ATG Working to Change Show Marketing to Tackle Poor Audience Behaviour

Ambassador Theatre Group, the largest theatre operator in the UK, is working with producers to tone down marketing that might encourage bad behaviour, according to The Stage.

The action follows a growing number of incidents in which shows have had to be stopped due to poor audience behaviour and reported abuse of theatre staff.

As reported by BroadwayWorld, a recent performance of Jersey Boys had to be stopped when a fight erupted at the Edinburgh Playhouse, resulting in the police being called. Edinburgh Playhouse's Theatre Director Colin Marr released a statement on Twitter decrying poor audience behaviour. Marr later said that theatre staff were "scared" to come to work.

Edinburgh Playhouse tweeted a statement saying 'As an industry, we are collectively responsible for creating a safe space for all our staff and customers". They also stated: "Please be in no doubt that if you are abusive towards our staff you will be asked to leave, and if you are threatening, intimidating or physically abusive we will call the police and you will be banned from our theatre and all ATG Venues."

Marr told The Stage: "We are working on it as a group, and one of the main things we are trying to do is around messaging and working closely with producers. We are talking to them about marketing. So, when we market shows let's not have phrases such as: 'best party in town' or 'dancing in the aisles' - the show has something much stronger than that to sell,"

He added that some marketing sends the message it is acceptable to sing along, "But actually, if you are in the row behind you don't want that".

Marr said producers were being "very positive", adding that some make their own pre-show announcements to remind people about behaviour in the auditorium.