The Audience Problem (Yes, We Mean You!)

Audience behavior has got worse and worse in recent years. “Why is this sort of behaviour so common in theatres nowadays? Presumably because we live in a restless channel-flicking culture, where concentration is no longer a virtue. Epidemics of coughing and chatting can, of course, serve as a valid critical response to a tedious spectacle. Yet they are mostly just a manifestation of inattention, laziness, and sheer selfish rudeness. And I’m convinced that people don’t switch off their mobile phones because sub-consciously they crave the distraction.”