If you find yourself buying tickets before the show even hits the stage, memorizing the cast list, or arguing about which production had the best lighting design-you’re not just someone who likes theatre. You’re something more. There’s a word for people like you, and it’s not just ‘fan’ or ‘fanatic.’ The right term carries history, respect, and a little bit of pride.

The Classic Term: Theatre Goer

The most straightforward label is theatre goer. It’s simple, widely understood, and used in everyday conversation. You hear it in ticket queues, in reviews, even in casual chats after curtain call. But while it’s accurate, it doesn’t quite capture the depth of someone who doesn’t just attend shows-they live for them.

In Melbourne, where the Malthouse Theatre and the Arts Centre host over 500 performances a year, regular theatre goers aren’t rare. They’re the backbone of the industry. They show up for new Australian plays, revival classics, and even fringe shows in converted warehouses. They know the difference between a director’s cut and a studio version. They’ve seen the same actor play Hamlet twice in different cities.

The Formal Term: Patron of the Arts

If you’re looking for something with weight, patron of the arts is the phrase. It’s the term used by theatres in annual reports, grant applications, and donor lists. It implies more than attendance-it suggests support. A patron doesn’t just buy a ticket; they might donate to a new play development fund, volunteer at backstage events, or sit on a board that helps shape the season.

At the Sydney Opera House, over 12,000 people are officially listed as patrons. These aren’t just people who come once a year. Many have been attending for decades. Some have watched entire generations of actors grow up on those stages. The term carries dignity, but also responsibility. It’s not just about showing up-it’s about keeping the art alive.

The Enthusiast: Stage Enthusiast

If you get excited about set design, costume changes, or how a stage trapdoor works, you might be a stage enthusiast. This term is less common in casual use but pops up in theatre schools, backstage blogs, and forums like Reddit’s r/Theatre. It’s the term for someone who doesn’t just watch the story-they study how it’s built.

Stage enthusiasts often keep journals of productions they’ve seen, noting lighting cues or how an actor handled a line change. They’ll travel for a single performance. In 2024, a group of Melbourne-based enthusiasts organized a cross-city tour to see all seven productions of Our Town staged that year across Australia. They didn’t just go to the shows-they compared them, wrote reviews, and shared insights.

The Collector: Theatre Collector

Some people treat theatre like a hobby of accumulation. They collect playbills, ticket stubs, posters, and even props. They can tell you which season had the most sold-out runs or which director had the longest streak of critical acclaim. These people are often called theatre collectors.

In the UK, there’s a documented case of a man who collected over 10,000 playbills from 1945 to 2010. He didn’t just save them-he catalogued them by actor, venue, and director. He even tracked which shows had the same cast across multiple runs. His collection is now archived at the Victoria and Albert Museum. That’s not just going to the theatre. That’s preserving its history.

Why the Label Matters

Calling someone a theatre goer is like calling a runner a jogger. It’s true, but it misses the passion. When you go to the theatre often, you become part of its ecosystem. You help sustain small companies. You give feedback that shapes future work. You create demand for diverse stories. You’re not just an audience member-you’re a participant.

There’s no single official word, and that’s okay. Language evolves with culture. In Japan, they have enjo-people who attend every single performance of a long-running play. In France, abonné means a season ticket holder, someone who commits to the whole year’s lineup. In Australia, we don’t have a single term yet, but we have the people who live it.

What You Are

So what do you call someone who goes to the theatre a lot? It depends on what you’re doing when you’re there.

• If you’re just showing up? You’re a theatre goer.
• If you’re funding new work? You’re a patron of the arts.
• If you’re obsessed with how the stage works? You’re a stage enthusiast.
• If you’re saving every ticket stub and poster? You’re a theatre collector.

And if you’re all of those things? You’re not just someone who likes theatre. You’re part of what keeps it breathing.

What’s Next?

If you’re reading this and you recognize yourself, you’re not alone. There are thousands of you across Australia. You might not have a fancy title, but you’re the reason theatres keep opening their doors. Next time you buy a ticket, remember-you’re not just watching a show. You’re helping write the next chapter.