The Stage

Sunday openings not done deal, says National

Published Tuesday 29 January 2008 at 14:15 by Alistair Smith

Technical union Bectu and the National Theatre have denied claims that they have come to an agreement for the South Bank venue to open on Sundays.

Reports in two national newspapers recently said that NT artistic director Nicholas Hytner had announced the venue had reached a deal with the union, which has so far proved reluctant to commit to a seven-day week.

However, according to both parties, while productive discussions are ongoing, nothing has been finalised. Indeed, following the appearance of the two newspaper articles, the NT contacted Bectu to confirm that they had not announced any agreement had been reached to turn the theatre into a seven-day operation.

Bectu official Willy Donaghy, who has been leading the union’s negotiations with the NT, told The Stage: “They called us up to tell us they had been misquoted. Good, constructive talks about Sunday openings are going on, but it’s not signed off yet.

“It’s very slow progress, but it’s going the right way. It’s still going to be months, I think, until we have a deal. It has got to be a good package financially and also in terms of quality time off and it won’t be compulsory for existing staff.”

A spokesperson for the National confirmed that discussions with the union were still ongoing, “dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s”, and that they had not announced that any deal had been reached.

Officials at the National has been keen to extend to a seven-day operation for some time, bringing the theatre in line with other arts venues on the South Bank and theatres in New York, Paris and Berlin, where Sunday opening has been common for some time.

The deal currently under discussion would be for the Olivier and the Lyttelton theatres to open for an extra day, but not the Cottesloe, and only for Sunday matinees. It is thought that if negotiations continue to progress well, Sunday openings could be in place by the autumn.

Currently, in the commercial West End only a small number of shows, such as the Lion King and Nicholas Nickleby, open on Sundays and contracts with performers and technical staff are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.