In that case I'm thinking there could be legal consequences if it rang, no?

My comiserations, ulrica.  I'm not really au fait with all this new equipment but I presume a blackberry is what I'm seeing when people `switch off´their phones before a performance but the handset remains illuminated.  At least five people in the row in front of me during the previews had such devices and one of them was forever consulting it during Götterdämmerung.  He ignored what I presume were the protests of his neighbour.  It's time the hall staff, who must be able to see this, were instructed to challenge and warn the offenders at a suitable break.  But that won't happen, of course. As with so many of these issues of simple courtesy they seem far more worried that they´ll discourage rude people and seem to assume that the polite majority will just continue to tolerate such inconveniences. 

As for "He and his 3 companions then appeared to doze through most of the show...." I´m afraid prestigious events always attract a lot of people who aren´t interested in the performance but in being at prestigious events.  The previews were probably the best bet for avoiding such prats; first nights, I fear, are the worst.  Having said that, I´m now off to the first night of Tannhäuser in Hagen.  Let´s see if the Germans are still beating us as far as manners are concerned. Perhaps not..on the train coming here I could have been in the UK for all the people with their feet on the seats!

"Blackberries" and their clones are basically a combined mobile phone and PDA (ie electonic diary-type gizmo) in one device.  Usually they have much bigger screens than conventional mobile phones, and a tiny thumb-operated qwerty keyboard instead of the usual dialpad. In their place (which isn't in the theatre, ehem!) they are handy gizmos, and I've posted on this very forum using mine, whilst aboard a night train from Kiev to Moscow

Tommo's another Blackberrier, I believe.

Is it possible that some of the glows people are seeing are people consulting plot synopses on their PDAs?

(You know me, always believing the best of human nature.)

It does seem to be a relatively new phenomenon.  In the past, I had always assumed that mobile phones ringing during a performance must be the result of forgetfulness and/or ignorance - but when a person will silence their device while remaining oblivious to the fact that a bright light in a darkened theatre can be just as disruptive as a ringtone, then it must just be that they think they're too damn important.

I passed a fruit stall on the way into the Harmonia Mundi offices the other week, and thus when I arrived was able to offer HM's new (French) managing director a small black delicacy.

"What's this called in English?" he asked, taking it in one hand.

"A blackberry," I replied. "What's that fancy machine you've got in your other hand?" (It was a genuine question. I'd never knowingly seen one before.)

"A blackberry," he said.

Cue general confused laughter.

I always prefer to leave my phone at home if I'm going somewhere for some artistic ends.  Where it can't be helped I turn it off.  Only my new phone, in addition to...actually: I'm just going to put this on the grumpy old rant thread, as I have several other things I'd also like to say about my phone.

When I'm going to a performance, I try and remember to put my phone on to "silent" earlier in the day so that if I forget to switch it off it won't be a disaster.

Unfortunately they often beep when you do turn them off, as one of our neighbours demonstrated last night just after the music started.