Stage Door Dramas

With the scooter thing I'm not sure what the exact situation is. It could be that they know each other and it's a surprise gift from a friend or relative, but it could equally be that the bit from 0:11 to 0:15 is a matter of patting down the crazy to check for weapons.

I mean, if I was in Wicked and had a fanbase, I'd totally do a Jacqueline Hughes and tweet a list of stuff I needed... my fans could accesorise my house!

I really side eye actors who accept expensive presents from fans. It's on the person with the power to set appropriate boundaries.

Someone like John Barrowman has the right idea, he says if fans want to give gifts to only give sweets (which are very cheap and can't be messed with).

Some stars mainly glamour model types will have a Amazon Wish list which almost encourages fans to buy them gifts.

We could say look at all the flowers and gifts strangers give to the Royal Family, if we think that a fan giving a performer a gift is strange.

I wonder if Rachel tweeted or made a comment she'd like a Microwave for her dressing room to heat food or drinks - it would make sense especially on matinee days at Wicked.

I went to Mitchell and Webb Live with some friends when I was at university, we went to the stage door afterwards (they're both pretty much exactly as you would expect them to be based on their public personas) and to my horror a coursemate had brought a cake he genuinely seemed to expect Mitchell and Webb would:

A: Find funny or endearing, or both

B: Keep

As it happened, Mitchell just paused for a second then signed it and made it clear, politely but firmly, that he wasn't going to take this cake. All very bizarre.

She might have done but, unlike other at Wicked, she didn't do it expecting someone to bring her one. She was pretty mortified and tried to pay the person for it.

Yes as I imagine the mickey is taken frequently backstage about the ridiculous gifts that are received.

I would think performers would be reluctant to eat homemade cakes/sweets etc as they have no idea what could be in it. A sealed box of chocolates or even a bar of say fruit and nut they would likely feel safer with.

The gifts stories reminds me of an old Jasper Carrott episode where he did a sketch about Black and Decker and was apparently offered some products by them and he said next time he was doing one about Ferrari.

Some gifts are nice as sometimes a performer may have an interest in something and if the gift was related to that or something they had never been able to find then I'm sure those are appreciated.

I'd have loved to have seen Rachel's face when she got the microwave, I think it was a lovely gesture if she had mentioned needing one, if it was random then that is even better. At worse the theatre could surely use it backstage for staff and/or performers.

When Ant and Dec were just starting out they loved fans bringing them Buttons (Dec) and Smarties (Ant). I used to see them all the time as they were always doing promo in the North East and I'd never go along without them 😂 They were very grateful.

Ant likes the special Smarties these days

I usually go to the stage door simply to shake an actor's hand and tell them I enjoyed the production, I think it's a nice thing to do and I assume actors like to hear that the work they've done has connected with people. If they choose to stay and chat, that's just a nice bonus.

Incidentally as an aside I'm going to see Pressure in a few weeks, is David Haig one for stage door chat etc? Always wanted to ask him about Talking Heads!

I have no personal experience of Mr H but our very own @theatremokey lists him as one happy to sign/chat in his list here:

www.theatremonkey.com/starsigns.htm

So you may well be in luck!