Rita Burdus Interview: Dealing with Audiences
Title
Rita Burdus Interview: Dealing with Audiences
Date
7 November 2017
Description
Oral history interview with Rita Burdus, sharing her front of house memories as a long-standing usher and head steward at the Theatre Royal
What's the story?
Rita Burdus retired from the Theatre Royal in August 2017. She was first employed at the venue in 1983, originally based in the Royal Concert Hall, but for twenty-two years up to her retirement she worked in the Theatre Royal on front-of-house duties, finally as head steward.
In this interview Rita shares her view on modern audiences and the "nightmare" that is the mobile phone:
I think people complain more now than they used to. I think they’ll pick up on any little thing that doesn’t suit. They used to complain about the toilets a lot and the fact that we didn’t have a lift in the theatre. Obviously, when we got the lift it was brilliant. We didn’t have to keep saying “No, we haven’t got a lift”.
But I think now as well because they allow drinks in the auditorium, that makes things more difficult. And mobile phones were a nightmare because occasionally you’d just have perhaps one camera going off. Obviously you’ve got to stop people taking photographs. You could spot the odd camera and go and tell them to turn the camera off. But as soon as mobiles … oh, it was a nightmare. You’re running round from one side to the other trying to stop people taking photographs. I don’t think people realise that it’s distracting for the rest of the audience and for the cast. Sometimes we get messages from backstage to say somebody’s on the front row taking a photograph.
In this interview Rita shares her view on modern audiences and the "nightmare" that is the mobile phone:
I think people complain more now than they used to. I think they’ll pick up on any little thing that doesn’t suit. They used to complain about the toilets a lot and the fact that we didn’t have a lift in the theatre. Obviously, when we got the lift it was brilliant. We didn’t have to keep saying “No, we haven’t got a lift”.
But I think now as well because they allow drinks in the auditorium, that makes things more difficult. And mobile phones were a nightmare because occasionally you’d just have perhaps one camera going off. Obviously you’ve got to stop people taking photographs. You could spot the odd camera and go and tell them to turn the camera off. But as soon as mobiles … oh, it was a nightmare. You’re running round from one side to the other trying to stop people taking photographs. I don’t think people realise that it’s distracting for the rest of the audience and for the cast. Sometimes we get messages from backstage to say somebody’s on the front row taking a photograph.
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Contributor
Interviewers: Diane Jones & Jennifer Sherwood
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
