Repeat Attenders

Can I go to the Queen's Theatre please?

Hi.

I'm off to see Les Mis again.

It's 977 visits today.

Yeah, I know, yeah.

Had to miss two visits to the show

a couple of weeks ago as I've not been well,

so a bit behind schedule but hopefully we'll be able

to catch it up and get in before too long

to the thousandth visit.

Okie dokie. - Sorry,

how many times did you say?

977 today (laughs).

- It's quite an obsession to have.

There she is up there.

She's there.

- All of us who loved theatre feel very safe

in a red velvet seat with the curtain about to go up.

There's a special kind of, oh, goody that goes through you.

500 in the third row here.

- How many shows have I seen multiple times?

I can't count that number.

I'm gonna say it's at least three.

"Hair" was the most, I saw it 95 times.

I saw "Miss Saigon" 13 times.

I saw "Rent" five time.

I saw "9 to 5: The Musical" 10 times,

and I saw "Leap of Faith" 10 times

and both of those were shows

that I just fell in love with in such a way that I was like

I need to go see it again and again and again.

"Book of Mormon" I've seen seven times.

"Phantom" I saw 11 times.

"Les Mis" my favourite show.

I've seen it four or five times.

"Phantom of the Opera,"

"Pippin," "In The Heights," "Memphis," "Sutton Foster,"

"Hunter Foster," "Nathan Lane," "La Cage."

"Wicked" I've seen like 30 times.

- "Priscilla Queen the Desert" I saw 20 times.

"Priscilla."

This is Priscilla.

I love "Priscilla" because of the message

of belonging of making a family out of the people

that you're around.

I saw it 180 something times.

- I have heard rumours about people

that have seen the same show,

like every single performance.

You hear it, and it sounds crazy,

but I think there's always a story,

something is going on with someone about why

they have to see that show so many times.

I will try in my very best English,

but I know I'm not very good.

My name is Gudrun Mangel, I'm 40 years old

and I'm housewife.

Until now, I have seen "Starlight Express" 41 times.

That's not much.

Over the last 20 years that's not much I think.

It was my dream to get to the theatre back again

on roller skate as the real Pearl.

And this was the big dream that failed.

But I found out other things on my way.

In my lonely times at home,

much time to think about me, about my life

and about "Starlight Express" and what "Starlight Express"

is of the whole meaning of life.

What is my role in the "Starlight Express"

when I never can get on that stage as an actor?

Now what should I do?

Should I die?

Should I kill myself?

Because I'm not not the one who is on the stage?

First I watch the play more and more and once again,

but then I thought what have I done?

Only watching the play and being nothing.

10,

nine.

Go!

- When I first saw "Starlight Express" I was 17 years old.

When it was over, I didn't want to go home.

You return in your old world.

You need something to love.

You don't have to build your castles too high

in your fantasy.

And you have to build new dreams

or dream of little bit smaller things.

I started to learn again rollerskating,

build a costume.

I built all this.

My family thought I am completely stupid

and completely silly to spend money

for all these costumes and wigs.

It was very awful.

I must hide tears really.

My parents said, forget "Starlight Express".

All these costumes won't take you there at anytime.

My first open day it was 1990,

over 20 years (laughs).

I phoned the "Starlight Express" press office

and asked if it is possible that I come dressed up

in a costume, and the lady at the phone said,

"Sure, you are not the only one."

Nothing stopped me then.

Every year I come here I wear a different costume.

It's Pearl today.

I thought I could be a part of "Starlight Express"

if I dress like Pearl and show every year

here on the open day that I'm a double

and I love "Starlight Express".

Most of the people know that I'm not the real Pearl.

There begins the history of the open day

at "Starlight Express".

I've been a fan of "Cats" for 30 years

since it first opened on Broadway in 1982.

My name is Christine Bogle

and I have the world's largest

collection of "Cats" memorabilia.

I didn't know what "Cats" was but I heard the song "Memory".

I just fell in love with the song

and I got cold chills when I first heard it.

My dad took me to see "Cats" when I was 16 years old

on my 16th birthday.

I walked into the theatre and I was completely surrounded

by all of the junk.

The audience get to sit in this giant junk yard

all around you.

It's like a completely different world,

where I was just like completely like glassy-eyed

and I was like (gasps), "This is so awesome!"

These are my costumes.

This is the character of Skimbleshanks.

I just have collected a lot of stuff.

We have a lot, me and my husband both

are kind of pack rats.

I wouldn't exactly call us hoarders

because, I mean, hoarders just collect everything

from, you know, soda cans and food and they just buy stuff

and just bring it into the house.

I mean, we have it kind of all semi-organized.

It's expensive to be a fan, it really is.

I probably spent over $15,000

and, oh, probably even more 20,000

just going to see the shows

and collecting for the shows.

I've spent quite a, quite a large chunk of cash.

It's Mistoffelees jacket alone

probably costs about $20,000 to make.

20 to $25,000 to make it with all the electrical wiring

and everything in it, so it's the most

expensive piece that I own.

I'll put him on for you.

Like, ooh, there he is.

There he is ooh (laughs).

They're very uncomfortable, little tongue, little.

They're definitely a little, little hard to see

out of and stuff but they're cute.

They're so adorable and so cute.

The Pekes and they bark.

Bark, bark, bark.

So cute, they're so really cute.

This is my craft room, work room.

I feel kind of obsessed.

We're overflowing with stuff.

I know I have a lot of stuff, I have way, way too much.

I used to I used to bring this and I used to bring

my autograph book to the show with this.

This is the streamers that get thrown.

I just have tonnes, I have an entire streamer ball

that came flying out and I got grabbed the whole,

the whole entire thing and there's a giant roll

of it and I got that.

These are the lights for the Winter Garden Theatre.

Like puzzles from Japan, Victoria on a journal,

fans from Japan.

I'm like hot (laughs).

The actual packaging has the logo on it.

Wallets, playing cards (chuckles).