Overheard at the theatre

[PhantomNcl]

Overheard at Cursed Child last week - American lady explaining to her companion how they do the time turner effect.

"So I was talking to a guy next to the sound board thing at the back, and he said they fill the auditorium with carbon dioxide really fast which affects your vision and makes the set look blurry, then they suck it all out again"

I'd love to know if this was the sound op taking the p*ss, or just some random person standing by the sound desk having a bit of a laugh

[Deal J]

Jun 20, 2023 9:18:04 GMT londonmzfitz said:

"Is it a real Groundhog"? Followed by "If they use real children at Matilda it should be a real Groundhog".
Said several times to several people by a grown woman.

The cast of Lion King are trembling with fear of her reasoning…!

[louonthegogo]

At Titanic The Musical last week I heard someone behind me - "I don't think there's any songs in this". Keeping a laugh in for that one was my biggest success of the week.

[barrowside]

"The furniture is very cheap" - a naturalistic set of a lived-in house in County Clare - "The Loved Ones" at the Gate Theatre Dublin, (which tends to attract a rather well-heeled audience).

[emsworthian]

As I was leaving "A View From the Bridge" at Chichester yesterday, from the couple behind me: Man: "It didn't make sense. Why didn't he want to go to the wedding?"

I mean, where does one start to explain?

[richey]

In the interval of To Woo Fong at Hope Mill last night, an elderly lady who I think was part of a coach party, stood up as soon as the lights came on and loudly proclaimed "Ooh, Aren't t'frocks fabulous"

[marob]

At My Favorite Things, one woman was telling a friend about a previous time she’d seen Maria Friedman: “She was brilliant. I’m sure she was pissed, but she was brilliant.”

[longinthetooth]

At Sondheim's Old Friends yesterday, a young lady, clearly a Bradley Jaden fan: "When I eventually have this baby I'm going to the stage door to meet Bradley and tell him I've named my baby after him!"

Then, obviously flicking through the programme: "ooh, Bradley, Janny Dee" (yes, that's how she pronounced it), "don't know, don't know, don't know ..."

[merrilywereadalong]

A slightly amusing moment at Sunset during the interval the other night when a woman in the row behind me kept insisting very loudly that the second act would only be 15 minutes because "I was told MULTIPLE times this show lets out at 9:30 sharp." "I don't know why they're even bothering with an interval. We all know the second act is just going to be 10 minutes"
The guy in the seat next to me, who had also seen the show previously, shared a nice side and chuckle.

[londonmzfitz]

Overheard following statement by one man to a companion during the interval at Chitty on Thursday, Woking :

"Well yes it's a train but they are on rollerskates! It's Midnight Express innit. It's not Cats".

[TallPaul]

You get a pre-show announcement at Nottingham Playhouse. Something along the lines of: "The performance is about to begin. Please ensure all phones are switched off and the rustling of sweet bags is kept to a minimum."

Three women in the seats next to mine. As soon as the announcement ends, the one in the middle says to her friends,"People don't realise how noisy their food is."

"Hurray! Someone who gets it," I thought to myself.

She then proceeded to spend most of Act I rustling her sweet bag. 😡

[kallyloo]

I totally understand, but as someone who has a chronic condition,and constantly wants to cough, it’s either that or have the biggest, showstopping, coughing fit. Apologies to everyone, and I try my best to keep it to a minimum.

[sf]

The interval at Boys From The Blackstuff last night. The row in front of me, a posh-sounding gentleman in his early twenties, talking to his equally posh-sounding parents:

“He said he couldn’t find a job after he left uni so he was going to sign on. I said oh come on, that’s not for people like you…”

(My eyeballs rolled upwards so fast they left a dent in the Olivier’s ceiling.)

[richey]

Sat at the end of row D in the stalls at the Lowry last Friday (there was no row A) I was astonished by the number of people who, as they came past me to take their seats, commented how close they were to the stage and started giggling.

[londonmzfitz]

Tonight at Hello Dolly, young man (late 20's, maybe) asking his Mum sat next to me :

"Yeah, but is there acting as well? You know, like Les Miserables?".

[hannechalk]

May 26, 2024 17:05:32 GMT richey said:

Sat at the end of row D in the stalls at the Lowry last Friday (there was no row A) I was astonished by the number of people who, as they came past me to take their seats, commented how close they were to the stage and started giggling.

I must say I do like a surprise front row. I sometimes book so far in advance that when I see I'm in row D or E I just assume I was too late for front row. 

To find I am actually sat in front row is always a little joyous moment. 

[pws]

At an interval last week:
"Yes, but how DO you dispose of a Tampax without getting into a fight?"

[lynette]

May 26, 2024 14:32:21 GMT sf said:

The interval at Boys From The Blackstuff last night. The row in front of me, a posh-sounding gentleman in his early twenties, talking to his equally posh-sounding parents:

“He said he couldn’t find a job after he left uni so he was going to sign on. I said oh come on, that’s not for people like you…”

(My eyeballs rolled upwards so fast they left a dent in the Olivier’s ceiling.)

Didn’t he probably mean that his friend had plenty of money and supportive parents, a trust fund and all the trimmings. So, no, not for people like him. He was being perfectly correct. 

[Phantom of London]

So I didn’t overhear this in the stalls, but at a recent barbecue, however it was funny.

So at the barbie we were talking about theatre, when one of the guests piped up and said that ‘I have always found Andrew Lloyd Webber to be repetitive,’ which I felt fair comment - each to their own, then she went on and said ‘all his lyrics tend to sound the same.’ I nearly choked on my piece of quiche.

[marob]

Burlesque at Manchester Opera House. Woman behind telling her mates about seeing Pretty Woman on one of ATG’s Ambassador Lounge tickets: “We paid £110 each and I think that was really good value for money.”

Same woman after the show: “That’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen. You can tell it was good because it got a standing ovation; most shows don’t get a standing ovation.”

[aingidh]

A few people next to me at Mean Girls said they only see shows at the Savoy theatre. They book a night in the hotel and see whichever show is on. So far they've done Dreamgirls, 9 to 5, Pretty Woman and now MG.

[Someone in a tree]

Oct 11, 2024 1:21:52 GMT aingidh said:

A few people next to me at Mean Girls said they only see shows at the Savoy theatre. They book a night in the hotel and see whichever show is on. So far they've done Dreamgirls, 9 to 5, Pretty Woman and now MG.

Said with any sense of irony ? Or is a Savoy musical a benchmark standard for them?

[BurlyBeaR]

Oh I don’t know, I can see the appeal of that. Into London, posh hotel, cocktails, dinner, literally step from the hotel to the theatre then nightcap, bed and a full English the next morning. What’s not to like?

[aingidh]

Oct 11, 2024 9:21:47 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Oh I don’t know, I can see the appeal of that. Into London, posh hotel, cocktails, dinner, literally step from the hotel to the theatre then nightcap, bed and a full English the next morning. What’s not to like?

Yeahh this was the kind of vibe I was getting. Girls weekend etc

[Someone in a tree]

Oct 11, 2024 9:21:47 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Oh I don’t know, I can see the appeal of that. Into London, posh hotel, cocktails, dinner, literally step from the hotel to the theatre then nightcap, bed and a full English the next morning. What’s not to like?

Pretty woman and Mean girls for a start 😉