This is why, even with classical theatre, I'm trying to stay completely spoiler free. Not too long ago I attended the theatre and ten minutes before the play was due to start, the audience member behind me began reading a full synopsis of the play she'd pulled from the web. I sat with my fingers in my ears.
In the end I left the performance at the interval. It was an awful production and I decided that I'd save the ending for a version I was enjoying.
There was a similar reaction (plenty of gasps and muffled sobs) when I saw the John Simm version in Sheffield a couple of years ago. It was actually rather lovely to have the freshness of response in our midst to remind our sometimes jaded palettes of what theatre can be. I too tend to avoid reviews/synopses of even very classic plays. (I also generally avoid reading film reviews in advance as well). I like to get as fresh a reaction as is possible.
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