another type, I'm afraid. Usually the bloke who has brought the lady-friend out to impress her. A night out to see a show, champagne in the bar beforehand, followed by dinner later on. There hadn't been time to buy up every bit of merchandise from the kiosk as the bell was ringing, but it didn't matter as he could nip out during a boring bit of the show to get it. Now that would really impress her...  |
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Post by joem on Sept 12, 2016 14:15:16 GMT
Some if you may have noticed there was a little irony in the original post. I can't blame someone leaving if they're ill, receive bad news or even if they just get fed up. But my point was that in sold-out shows, where many people have been disappointed by not getting ticketsm, it's pretty selfish to leave after ten minutes. A little research will probably narrow down the number of times you feel like leaving.
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Post by vdcni on Sept 12, 2016 14:18:41 GMT
I've never left mid show but have left at the interval due to illness a few times - annoyingly usually at good stuff that I'd have happily stayed for.
For sheer that was rubbish reasons yeah a hand full of times, some French farce with Belinda Lang at the Playhouse & Jane Eyre at the National recently. I feel there is something else but I don't remember.
I've rarely seen people leave during the show - the only one I remember was a couple leaving End Of The Rainbow at Richmond just before the interval as she was singing The Man That Got Away. They were in the middle of the third row so it was very obvious. At the interval I got out to discover they had done it in order to be first to the bar!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 14:22:08 GMT
But there really is no way of knowing for sure until you're already there. Everything about my personal bete noire One Man Two Guvnors sounded awful (James Corden? Richard Bean? Farce? TRIPLE YUCK) and although I resisted at first, the excellent word of mouth and West End transfer convinced me I really ought to give it a go, telling myself as I booked that I could always leave at the interval if it was everything I feared. And though I will forever bang on about it being a shoddy piece of writing and not liking it anywhere near as much as everyone else did, I nonetheless got enough out of it to not only sit through the second half but also give it another go after the cast change, just in case. (I have a very complicated love/hate relationship with theatre sometimes.) It's no more selfish to buy a ticket for a show that you fear you might not like than it is to buy a ticket for a show that you're expecting to enjoy heartily, no matter how well it's selling.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 15:00:13 GMT
But there really is no way of knowing for sure until you're already there. Everything about my personal bete noire One Man Two Guvnors sounded awful (James Corden? Richard Bean? Farce? TRIPLE YUCK) and although I resisted at first, the excellent word of mouth and West End transfer convinced me I really ought to give it a go, telling myself as I booked that I could always leave at the interval if it was everything I feared. And though I will forever bang on about it being a shoddy piece of writing and not liking it anywhere near as much as everyone else did, I nonetheless got enough out of it to not only sit through the second half but also give it another go after the cast change, just in case. (I have a very complicated love/hate relationship with theatre sometimes.) It's no more selfish to buy a ticket for a show that you fear you might not like than it is to buy a ticket for a show that you're expecting to enjoy heartily, no matter how well it's selling. Same. I very nearly left at the interval, but after being told for YEARS how GENIUS and FUNNY it was I felt I had to stick it out, and now I feel at least justified in placing it as my personal 'most hated' piece of theatre (aside I will conceed Edward Bennett, but just because I enjoy his face). I don't think it's 'selfish' or 'wrong' to buy a ticket for a show you might not be keen on, no more than it's right or wrong to buy a ticket for a certain actor. I've seen some utter gems on a 'I might not like it but...' whim, equally I've looked forward to a show for months and hated every second of it, swings and roundabouts. However, I now draw the line at anything involving Marti Pellow. |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Sept 12, 2016 15:08:37 GMT
*shudder* Marti Pellow and Jekyll & Hyde ... Wimbledon Theatre.
Right ->down<- there with All The Fun Of The Fair with David Essex.
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Post by Phantom of London on Sept 12, 2016 15:37:43 GMT
Think that is fair if a cast member becomes indisposed, then they bring the stand by on, so if a audience member becomes indisposed then its only fair they can leave early. Same if people have public transport deadline to meet - that is fair too.
I have seen shows and have hated the first half, but persisted and it has picked up in the second half, also the opposite is true seen shows where I have loved the first half, but the second half has gone downhill.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 15:40:22 GMT
*shudder* Marti Pellow and Jekyll & Hyde ... Wimbledon Theatre. Right ->down<- there with All The Fun Of The Fair with David Essex. Lucky for me Pellow had been punched in the face in Cardiff so I missed him in that... |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 15:41:13 GMT
*shudder* Marti Pellow and Jekyll & Hyde ... Wimbledon Theatre. Right ->down<- there with All The Fun Of The Fair with David Essex. You're welcome.  |
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