Madam, - Ursula Hough-Gormley's experience in the Gaiety (October 10th) brought back recent memories of what seems to me to be a most amazing theatre.
Two weeks ago I attended a rather serene dance performance in the Gaiety. The seats bought for my party had also been sold to other people, and this seemed to have occurred throughout the house. Texting and mobile phone photography by patrons went on intermittently. Intrusive bare bulbs remained lit towards the rear of the theatre during the performance. For at least half the evening it seemed that a loud and uproariously funny public meeting was being held in the foyer. And not even the supposed elegance of the building itself could compensate for the intrusive sounds of food and drink noisily being consumed.
I was enlightened by one of my younger companions that this farmyard behaviour is now the norm at a "gig". It's one way to learn a lesson in life, I suppose. - Yours, etc,
HUGO BRADY BROWN, Stratford on Slaney, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - Without wishing to be over-competitive, I believe that my recent experience in the Gaiety was even worse than that described by Ursula Hough-Gormley (October 10th).
I attended a performance of Hibiki by the Sankai Juko dance company from Japan. The work is described in the Dublin Theatre Festival programme as "a work of unparalleled tranquillity and simplicity".
The performance runs for 80 minutes without an interval. Patrons continued to be admitted throughout the first 15 minutes. One latecomer crashed down beside me in Row D and hissed "Is this Row C?" She knows who she is. During those 80 minutes doors could clearly be heard opening and closing behind the auditorium. Between each section of the piece, a gap of a few seconds, people who didn't appreciate the extraordinary work they were seeing left their seats.
I am disgusted by the behaviour of the Gaiety staff and by those who had neither the manners to arrive on time nor the self-discipline to sit quietly for 80 minutes, who showed such ignorant disrespect to wonderful dancers, and who spoiled for those around them an experience which we shall probably not be lucky enough to have again in Dublin. - Yours, etc,
MAEVE KENNEDY, Rathgar Avenue, Dublin 6.