The Stage

Sunday openings a mixed blessing

Published Friday 31 December 2004 at 13:30

“Sunday matinees are going to be a must and I have no doubt they will come to the West End.”

So said the chief representative of the West End’s largest venue chain when interviewed by The Stage about the controversial issue which had divided Theatreland for so long.

There is a mood of optimism in the one union which has yet to sign an agreement on the issue. Bectu’s members are tipped to approve the deal outlined with the Society of London Theatre. National media would have us believe it is a mere formality before words translate into action.

Sentiment dictates this newspaper ought to join the chorus of approval. Commonsense, however, suggests that we should temper enthusiasm with a dose of caution.

For the words delivered at the start of this column came not from Andrew Lloyd Webber speaking for the Really Useful Group but from the late Louis Benjamin, president of RUG’s predecessor Stoll Moss. And the date was not January 2005 but June 1989, by which time the issue had already lingered unresolved for many years.

At the time, Sunday opening had received fresh impetus from an enterprising producer. Peter Wilson was not the earliest to introduce the practice when The Woman in Black opened at The Strand but he was the first to try to do so on a regular basis.

Readers of this newspaper will need no reminding that Susan Hill’s play is distinguished by its small cast and other expensive running costs. For the small-scale West End show which must battle against poor returns on Monday, the thought of paying double time is not so daunting, given the returns to be earned at the box office. Moreover, Sunday opening was much rarer in all walks of British life 16 years ago. If the audience existed in 1989, the chances are that it is much larger now.

Substitute the Woman in White for the Woman in Black and the mathematics are rather less clear cut. Top musicals such as Lloyd Webber’s new work, or Mary Poppins or The Producers, work on a somewhat grander economic scale. Bectu, of course, has pointed out that the budgeting implications are entirely proportionate for small shows and large. What such an assertion does not take into account is that there are additional considerations for the big time impresario.

Quite simply, successful musicals which have several months and several million pounds worth of advance bookings have no need to fear their trade on Mondays. Why then should they want to add an extra day’s worth of labour costs each week?

None of this is intended to denigrate a progressive decision by managements and union which will benefit good yet struggling shows. But we ought to heed the likely limits of this particular revolution.