Superfans

[Deleted]

Does being threatened with a restraining order by Marc Elliott class as being a 'superfan' or 'stalker' I wonder?

[horton]

In my experience, "real fans" and "superfans" create shudders amongst cast and crew. I've only ever heard "oh god, he's in again" and never, "oh how lovely, he's in again".

I have personal experience of this!

[Jon]

Jun 10, 2016 11:25:20 GMT @ryan said:

Does being threatened with a restraining order by Marc Elliott class as being a 'superfan' or 'stalker' I wonder?

Personal experience? I would rear towards stalker...

[shady23]

I remember when someone bought Kerry Ellis two tickets to see Barbara Streisand in concert. They won't have been cheap!

Although for someone in that position, wouldn't there always be the worry you would turn up and the superfans would be in the next seat and they'd be expecting you to make polite conversation with them for the next few hours.

[d'James]

Jun 10, 2016 16:45:41 GMT shady23 said:

I remember when someone bought Kerry Ellis two tickets to see Barbara Streisand in concert. They won't have been cheap!

Although for someone in that position, wouldn't there always be the worry you would turn up and the superfans would be in the next seat and they'd be expecting you to make polite conversation with them for the next few hours.

That's why I rarely buy tickets off eBay or want to buy spare tickets from here. I'm sure everyone's lovely in real life from here but if I'd had a bad day, they might think I was rude/boring.

[Jon]

Jun 10, 2016 16:45:41 GMT shady23 said:

I remember when someone bought Kerry Ellis two tickets to see Barbara Streisand in concert. They won't have been cheap!

Although for someone in that position, wouldn't there always be the worry you would turn up and the superfans would be in the next seat and they'd be expecting you to make polite conversation with them for the next few hours.

I bet she flogged them on eBay or gave them to a friend. 

[d'James]

Actually I think I remember someone offering Cynthia Erivo a ticket to join them at the O2 to something.

[BurlyBeaR]

Jun 10, 2016 16:45:41 GMT shady23 said:

I remember when someone bought Kerry Ellis two tickets to see Barbara Streisand in concert. They won't have been cheap!

Although for someone in that position, wouldn't there always be the worry you would turn up and the superfans would be in the next seat and they'd be expecting you to make polite conversation with them for the next few hours.

Absolutely astonishing. I call that super-duperfan. 

I wonder how the objects of the super-duper's affections would feel if the attention suddenly ceased though? So there's Kerry shouting back to Madame Morrible "just going to the stagedoor love, see what's turned up tonight! Bit of luck it's another crate of Moët eh? You get the nibbles hahaha" 

Then she gets there and the street is empty. 

*tumbleweed*

[Jon]

I remember in an interview with Graham Norton, Daniel Radcliffe mentioned that Rupert Grint ended up at someone's house because he didn't say no. Here's the whole bit with James McAvoy as well about how unintentionally rude some of their fans can be:

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2016 16:02:38 GMT Jon said:

Jun 10, 2016 11:25:20 GMT @ryan said:

Does being threatened with a restraining order by Marc Elliott class as being a 'superfan' or 'stalker' I wonder?

Personal experience? I would rear towards stalker...

Oh.

Perhaps I should return the underpants I swiped from his dressing room then?

My bad.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2016 16:45:41 GMT shady23 said:

I remember when someone bought Kerry Ellis two tickets to see Barbara Streisand in concert. They won't have been cheap!

"I'm coming to see the show next Thursday. Here, have some tickets to go and see something else so you won't be here when I am."

[shady23]

I went past the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stage door last night in Newcastle and there were about fifty or so teenage girls there from the Carrie Hope Fletcher fan club. All, that I could see, waiting their turn, being polite and respectful, with maybe a little squeel of delight with their friends after they had met her. It was all quite sweet!

[BurlyBeaR]

Jun 11, 2016 9:09:56 GMT shady23 said:

I went past the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stage door last night in Newcastle and there were about fifty or so teenage girls there from the Carrie Hope Fletcher fan club. All, that I could see, waiting their turn, being polite and respectful, with maybe a little squeel of delight with their friends after they had met her. It was all quite sweet!

