Stage door at musicals.

I 'do' stage door, at Blood Brothers just to show my appreciation and say hi quickly, at other shows to get my programme signed and to thank for a great show.

I like to think I am perceptive of when someone wants to leave quickly, and stand back.

It's also fun to catch up with other fans.

When you're at the Liverpool Empire, the theatre is next door to Lime Street Station - stage door is across the street from the station's side entrance.

I've seen people run after performers who are legging it to catch a train to stop them for an autograph, selfie and chat, and that's just not done.

Or stop them from getting into a waiting car.

Not exactly a musical related but my favourite stage door story was one I heard about two autograph collectors from the Nottingham area who weren't the sharpest tools in the box and used to be a bit annoying. One of the pantos in the area one year was Snow White they saw a person of "limited height" leaving via the stage door and assumed he must be one of the dwarf cast. But he told them he wasn't and was just visting a friend but they then said he just didn't want to sign and were still trying to get him to sign as he walked away. In the end he turned around and told them to "**** off"

The story of this duo being told to f off by some dwarf still amuses me.

I saw on Allie Daniel's stories about cast members, she cited mainly POC's being called by the wrong name too.

Or just let individual performers decide if it is something they want to do, almost as if they are sentient, adult humans!? Formalising it to the point of a ‘meet & greet’ gives me the creeps, like they are an exhibit in a zoo or something.

They do need to do something about stage door, particularly for younger audience fanperson attracting shows as this issue comes up time and time again.

(Personally I’ve literally never seen the appeal but appreciate a lot of young fans seem to love it. The boundaries inevitably get blurred though for the problematic minority….)

Sorry to hear that MLB had to endure this at her show's Stage Door. If she had put her headphones on this was a clear sign that she was leaving and was listening to music/taking a call. She had engaged with the people waiting as if she hadn't wanted to she could have walked out with her headphones on and ignored everyone.

This is a show without a "star" name in it but clearly has a following. Star names get far more attention but they will have security or can be whisked out of another entrance to a waiting car. Most performers don't have this luxury sadly.

I'd hate theatres to go down M and G route like a lot of concerts now do and few have the facilities to hold them by the SD and it would be logistically hard to do. Some stars did do signings in the foyer after their show. The Old Vic reception window worked well back in the day I thought.

Unless things have mysteriously changed in the last few years, actors may have to sign out at the stage door but they can use any exit they want. MLB could use other exits where folks are less likely to harrass her. 

Just seen this post reading back in the forum. I missed it last night. An excellent point about shows developing a "cult" following or making a big star out of someone. When you have a "star name" in a show which may sell well fans may only see it once, get a ticket once, be able to afford to see it once. But with a show which builds a following lets say "Six" fans return to see it many times and perhaps do feel they build a "friendship" with cast members.

This can be a two way thing a lot of CHF's fans she built up from her social media posts and they have helped her sell tickets for a number of shows she has been in. But even someone as engaging as CHF has had fans cross the line with her and now she has a young baby she may not be able to be as accessible after shows as she was before. When fandom is around a show like Six or even the Rocky Horror Show which are both dedicated and hard core it tends to stay with the show rather than follow previous cast members around.

But these two shows have a very different fanbase - Six is more a younger female fanbase whilst RHS has the colourful and character dressed slightly older fans. A lot of the RHS cast are long term performers in the show and likely get to know the fans fairly well, that fanbase also has always seemed to be respectful but for a younger performer cast in that show it could be abit of a culture shock to be greeted by loading of fans dressed as a show character at the SD.


Six with a younger cast and fans could well have seen fans thinking they have a strong link to certain performers but their SD's look to be pretty well organized with a security man stood there I heard at a number of tour venues. Plus with younger fans they often have parents/guardians with them or have to be collected so cannot wait around for ages.

Stars like David Essex who has done numerous musicals over the years always had time for his fans and had his sharpie ready to sign but controlled the time he gave each fan and would keep things moving so everyone got a chance but he wasn't stuck at SD for ages.

But I fully see the point of fans latching onto a performer in a breakout role who is accessible to them and not Harry Styles/Taylor Swift on a stage in a stadium.

Performers who want to leave fairly quickly can likely get through the auditorium and possibly out one of the side doors. But those who take a bit of time would likely find the auditorium doors locked bar fire doors and certainly the FOH doors. I've Stage Doored a fair bit and I've often seen the FOH guys handing the keys back in at the SD where I assume the keys are kept. 

Some theatres do have 24 hour security who will sit on the SD but I'd imagine a lot are opened and closed via the SD. I don't know if this differs when the cleaners would go in of a morning to do the auditorium.

I guess it depends on the performer / star / person whether they enjoy the stage door experience. Personally, I find it all a bit odd - job done, time to go home, off for a bite to eat etc. But then I've always tended to compartmentalise things. Many thrive on the adulation, whether on stage or in the audience. In the end, it comes down to respect and boundaries. As for monetising it? Hmmm... "I bought you so let me now have my pound of flesh..." Ewww.