Theatre | The Guardian: UK theatre staff have been attacked, sexually harassed and abused by drunken audience members during performances, a new survey has revealed.
Front of house staff facing violent assaults, theatregoers urinating in fire exits and mass brawls breaking out in auditoriums were among the incidents uncovered by the report from the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre union (Bectu).
4 comments:
There have been some articles floating around about disrespectful audience members recently. Mostly from the perspective of Broadway ushers. This is the first one I’ve seen from the UK. Interestingly, this is a universal thing right now. I’m sure this has always been a problem. There are always going to be assholes if there's an opportunity for it. I’m glad that people are finally speaking out about it. With that said, ushers should not have to put up with being physically assaulted while at work. Let alone at a place like a theatre, a place where respect for the craft is usually a top priority of those attending. I’m not sure what goes through patron’s heads when they act like this but clearly common sense isn't a part of the situation. There are certain jobs where safety is an inherent part of the work being done. Guiding people to their seats in the house of a theatre is not something that should land on that list.
I have heard many things about poor audience/stagedoor behavior on Broadway but this is the first mention of poor audience behavior in the UK I have heard about. It seems like since the Covid 19 shutdown the world has simply forgotten how to act in a theatrical setting. I personally have seen rude comments, loud disruptions and outright gross behaviors exhibited by audience members since the return of theater. I however think this issue runs deeper than behavior just after covid theater education has been on the decline for a number of years and the pandemic was just the beginning of this behavior becoming unbearable for casts and crews or shows. I hope that in the coming years theater education will improve and performers and front of house staff will receive more respect and gratitude from audience members. Without this change I am concerned about what will happen to our industry and the people who work in it.
Theo
The amount of articles I have read regarding the blatant disrespect for workers, audience members and the theater itself is very concerning. I don’t understand why it is so hard for certain people to respect others in the space that they are in. No one should have to go to work and question whether they are going to be attacked, sexually harassed or spat on. Individuals working in the theater are already paid a low working wage. Therefore, it is only so much. They are willing to put up with it before they decide that it is time for them to quit. If the UK theater staff decides to quit over audience behavior, they are completely in the right. The survey outlines within the article are a great way to bring light onto the situation, as well as give these workers a voice. I hope that there will be more protocols, ensuring these workers safety because know one should have to fear for their life when going to work.
It is incredibly unnerving to hear how horribly Front of House staff are being treated and that the industry tries to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible. Anyone who has ever worked in retail can regale you with horror stories of how terribly people treat them, but that is not an excuse for this behavior. I wonder if this has been a gradual shift or if it has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Based on my experience, people seemed to have forgotten what decent human behavior was while they were stuck behind a Zoom screen. I had the luxury of attending many Broadway shows while growing up due to my proximity to New York City and it always felt like an event to dress up for. When did people start treating Broadway like a shitty open-mic night? You kind of hope that people who are treating staff like this are intoxicated, because who in their right mind treats another human being like that?
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