Letter: Disrespect for art

Here's a question for festival goers: when does a performance end? Is it when the last chord sounds, or is it when the applause dies away? For me it is definitely the latter.

But, judging by the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on Monday night, for a dismayingly large number of people it is the former.

Perhaps those who didn't bother to stay to acclaim the performance of Porgy and Bess by Opera de Lyon hadn't enjoyed the evening.

My bet, however, is that they wanted to beat the crush or get to the taxi queue first. Whatever, by causing a distraction they interfered with my enjoyment of the evening.

More importantly, I consider them to have been disrespectful to the performers who had provided such excellent entertainment. If you were one of these people, and are reading this letter, hang your head in shame.

DAVID RICHES

Bankwell Road

Anstruther, Fife