Musicians demand for pay to reflect size of venue

Published Tuesday 10 January 2006 at 14:55 by Nuala Calvi

Producers are under pressure to agree to a new wage system for musicians on touring shows which will vary their earnings according to the size of each venue at which they perform.

The Musicians’ Union wants minimum levels to be linked to theatre capacity. It claims too many managements try to set the level for big-budget musicals at level more appropriate for a small production based in a single town.

Representatives are now in negotiations with the Theatrical Management Association about introducing a four-tiered pay structure, based on the percentage of time a show spends in large-scale venues such as the Liverpool Empire or Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

Horace Trubridge, assistant general secretary of the MU, said: “We are not arguing that it’s an inappropriate rate for small productions. But, when a major work like Joseph or Miss Saigon goes on the road from the West End to really large theatres, we feel it’s inadequate and doesn’t reflect the nature of the production. While some producers recognise that and pay over the minimum, some take advantage and only pay the minimum. With other employers and trade bodies we have tiered agreements.”

However, some producing managements argue that tying artists’ rates to venue size is impractical, because it fails to take account of the number of tickets actually sold.

Peter Frosdick, director of UK Productions, which is currently touring Beauty and the Beast and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, said: “You can’t have flexi-pay based on the venue size, because it wouldn’t be fair to the producers. To do a national tour, you have to play all different kinds of venues and just because you are in a large venue doesn’t mean you are going to fill it.

“You could be in the Liverpool Empire and have 100 people in. That’s why salary should refer to the job being done. Otherwise, it would have to reflect when a show isn’t bringing in the maximum audiences as well and artists wouldn’t want that.”

The MU insists that the current base level, which stands at less than £350 a week for musicians playing one instrument, is only appropriate for small theatres hosting static productions.

“For a touring musician who is paid only the minimum payment, their subsistence level is very low and they end up having to eat into their weekly wage to pay for any reasonable standard of living on the road, such as putting a decent meal on the table. It makes it very hard to take any money home at the end of the day.”

However, Claudia Ginsburg, general manager of Mark Goucher Ltd, which is touring Footloose, Anything Goes and Saturday Night Fever, said tying wages to venues could work to producers’ advantage, because the size had an effect on the overall running cost of a show. “It’s something that would need to be looked at very carefully so that it was fair to all involved,” she said.