The Stage

MU opposes Les Mis replacing live musicians with machine at Queen’s

Published Tuesday 20 January 2004 at 15:15 by Sally Bramley

Musicians’ Union officials have begun talks with Cameron Mackintosh’s organisation after the producer announced plans to replace with a computer 12 musicians from the orchestra of Les Miserables when it moves to the Queen’s Theatre in March.

Horace Trubridge, assistant general secretary, said the union was “vehemently opposed” to the move to replace the musicians with a sinfonia, a machine which acts as virtual orchestra, but added it hoped that its good relationship with Mackintosh would allow the dispute to be resolved amicably.

Said Trubridge: “Musicians’ Union members are vehemently opposed to the introduction of this device in the West End or for that matter any theatre anywhere in the UK. We are in discussion with the Cameron Mackintosh organisation and remain hopeful of a positive outcome.

“Any fan of West End musicals will recognise that the orchestra is the beating heart of the production. Take the musicians away and you remove at a stroke one of vital elements of live theatre experience.”

The cut has been brought due to the production’s move from its current home, the Palace Theatre, after venue owner Really Useful Theatres planned to go ahead with vital renovations. The Queen’s Theatre, where it is due to open on April 1, does not have a pit available to accommodate a full-sized orchestra. The show’s sets will also have to be redesigned to fit the smaller scale of the venue.

A sinfonia is a device that stores samples of every instrument involved in the orchestral score and permits an operator to provide the instrumental performances to represent the missing musicians.

John Smith, general secretary of the MU, said: “The reputation of West End theatre has been built on the professionalism and the world standard of its live performers. Our members would resist at all costs any system that would result in not only the loss of employment opportunities but also the delivery of a product of inferior quality to the public. They are very concerned about the impact this may have upon the ability of the West End to attract theatregoers from both home and abroad.”

At the time of going to press, no-one from Cameron Mackintosh was available to comment.