Australian independent filmmaker, Mark Dooley, is releasing Repeat Attenders – a feature-length documentary film that takes us inside the fascinating and unexplored world of musical theatre superfans.
Filmed on Broadway, London’s West End, Bochum Germany and Australia’s Melbourne and Brisbane over a six-year period, Repeat Attenders introduces us to some of the world’s biggest, most extreme superfans of shows such as Cats, Rent, Les Misérables and Starlight Express.
Find out how to watch Repeat Attenders here
You’re releasing your new documentary Repeat Attenders, what can you tell us about it?
Repeat Attenders is about the people that can’t get enough of their favourite musical, so they attend multiple times. For some people, they see the same show hundreds and hundreds of times. But the film also explores why we all do things repeatedly, and for what reason?
What inspired you to create this documentary?
I grew up as a theatre geek, but grew out of wanting to get autographs at the stage door after a show, and was always curious as to why there were adults who did it, without feeling embarrassed or ashamed.
I was having a coffee with a friend who worked on a West End show, and I caught myself asking her about the superfans, and recognised that I always do this. I always want to know about the superfans connected to a show. From that moment, I decided to make a film about it. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew I was going to.
Cats and Starlight Express feature quite heavily, what do those shows mean to you?
The film focusses on the long running shows because they have the fans that have the bigger numbers – because they have run for so long, there are more opportunities to repeat attend. In a strange coincidence (or is it?), my first two shows I saw in my hometown of Melbourne Australia were Cats and Starlight Express. Cats gave me the theatre bug. That was the show that a lot of people saw first. It was the first of the mega musicals with spectacular sets and costumes. What 13 year old kid wouldn’t get swept away in that fantasy land?! I’ve seen Cats maybe 3 times in 30 years. That was my gateway show. It served its purpose.
Would you consider yourself a repeat attender?
Well anyone who sees the same show more than once is a repeat attender, so yes. But I wouldn’t say I am a superfan because I tend to see lots of shows rather than the same show multiple times. I have ADD so a show needs to really fight for my attention.
It was filmed over six years, what are some of the challenges in taking on such a long term project?
It is very taxing taking on most of the responsibilities for a project like this. I had to learn to let things go quickly, how to prioritise, and how to split the producer and director roles without compromising on the results. I’d never take on both roles again. It is draining taking on all the battles, you need a partner to back you up and fight your corner when you need it. The film took so long because of the lack of financing. I had no investors or government funding, but I kick started the project with a crowdfunding campaign which paid for the first New York shoots. After that, it has been loans and credit cards and personal savings. It is an expensive endeavour making a feature film on your own, so time allowed me to save money, then head off on the next adventure to shoot some more.
What surprised you the most about some of the superfans that you met?
I was surprised how different all the superfans are. Some see the same show hundreds of times, some travel all over the world to see the same show, but different productions, some follow their show because of a particular cast member. That was fascinating to me.
Making this documentary, you could never have known the situation we now find ourselves in, do you think that will change the way people think about the documentary?
100%. I watched it the other night, and it is a very different experience now. Seeing so many people sitting in an audience in close proximity is a strange sight to see now. It made me miss theatre, and reflect on how much I need to appreciate this experience when it comes back.
What would you say to any theatre fans thinking of watching Repeat Attenders?
This film is very much made with love and respect for this pastime. I hope that people come away from watching this film and have a bit more of an understanding of people that are different, that are unique, that have this extreme hobby but they aren’t hurting anybody and they aren’t hurting you and they enjoy what they do. They love it and they do it over and over again despite maybe being judged or challenged by other people within the fandom.
If you love musicals and theatre you will love Repeat Attenders, there will be something in this film that you will relate to, or you will understand a little bit better, or you may see yourself in some of the stories, or in some of the themes that are approached.
It’s not all happy, joyful, celebratory – there are some sides of the fandom that I explore that are a bit dark and a bit uncomfortable but that is the reality that these things do happen if boundaries aren’t set and adhered to and things are taken too far within the fandom.
The majority of the fans are so respectful and so lovely and so appreciative of what they follow, and the actors who they follow.
It really has been a joy being able to meet them all at Stage Doors and capturing these fans while they are experiencing the happiest part of their week.
