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Equity minimum wage proposal will ‘destroy’ fringe theatre

Published Thursday 2 July 2009 at 11:10 by Lalayn Baluch

Fringe theatre companies have warned that the sector will be “destroyed” if proposals by Equity seeking to enforce the National Minimum Wage for all actors become law.

Two motions are due to be discussed by the union’s ruling council next week, which, if passed, would represent a significant tightening of its position on actors’ pay.

They have been submitted by Equity councillor Clive Hurst, who is calling for clarification on how profit-share and low-paying fringe theatres fit into NMW guidelines and on the definition of amateur and professional performers.

Hurst also wants the union to lobby government to make it illegal for work-finding services such as Casting Call Pro to advertise work that does not comply with the NMW.

Speaking to The Stage, Hurst said that fringe theatres should be required to pay the NMW like other employers and should be given more public subsidy to enable them to do it.

He said the sector could redefine itself as ‘amateur’ to get around the pay requirements.

Hurst said: “All I ask from the minimum wage unit [of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform], is for them to define what an amateur production is. So fringe theatre can carry on with an amateur status.”

However, the proposals have been met with an outcry from the fringe sector. John Plews, artistic director of Upstairs at the Gatehouse in north London, said that fringe companies could not afford to pay the NMW and would collapse if legally required to do so.

He also believes that actors would lose the chance to showcase their talent if the fringe lost its professional status because casting directors, producers and critics would not attend. He said an amateur classification would also restrict companies from securing the rights to plays.

He said: “By working on the fringe and in low-paid jobs, actors can display their talent and invite along casting directors and producers, and actually show the work they can do in a full play, rather than a ten-minute audition. I think the advantages of actors being able to do that far outweigh any disadvantages of actors working for little or no money.”

His view was reiterated by Neil McPherson, artistic director of west London’s Finborough Theatre. “We always try and pay actors and our shows vary from Equity minimum to £50 a week, plus profit share, and we try and follow the guidelines of the Equity fringe contract where we can,” he said. “But there just isn’t the money. If Equity put their time behind getting more funding for fringe, so we could pay the actors, that would be far more useful.”

Battersea venue Theatre 503 co-artistic director Tim Roseman agreed, adding that it was unrealistic to expect additional public subsidy, given the economic climate.

Meanwhile, Penny Horner, general manager of Off-West End venue Jermyn Street Theatre, said actors could decide for themselves whether to accept low-paid work.

“You can either stay at home and wait for a call from EastEnders, or get off your butt and do a musical that you might not get paid a lot of money for, but that leads to something else,” she said.

According to figures from the actors’ website Casting Call Pro, 53% of its subscribers wish to receive updates about unpaid and low-paid jobs, as well as those which are at or above minimum wage.

Equity spokesman Martin Brown said the union could not comment on the matter until it is discussed by the council.

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