Suzanne Moore (Public eating is fraught, 2 March) writes on Imelda Staunton’s plea for those coming to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at London’s Harold Pinter theatre to desist from eating during the performance. As one who applauded Staunton’s stance and performance as the volatile Martha on 1 March, I take exception to the apparent belief that this is a “violation of our human right” to eat “whenever we want”. Do people not consider those around them when chomping on a burger, pizza or halloumi wrap; that the rustling, smell and chewing are a real turn-off for many and highly distracting? All hail Imelda, I say.
What did irritate many, however, was the constant mobile bleeping, particularly during extremely tense and quiet parts of the play. Has consideration for others and what’s on stage exited stage left forever? Eat before or after the show. Not too much to ask, is it?
Carol Godsmark
Chichester, West Sussex
• Eating and drinking during theatrical performances is quite common in other cultures. I have watched Chinese opera in small village areas, where everyone happily walks around, chats to friends, smokes, eats and drinks, while children run around freely. Hardly any attention seems to be given to the performance, but this does not seem to matter either to the audience or to the singers.
Wendy McMullan
Cheltenham, Gloucester
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