Wicked and Sweeney Casts arrival times?

[Bob30]

I will be in London on the 18th of August, and im contemplating waiting at the stage door BEFORE the matinees of either of these shows to meet the fabulous casts again and catch some i missed last time (Especially Michael/Imelda) or Nikki Davis Jones

Does anyone have experience of waiting for them to arrive and what time i should get to the stage door?

I normally wouldnt be this annoying to performers but i have seen both shows recently and would love to catch those i missed :)

[bob8rich]

The call for cast members in most shows is normally around an hour and a half before the show.

[MusicalBoy]

I always find that stage-dooring shows an appreciation for the performance which the actor just gave, but appearing beforehand is just a little bit creepy.

[Nickhutson]

yes - I hate to say this - but please don't do it. Whilst you may think it's a sign of appreciation, it's not nice at all. If you must do it - do it after the show.

[Phantom of London]

Agreed, very bad mannered to stage door before a performance, I hear Michael Ball is great at the stage door AFTER the show.

[Bob30]

Hmm, i am seeing Les Mis and want to stage door that and leaving at 8:30pm, otherwise i would completely avoid going before as i do think its a little strange. Maybe i wont go after all haha

[rjm516]

Please please don't go beforehand. It's very disrespectful to bother the actors before a performance. Also the fundamental point of stage dooring (at least in theory) is to talk to the actors about the show you just saw, not just see famous people for the hell of it.

[Nickhutson]

Indeed.

Remember they have work TO do (sign in, meet with company manager, receive notes, warm up, costume, make up).

You wouldn't like to turn up at work and have someone talk to you for 20 minutes making you late. That's how you should look at it.

[ClapYo'Hands]

This is not something that I normally do, but I don't stage door too much anyway. My opinion would be - decide for yourself what you want to do. Some people on here may not do this themselves but ordering you not to do it is just as rude.

If you want to do it go for it, if the specific actors don't have time to spare they'll just let you know. If they do, then they'll have a chat with you.

[philitalia]

I usually don't do stagedoor, but common sense tells me it is HOW you behave at the stagedoor that determines whether a person is rude/creepy or not and not whether you go before or after a show.

[ClapYo'Hands]

I'd be inclined to agree!

[philitalia]

I find it extremely rude when people at the stagedoor get completely excited and then when a less "important" actor/actress comes out (or even worse, a musician) you hear something like a sigh of disappointment and "oh, it's only him/her"

[winston89]

Doing it before a show is wrong and creepy. I can't tell you the countless stories I have heard of performers who were rude while someone was stage dooring prior to the show, but very nice to those waiting after the show was over.

I think that doing so is not the best idea because there are a lof of pre show things that the actors have to get done prior to the show starting. There are a lot of them who do go out of their way to get to work early to make sure that all of this is done before the show starts. I think that they would get frustrated if you spoke to them before the show because your getting in the way of their jobs and them potntially being late for it.