THEATRE MANNERS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18673, 23 April 1926, Page 11

THEATRE MANNERS.

TO THE ZDITOB OJ "TEUB PKISS." , Sir,—Last night I had the pleasure of -witnessing an exceedingly fine performance at the Theatre Royal, but my pleasure, and, I am sure, that of many others in the stalls, -was marred by the unspeakably ill-bred behaviour oi' certain members of the audience who were Bitting nearby. Behind me, two ladies carried on an almost uninterrupted conversation; on my right was a gentleman who noisily consumed some glutinous refreshment from a paper bag, and frequently offered loud-voiced comment on the play, to his apparently deaf son, two seats away from him. In front was another lady, possessed of a desire to make a noise, and, judging, by the buzz which was frequently to bo heard, there were others in the theatre who had forgotten what good manners demanded of them.

One is inured by long custom to the fiend in the cinema who persists in reading aloud every -word that appears On .the screen, aiid one expects the children's howls of delight when their hero appears in sombrero, "chaps," and, eke revolvers; but after all, .so long as one can see the screen, it docs not matter very much. Surely, lioweven, on the .rare occasions when a •good play is to be seen here, it is not too much to expect that one may hear it as well. Apart from tire annoyance to the audience, it must be, at the least, very disconcerting to tho players to hear a continual murmur from tho body of the theatre. It is only common decency to give them a chance to make themselves heard, without having to drown the chatter of the audience. In the hope: that this may meet the eyes of some of those concerned,—Yours, '' "DISGUSTED." Christchurch, April 22nd, 1926.