The Stage

Flyman

Published Monday 24 January 2005 at 13:15

All too often, to adapt the old music hall song, it’s the techies wot gets the blame and the long-running debate on Sunday opening for theatres is no exception.

The leading article in The Stage a couple of weeks ago noted that Sunday opening, at least in the West End, was considered inevitable as long ago as 1989. The truth of the matter is that the topic has been on the agenda for much longer than that - in fact a show at the Phoenix Theatre had Sunday matinees more than 20 years ago. Not a play, though, or a musical but a variety show.

Musicians are well used to working on Sundays in concerts of all kinds, in symphony orchestras, big bands and in clubs. There have been minimum terms for employing actors on Sunday for many years. There has been a perception in some quarters that it was the backstage staff that were holding things up. Not true.

Any producer who wanted to present performances on Sunday was able to do so if they could agree terms with the technical staff involved. It is just that there was no collective agreement. And since collective agreements only represent minimum terms and conditions and since most Bectu houses have a house agreement, the recent suggested agreement between SOLT and Bectu on Sunday opening is not so significant. But there is an issue here which is more important than hours of work, minimum weekly payments or any of the other things that our unions negotiate on our behalf.

The West End has more potential theatregoers wandering about on a Sunday afternoon than on any other day of the week. In any sizeable city or town there is virtually nothing that you cannot now do on a Sunday - except go to the theatre. On what basis is that the case?

The Stage leading article pointed out the varying economic considerations that producers must take into account in assessing the benefit of Sunday opening. That is for them to consider. Those of us who might have to work on Sunday should have a view, too. The idea that working in the theatre involves evening working six days a week is no longer universally true. Many technicians have evenings off and the possibilities for job-sharing gives further opportunities.

In a world where supermarket workers have shifts covering 24 hours and pubs will soon be able to choose their opening times around the clock, do we have the right to suggest that we are hard done by because the most important bit of what we do happens to be in the evening? There is other legislation that can be used where there is any hint of exploitation. A thriving industry means more work for us all and it will do us no favours to remain out of step with other countries or other businesses. An imaginative deal which gave workers more choice within a more flexible working week could even improve our working lives.

Simply tinkering with outdated agreements on the basis of traditional work patterns will not achieve so many benefits. And it just might seem as though the techies were being obstructive again.