Ring Ring,,, Ring Ring,,, Ring Ring… You have reached the voicemail of – a passionate theatre goer. My phone didn’t ring because I put it on silent before the show started. If you need to get an urgent response, send me a text. This way I can text you back at the interval. If this is an emergency, perhaps call someone else in the family, a close friend, knock on the neighbours door or call the emergency services. Unfortunately I will be unable to check my phone as I am sitting watching the performance of a lifetime and it would be rude for me to check my phone mid ballad, I don’t want to ruin the performance for others in the audience and I would be unable to help you from Oz. I will call you back at an appropriate time, and hope all is well.
BEEEEEEEEP
This is what I want my voicemail message to be, but I fear many will not leave me pleasant messages after listening to me waffle for 30 seconds about performances or theatre etiquette, but the message is an important one.
Before the pandemic, and I am asking you to cast your mind back to the late 2019’s, theatre was booming – kind of. Audiences were eager and energetic without being rowdy or aggressive. People outside the theatre knew what was happening inside and phones remained off and in bags or pockets. Sure there was the odd call, text, facebook beep or whatsapp chime. But for the most part, audiences were in darkness and the spotlights were the only source of light in theatres. During the pandemic, something seems to have happened. Phones are out, whatsapp takes priority and people seem to forget that theatre is a collaborative event.
Now, I know that talking can sometimes be annoying and I would say theatre should be a quiet space, but I am educating myself and increasing my patience. Sometimes talking has to happen for those who just need to say something. It is an access issue, not always someone being rude or drunk.
This is specifically about our new best friend. Mr Samsung or Mrs Apple have become such a staple in communication, we seem to be always available. This includes in theatres and performance venues across the country.
I have now been to a few theatres across the country and experienced this constant availability culture. The worst was in Cinderella in the West End, which was handled well. Someone answering the phone mid song and just chatting.
A change in the environment!
Why is a theatre now the same environment as a pub? The focus on drinking, chatting and socialising seems to be creeping in, but on top of this, we have the frequent use of phones. Always being able to call someone, and that person always answering, no matter where they are.
I think this also goes beyond the theatre. We are trapped in this culture of always being available to talk, and sometimes that just can’t happen. Yes it is annoying to wait to get a message and yes we may need to just tell this person that thing really quickly. But sometimes people aren’t free and we need to go back to the times when we waited for a call. Plus on the other end, we need to remember that it is ok to have time away from our phones and enjoy some live entertainment. After 2 years without access to performance venues, I think we should now be even more attentive and show the industry even more respect than ever.
Have your say!
I won’t say what I think should happen because I know it isn’t a popular opinion and may seem quite extreme, but I am interested to know if any of our readers think that phones have a place in theatres. Let me know in the comments section. I am really interested to see what people have to say about this.
As always, please be respectful of each other’s opinions and be kind to each other. I completely respect and value everyone that worked on this show. We need to remember that these are people with feelings. Let’s treat them with respect. Bullying will not be tolerated and harmful language will be removed.
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