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Have you ever walked out of a cinema/theatre half way through a show?

(261 Posts)
grandmajet Tue 16-Feb-21 08:12:04

I’ve done it twice. The first time was David Bowies’s film, The Man Who Fell to Earth. What a load of tosh! More recently we left Ben Elton’s stand up show at half time. I was disappointed as I used to like him and loved his books but he seemed to have turned into a bitter, unpleasant person and it was not fun to listen to him.
Anyone else done this, and why?

grandmajet Tue 16-Feb-21 10:03:51

I loved The Greatest Showman too Sara.
How rude of your friend Pamela, to spoil the pantomime evening not only for you but for the children too.
It just shows how different our tastes are. It’s not a question of right or wrong, is it, just different views, as in many things in life.

Jaffacake2 Tue 16-Feb-21 10:03:39

Didn't walk out but probably should have. Took daughter when she was about 3 to Cinderella panto. We were middle of the row enjoying it then she threw up badly. Didn't quite know what to do. If I had tried to get out people may have had vomit sprayed on them from her dress. Scooped up as much as I could into a carrier bag then squirted a body spray around. She was quite happy and babbling on about Cinderellas coach !
At the end the lady behind me had a verbal attack at me for ruining her child's Christmas treat.
Still wonder whether I should have tried to leave.
Any thoughts on what I should have done ?

Sara1954 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:58:32

Bluebelle

The Greatest Showman is a brilliant film, we all watched it again only last weekend, happily singing along, seen it at least ten times now.
Give it another go, it might grow on you.

NotAGran55 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:55:27

I left a Simply Red gig before the end as they were absolutely dire live which was hugely disappointing and surprising.

Elton John at Wembley 1975 . A brilliant day including Joe Walsh , The Eagles and Beach Beach was topped off with the arrogance of EJ performing his new album from start to finish that nobody had heard . Tens of thousands of us left . He apologised years later for being a c* ( his words) during that period of his life.

I wanted to walk out of Phantom Of The Opera as it wasn’t my cup of tea but sat it out for my dad’s sake and also because it had cost so much in time and money . I had bought 2 tickets to take my dad as a treat but he had a heart attack the day before . I hadn’t wanted to see it in the first place and only arranged it for him after my mum had died . He insisted that I still went ..argh ...I couldn’t tell him the truth and had to go .
It was such short notice I couldn’t find anyone else free to take the other ticket .

Littleannie Tue 16-Feb-21 09:51:03

I once took my mother to a variety show at the local theatre. Two third rate comedians were doing an Annie Oakley sketch where they were threatening to shoot each other. It was the day after the Dunblane shooting. My mum stood up and said "guns aren't funny". The audience clapped her. We walked out , and so did some of the audience.

mokryna Tue 16-Feb-21 09:43:43

The Big Blue 1988 I found it so égocentrique that I walked out.

Kim19 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:43:15

Twice. Once during a film called Shampoo with Julie Christie and ??? Laurence Harvey??? The other was a Japanese flight of fancy. The title currently eludes me. Unbelievably awful but undoubtedly enjoyed by some.

Gwyneth Tue 16-Feb-21 09:42:54

Romeo and Juliet. Very expensive tickets awful performance. It was a birthday treat so very disappointing. The director had tried to merge a ‘modern’ version with the traditional and it just simply didn’t work.

Marmight Tue 16-Feb-21 09:41:55

Also walked out of Cinderella panto in Guildford because DD1 aged 3 was petrified of Cinderella played by Bonnie Langford. She had a very loud shrieky voice. Strangely DD took up singing - of the classic variety ?

WW010 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:41:37

Yes but can’t remember the name!! Some clever people on here might know what it was. It was a classic play set in Nottinghamshire. I thought it could be DHLawrence but have looked and nothing rings a bell. It’s a famous one. The production was done completely in old Nottingham dialect. We couldn’t understand a word!! Went for a drink at the interval and didn’t come back.

