A few weeks ago, I wrote about how audience behaviour in cinemas has been getting worse in recent years.

Now with the film adaptation of Broadway smash Wicked hitting screens, the topic of audience behaviour has come roaring back already. Rather intensely this time. Clearly, I went too early with my rant on my fellow audience members.

First the furore was over audience participation – fans of the musical were singing loudly along to the songs, creating a debate over whether such interaction with the screen was appropriate. Voices across the spectrum chimed in for and against, and cinemas screening Wicked had to grapple with the division it caused. To ban singing from a joyous crowd or not?

And now a new debate has emerged, this time over audience use of phones.

On Sunday, an X user posted “show ur ‘wicked part 1’ photosss”, attaching a picture of the film’s title card taken during a screening they attended. The negative reaction in response was inflamed yet seemed to signal a shift towards defeat – many felt that the battle to keep cinemas sacrosanct had been lost. Expectations for the audience were changing, and the longstanding norm of turning phones off had seemingly dissipated over time.

show ur “wicked part 1” photosss........

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