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Strike threat over 'awful' West End wages
Louise Jury, Evening Standard25 May 2007
West End performers have demanded a 44 per cent pay rise amid growing anger over their rates.
Actors' union Equity has presented a formal request for the rise to executives at the Society of London Theatre.
The current minimum wage is £381 a week - less than £20,000 a year - compared with a minimum of £680 for musicians in the same shows. Although most chorus members earn above the minimum - usually between £450 and £550 a week - that figure is no higher than it was in 1997.
The union wants the new minimum to be set at £550, or £650 if a show runs on Sundays.
Industry insiders are saying privately that tensions are so high there could be a strike in the autumn.
"Once you ballot, the potential is there to pull a show down," one source said. Another added: "People feel pretty aggrieved really." Equity's Martin Brown said: "These are people at the peak of their profession and the best in the world.
"They should jolly well get paid properly for what they do."
Some shows are acknowledged to be worse payers than others. "Chicago is awful," one source claimed.
A recent union survey showed that two-thirds of members would consider some form of industrial action up to going on strike to achieve a realistic West End pay packet. Actors in plays thought £500 a week was a fair basic weekly wage, with musical performers wanting £600 as a minimum.
Musical cast members claim their equivalents on Broadway routinely earn around £700 a week. More than half of West End performers do a second job to make ends meet.
A spokesman for the Society of London Theatre said it did not discuss pay while negotiations were taking place.
The pay claim follows a recent row between some performers and the managers behind the George Gershwin musical Porgy And Bess.
Industry sources reported that managers were forced to pay an extra £7,300 after some staff took them to the theatre equivalent of a tribunal - the Theatre Council, which is run by Equity and the society.
The row centred on cast members known as swings, who are the understudies for members of the chorus and are expected to take on any role.
They were also acting as understudies for featured parts, but were not being paid for this extra work.
• Do you work in theatre and think you should be paid more? Email us at westend@standard.co.uk
Who earns what
MINIMUM WEEKLY RATES FOR THE WEST END (EIGHT SHOWS)
Performer £381.13
Assistant stage manager £381.13
Deputy stage manager £476.40
Stage manager £533.58
Company stage manager £571.69
Reader views (3)
I'm a musician myself, although not in musical theatre. I believe that the actors should definately be equal to the musicians in pay or higher as they're the ones who get seen! And John Jone's comment was frankly wrong. There's a reason why the west end is so succesful and it's because people have an interest. All of the productions that are seen require the best performers and years of work!
- Tom, Somerset, 26/10/2009 21:36
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I am surprised these people are paid so much, and if they are dissatisfied, they should find other employment.
How much do they think they should get for prancing around ?
Most of the so-called entertainment in the West End is drivel, the theatres are shoddy, drinks and ice-cream are over-priced.
- John Jones, Hampton, 27/05/2007 16:15
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Hello,
As a performing artiste I completely agree that the rate at which performers are paid should match that of the musicians. We are all skilled in our way and it is absurd that a skilled trade that takes years to train in, isn't reflected in the wage. Espesially if you look at a member of the enseble being a singer, actor and dancer and a swing having to also be able to know and perform sometimes 10 or more different tracks/roles at any given time.
It is is even worse for those working in touring productions of identical west end shows.
I do feel that if the actors union (Equity) was stronger, like the musicians union, then we wouldn't be in the position that we are currently in. The pay has also got to this situation as producers will employ new graduates as they will accept lower wages opposed to those that have professional experience and can play the roles just as well if not better than those who have newly graduated form performing college. As these younger performers will accept lower wages, exisiting professionals are in a way being gazumped and thus it is driving down the wage in the west end.
Basic wages need to be raised, definately!
Thank you for highlighting this issue in your newspaper.
- Anon, London, 25/05/2007 15:28
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