Joseph backstage staff angrily deny sabotage slur

Published Friday 20 July 2007 at 17:25 by Alistair Smith

Backstage staff working on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat have denied claims sabotage led to technical hitches on the show’s opening night.

Bectu - the union which represents many of the staff working on the show - has angrily dismissed reports, which appeared earlier this week in the Evening Standard, saying the technicians had been accused of sabotaging the set because of disagreements arising out of a pay dispute with management.

The union’s general secretary Gerry Morrissey said: “I’d like to make it clear that our members at the Adelphi Theatre were not in dispute over pay and conditions and are deeply upset by the accusation they ‘sabotaged’ the show.

“I’ve been assured by staff that the technical problem arose due to a plug that had come loose from the sub-stage, which resulted in the automated revolving stage failing to operate.

“The problem was resolved in six minutes, which for this type of problem was a pretty quick fix. We’ve yet to establish where this rumour of a pay and conditions dispute came from, but I’d like to reiterate that our members are not in dispute with the Really Useful Group which the Adelphi theatre is part of.”