I have been a professional theatre critic for more than a quarter of a century – not to mention a lifelong cinema fan. These hundreds of thousands of hours of viewing have provided me with some fascinating insights into audience behaviour and psychology, ranging from the idiosyncratic to the downright infuriating.
As technology has developed and our homes have morphed into our prime centres of entertainment, we have, dispiritingly, become less skilled at being audience members in a public space, at subsuming our individual needs to the collective good.
Lesley Manville and Rosamund Pike are just two of the star names who have railed against irksome facets of audience behaviour of late – and they surely will not be the last. Here are my particular bugbears – please don’t try any of these anywhere near me.
Keeping phones on
We all know about this one. For goodness’ sake, turn them off. Put them away for the duration. End of. Because…
