Let's get something straight about "how the forum is treated": This forum is an online community. There are members of this community who attend multiple shows, both in London and here in the US, but they are individual people. No doubt some of them have created an impression on cast members, whether good or bad, and that might affect management decisions about access to the cast. But they are not "the forum" itself.AJ HOLDEN wrote:Thursday 19th April
Thirdly there is now far less interaction between the cast and fans outside the theatre. With my connections I know how close Billy was to winning the coveted and illusive Olivier Audience Award. The difference can be as simple as the adult cast acknowledging the fans instead of being faced with stony faces and silence. A management decision of course. What performers would not want to great the fans and hear praise? When many forum members are telling me they did not vote for Billy because of the way the forum is treated, surely the management should take heed. Contrast with the US tour and Broadway where the cast had so much time for the fans, backstage tours, photo’s and autographs and a friendly chat. London should learn that every show needs to keep its fans happy, not treat them as the enemy.
The management at the VP has always been very cordial in dealing with the forum administration, such as letting us know that photos will be allowed on special nights, giving us a heads up about merchandise close outs, etc. , in order for us to give notice to our members, so I do not feel it makes sense to complain about "how the forum is treated." Some individuals may feel that they have not been treated in as friendly a manner as they should have been because they want more access to the cast and are not allowed to have it, but that does not translate into the forum being treated badly. Being a member of this forum does not entitle anyone to special access to the cast, and I strongly disagree with anyone who thinks it should, or that "the forum is treated badly" because access is denied.
In fact, this sentence from our Rules and Policies says it all: As members of the Forum we have no special privileges other than seeing and enjoying a fantastic performance!