[viserys]

Jun 10, 2016 17:18:28 GMT Jon said:

I remember in an interview with Graham Norton, Daniel Radcliffe mentioned that Rupert Grint ended up at someone's house because he didn't say no. Here's the whole bit with James McAvoy as well about how unintentionally rude some of their fans can be:

I remember that part from a rather fun documentary Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from the Potter movies) did:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05nxgls

Not sure if it can be seen right now, but it was a rather sweet positive documentary well worth seeing.

I don't really have a personal opinion. I sort of started out as a "superfan" in the late 80s since Starlight Express (in Bochum) was the only show around and I'd end up seeing it 3-4 times a year, then did a few trips to Cats (in Hamburg) where I'd stay for a weekend and see the show twice in a row.

I don't regret those years and I kinda understand what drives fans, but I'm glad that I've moved on, first to seeing far more different shows instead of the same things all over and over and finally branching out into plays, opera and ballet and doing more trips just for sightseeing and such without a show involved. Personally I feel I get more out of seeing different cities and countries and once in a while the stars align and I catch a show while travelling. While in Venice I spontaneously decided to see an opera at La Fenice for example and last month I saw two musicals in Moscow and although I didn't understand a word of Russian it was a great experience.

But... each to their own, I say and I'm still mad enough to travel to London three times a year for new musicals and plays

[Steffi]

Jun 10, 2016 5:09:28 GMT @caiaphas said:

Some of these posts are an eye-opener for me... Jewellery, shoes, tweeting hints and thankyous...! Beggars belief! The whole fan thing is a lot creepier than I ever realized.

(Would be interested in reading your piece on Punchdrunk fans, emicardiff. I only discovered them recently with The Drowned Man. Telling some friends afterwards that I had been "privated" twice in the one and only performance I attended, I was met with gasps of disbelief, and told not to mention it to real fans as they would be terribly envious as some would almost kill for a private session! (Don't some actually pay for an after hours session?))

With Punchdrunk you don't pay for after hour sessions but you can choose to support the company's work by becoming a keyholder. They have different levels that guarantees you different kind of rewards, some being special events. It's a great scheme. I've been a keyholder for a while as I love Punchdrunk's work and enjoy supporting them.

As for being "privated" - I'm guessing that's referring to 1:1 performances which are a regular thing in Punchdrunk shows. And yes, there are fans who will literally hunt for these interactions in the show. Totally defeats their purpose I think as they are tied in with the story of the character. Personally I enjoy them the most when I am properly following the character.

Punchdrunk shows make for a different kind of questionable superfans because of the way the show is set up. There are fans who start obsessing over performers after having had one (or more) 1:1 performances. Because 1:1s can be quite physical and up close there's fans who forget the performer is acting.

[Deleted]

Mmmm, well I nearly forgot (they were actors...!) I found it quite an experience... "pleasurable" in a way I'd not experienced before. Ever! I suppose I'm not supposed to reveal what was said or done, so I won't, but they were both certainly experiences I won't forget! 

[Steffi]

Jun 11, 2016 12:43:15 GMT @caiaphas said:

Mmmm, well I nearly forgot (they were actors...!) I found it quite an experience... "pleasurable" in a way I'd not experienced before. Ever! I suppose I'm not supposed to reveal what was said or done, so I won't, but they were both certainly experiences I won't forget! 

Oh I totally agree. 1:1s are still precious experiences for me even though I've had a lot over the past 2.5 years. And these guys and girs are masters of letting you forget you are watching a performance. It all seems very real for the 3 hours you are in the space. :-)

[Snciole]

If I'd known about Mateo Oxley I would have been following Punchdrunk shamelessly too...

I am intrigued by these creepy fans hanging around shows with child actors. I am amazed any producer takes the risk.

[Jon]

Jun 11, 2016 15:10:31 GMT Snciole said:

If I'd known about Mateo Oxley I would have been following Punchdrunk shamelessly too...

I am intrigued by these creepy fans hanging around shows with child actors. I am amazed any producer takes the risk.

I'm surprised no producer uses restraining order on creepy fans or at least threaten them with the police

[ptwest]

Jun 11, 2016 9:09:56 GMT shady23 said:

I went past the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stage door last night in Newcastle and there were about fifty or so teenage girls there from the Carrie Hope Fletcher fan club. All, that I could see, waiting their turn, being polite and respectful, with maybe a little squeel of delight with their friends after they had met her. It was all quite sweet!

