As someone who is fortunate enough to get to the theatre I have to say I’m not surprised that a performance in Manchester had to be halted due to rowdy audience members last weekend.

I’m sure I’m not alone in having noticed a worrying trend, post Covid, of audiences treating venues as though they were their own living rooms.

Since when has been acceptable to chat during a performance? How can it ever be acceptable to spend half your time on your phone during a show the annoying light proving a distraction to everyone around? And don’t get me started on those who can’t seem to survive without tucking into mounds of snacks.

Musicals seem to be particularly falling victim to the groups of half cut harpies who sneak alcohol in in their handbags and seem to think that we have paid to hear their caterwauling.

Sorry to disappoint you but no-one has. It’s rude, discourteous and just wrong to try and inflict this kind of moronic behaviour on to audiences who have paid serious amounts of money to see and hear the professionals do what they do best. To then get abusive to theatre staff who try to quieten them down is deplorable.

What next? Shouting out a Shakespeare soliloquy? Perhaps not, don’t think these morons would know any of the Bard’s work!

DAVID RUSH