Swearing Complaints about the London Show

[ERinVA]

I know that swearing was a big concern when the show came to Broadway, and we had a great deal of discussion on the old forum and on here about how American audiences were much more likely to be concerned about it than UK ones. But I have noticed recently what seem to be more complaints from UK bloggers and commenters on the subject. Every now and then, some comments from Tripadvisor show up in my Google alerts, and these latest ones, all from English audience members, seem quite put off by the swearing. Have any of you who see the show in London on a fairly regular basis noticed a difference in the attitude of audience members around you, especially those with kids, toward the swearing, or do you think things are pretty much the same as they have always been?

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserRe ... gland.html

[Brad]

"It is difficult to say whether we thought this was a good musical or not because virtually every sentence included a swear word and I am talking about f--- and t---. We bought a family ticket and there was no warning about this. My children aged 9 and 10 we're surprised that we had taken them to see this and the younger one burst into tears on exiting the theatre. What a shame the producers feel that this level of swearing adds to the performance. It was embarrassing, tiring and downright annoying." And so was reading your review

Sorry to be an Aussie prude but what the hell is the "t---" supposed to be all about? I know about the "f---" one so no worries there

[Billy Whiz]

Brad. I've sent you a PM.

[Brad]

Thanks BW - got your PM - Really? Is that a word we can't say on here? Must mean something different to what I thought it meant

[James.R]

Nope...and the language really hasn't changed over the years either. How it's delivered changes very slightly from cast to cast. Half term week will always bring slightly younger families. The national morality agenda of the hour seems to resolve around honesty and responsibilty rather than profanity.

I do find it laughable when parents think their children have been offended by words they hear (and words they either understand and are fine with or don't and are only puzzled about) ...when it is probably the seething emotional fury of their Mother ranting as they leave the theatre that the child is reacting to.......and bursting into tears!

I've seen the biggest reaction from a young child hearing Dad shout "She's dead!" than i have to any profanity. Any shock of an 8 year old at small boy being called a t.... Is likely more than offset by the delight of witnessing the retort...without any apparent comeback!!

[ERinVA]

There is a warning about language on the ticketing page of the Billy Elliot website, despite the claim by one of the complainers that there was no warning.

http://billyelliotthemusical.com/london-tickets

[dancingboy]

There are also warnings at the Box Office windows.

[kport]

I have seen about an equal number of performances on the National Tour and at the VPT since joining this forum sixteen months ago. The use of profanity seems greater in London than on the Tour. I have seen a small number of disgruntled patrons in the US performances; some mumbled disapproval, some walked out, some did not return for the second half. However, at the VPT I have only seen two young ladies walk out unhappily over the course of many performances, though I am sure there must have been more.

The thing is this - having lived half my life on each side of the Pond, the profanity at the VPT seems entirely normal to me; exactly what I heard in the UK in similar settings daily over four decades. Hence, it seems strangely relevant and not the slightest out of place. But these same ears react differently when I attend a Tour performance and hear the words, which means that I attune my reactions to those around me, a slightly more 'puritanical' social mix, in the same way that I can instinctively drive on the right to park at Logan Airport and, after a six hour flight,collect my car at the car park at Heathrow and, without a second thought, drive on the left (I do become a basket case when I take the car to France - everything - steering wheel, driver's seat, the side of the road I am meant to use - is on the 'wrong' side!).

Sorry to ramble. My point is that in the UK such language is less offensive IF it has a point, than in the US. And is IS relevant. In the US, such language is generally offensive, especially when uttered from the mouths of, or in the presence of, children. On balance, I have to conclude that the US audiences do have stronger reactions than those in London, but London being so polyglot is bound to have a few in every crowd - and usually those are the people who write a bad review or comment on a blog.

[ERinVA]

However, I don't recall that much fuss about the profanity in London when the show first opened, but over the years it seems to me that complaints have become a bit more frequent, and they are coming not from American tourists to London who are surprised when they attend the show, but from British people. So what I am wondering is if there is a more conservative trend that is beginning to surface in the UK's theatregoing public in comparison to the more open attitude that existed back in 2005, or are the cases of people who are offended simply isolated examples?

[paul30003]

The language is all part of the gritty reality of the show.

I don't see any problems at all.

I have been in the box office when family's with younger children have been buying tickets. They where warned about the language before the transaction was final.

If people choose to ignore this warning and subsequently complain about the show, then I believe their complaints are unjust.