PamelaJ1 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:40:07

Twice,
The first time was at Funny girls- a trans show in Blackpool.
We had been once before and it was excellent. My mum has wanted to go so off we went again.
Unfortunately the ‘girls’ were at some award ceremony in London so they put on the stand ins. We were given the opportunity to rebook but we are from down south so it would have been difficult. It was awful, the comedian was just filthy and was quite aggressive towards the small audience. So we went. It was a very obvious exit and the comedian was not impressed.
The second time was a pantomime, someone I know, who has a DGS the same age as mine asked if they could come with us.
The boys were enjoying it, so was I but in the interval she moaned and groaned so much that we left. She didn’t ‘get’ it.
Do you have to be British to get pantos? Anyway I thought she was very selfish and I’m not inviting her to anything else!

Marmight Tue 16-Feb-21 09:36:58

We walked out of an opera at the Edinburgh Festival about 40 years ago. It was so dreadful I can’t remember which one, only that Thomas Allen was in it. I was 6 months pregnant and decided a cup of tea at home with my feet up was preferable to a discordant ear bashing

Peasblossom Tue 16-Feb-21 09:32:39

I as at Book of Mormon when two whole rows in the stalls got up and walked out 15 minutes in.

Not what they were expecting, obviously.
?

Ellianne Tue 16-Feb-21 09:31:41

Aida at the Royal Opera House.
I would be deaf now if I hadn't walked out.

blossom14 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:28:15

A few days after an earthquake in Hong Kong I persuaded my DH to walk out of a cinema. Not because of the film but as I could feel the seats shaking. When we got outside we realised the cause was the pounding of a pile driver on the next door site.

BlueBelle Tue 16-Feb-21 09:23:22

Oh just thought of another I didn’t walk out but was bored out of my head with The Mousetrap

DillytheGardener Tue 16-Feb-21 09:19:54

I like Sara1954 did not care for Last Tango in Paris, and similarly walked out of Base Moi, which I mistakenly thought was a French detective caper and turned out to have an disgraceful opening scene with brutal violence against woman. I read the synopsis for films very carefully now.

Charleygirl5 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:14:58

Two friends and I received free seats for a tedious play at the west end. We had seats in the front row and I fell asleep.

Charleygirl5 Tue 16-Feb-21 09:12:48

fatgran I was the only person who thought Phantom and Les Mis were long and tedious. I enjoyed the singing but both were far too long for me.

TerriBull Tue 16-Feb-21 09:07:18

I didn't walk out though, not sure I've ever done that.

TerriBull Tue 16-Feb-21 09:06:09

The film about Abraham Lincoln and "There will be Blood" both starring Daniel Day Lewis who I think is a superb actor, one of the best, but I found both films well boring. I think I drifted off in Lincoln, which is a shame because there was so much about him that had the potential to make interesting subject matter for a film or play. I think I was expecting more than just a load of dialogue.

I agree with others about "The Serpent" it was a slow burner you had to stick with it but doing so was worth it.

jusnoneed Tue 16-Feb-21 08:55:59

Myself, my then hubby and my aunt and uncle went to see Papillon (Steve McQueen) back in the 70's. We watched about half an hour, all looked at each other and decided enough was enough. So we crept out as quietly as we could and went to the pub instead.

eazybee Tue 16-Feb-21 08:55:09

Yes: The Robe. I was eight, and my teacher told us all about this wonderful film that everyone ought to see. Always keen to please, I badgered my father into taking me despite his misgivings, because Miss said so, and I lasted as far as the Crucifixion, in about the first ten minutes of the film.
I have seen it since, and it is a good film, but not suitable for eight year olds.

Grandma70s Tue 16-Feb-21 08:51:26

I’ve occasionally booked for a ballet triple bill where I was really only interested in the first item, so have left at the interval. I think I’ve done that at concerts, too, but rarely. It’s always been planned, not leaving in a huff.

M0nica Tue 16-Feb-21 08:50:21

I have but cannot remember what or why. It was a long time ago and I rarely go to the cinema.