This is lovely. Very different to the highly entertaining couple of hours spent with friends and alcohol overlooking the stage door between performances when Nick Jonas was in Les Mis..: very entertaining watching how the passive aggressiveness built up as time for him to come out got closer. Then of course he didn't come out at all!

[musicalfloozie]

I have only ever stage doored once and that was at Mack and Mabel to see Michael Ball *don't judge me haha!
Anyway 2 women joined me and started to talk very loudly to each other about all the times they'd met him and what he smelt like and went on and on, I think it might have been more of an attempt at bragging but I couldn't help coming away thinking I hope I don't get so obsessive about someone I barely know. I think admiring and liking a performer is fantastic anf they obviously would appreciate people's admiration and thanks but when it starts knowing there scent and buying them expensive gifts you may need to take a step back!

[shady23]

Jun 11, 2016 19:24:07 GMT ptwest said:

Jun 11, 2016 9:09:56 GMT shady23 said:

I went past the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stage door last night in Newcastle and there were about fifty or so teenage girls there from the Carrie Hope Fletcher fan club. All, that I could see, waiting their turn, being polite and respectful, with maybe a little squeel of delight with their friends after they had met her. It was all quite sweet!

This is lovely. Very different to the highly entertaining couple of hours spent with friends and alcohol overlooking the stage door between performances when Nick Jonas was in Les Mis..: very entertaining watching how the passive aggressiveness built up as time for him to come out got closer. Then of course he didn't come out at all!

When she doesn't stage door she gets lots of tweets how she has spoilt their day etc etc etc.

It's such a huge sense of entitlement. To be disappointed is one thing and understandable. To tweet performers and try and make them feel guilty is another.

[shady23]

Speaking of twitter and stage door reminded me of something at guys and dolls tour recently. Louise Dearman had Tweeted saying she was very sorry but she wasn't coming out between shows as she had interviews to do, her lunch to eat etc. What followed was one fan bombarded her with tweets saying how she had travelled an hour to see her, she was so upset and crying and really wanted to see her. To the extent that Louise felt she needed to go out and see her for five minutes as she sounded like she was having some kind of breakdown. She was not in watching the show and had met her two days earlier!

That is overstepping the mark of what is acceptable in my opinion.

[infofreako]

Jun 11, 2016 9:04:17 GMT @theatremonkey said:

Jun 10, 2016 16:45:41 GMT shady23 said:

I remember when someone bought Kerry Ellis two tickets to see Barbara Streisand in concert

Oh, that's occasionally happened to me - people saying "I've got you tickets for..." It's usually well meaning, but odd. The creepy thing is "please meet me for coffee so we can discuss the show / plan my trip."

I have close friends I hardly have time to get coffee with, and when we do, we talk about anything but theatre, obviously. LOL.

Hey theatremonkey. Ive got you tickets for something, ill tell you what it is when we do coffee first LOL

[Raven]

Jun 11, 2016 20:09:49 GMT shady23 said:

Speaking of twitter and stage door reminded me of something at guys and dolls tour recently. Louise Dearman had Tweeted saying she was very sorry but she wasn't coming out between shows as she had interviews to do, her lunch to eat etc. What followed was one fan bombarded her with tweets saying how she had travelled an hour to see her, she was so upset and crying and really wanted to see her. To the extent that Louise felt she needed to go out and see her for five minutes as she sounded like she was having some kind of breakdown. She was not in watching the show and had met her two days earlier!

That is overstepping the mark of what is acceptable in my opinion.

That's awful and definitely overstepping the mark. There seems to have been a surge in this kind of attitude towards actors/actresses in the West End, the vast majority coming from the younger fans. A lot of teenagers and young adults feel they are entitled to a meet and greet with their favourite performer and the need to broadcast all about it on social media in order to get the attention desired and the result they are looking for when things don't go as planned for them. These individuals need to understand that it is not compulsory for a West End actor to come out of the stage door with the intention of meeting fans. It is safe to say the majority of actors will happily take a moment of their time to listen to those who choose to meet them at stage door to let me know they enjoyed the show and their performance and get a photo but it's not right to hound them and make them feel guilty when there are occasions when they can't do a meet and greet. Stage-dooring used to be a calm and enjoyable experience but nowadays it's not nearly as pleasant.

A true fan should be happy and grateful to have just seen the actor in the show and not see a meet and greet at stage door to be essential in order to enjoy themselves. It's a privilege not a necessity.