Scottish Opera demonstrates over swingeing redundancies
Members of the troubled Scottish Opera have held a mass demonstration outside the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, urging audiences to contact first minister Jack McConnell about the company’s plight.
Scottish Opera members and supporters protest outside the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh Photo: Sandy Young
Equity’s Scottish secretary Lorne Boswell said the action was a “last ditch” attempt to save 88 jobs in the company’s chorus and backstage team, agreed as part of a deal with the Edinburgh Parliament.
He added: “A considerable number of people must have written in because one of the choristers received a call from the first minister’s office assuring him he would be discussing the issue with culture minister Patricia Ferguson.”
Ten choristers will be made redundant after the opera’s last performance of Fidelio on June 25 and once the festival finishes in August there will no longer be a full-time chorus.
Also from The Stage
- Reviews: Fidelio
- Move to block Scottish Opera overtures
- Boswell returns to battle for Scottish Opera's chorus
- Barron joins Scottish Opera exodus
- ATG picks up Scottish Opera's Glasgow home
- Armstrong bows out of Scottish Opera
- Executive shelved forecast of SO debt
- SO chorus jobs saved after half take voluntary redundancy
- Fighting talk as SO chairman steps down
- SO chorus denounces Armstrong's 'extravagence'
- Scottish Opera jobs under threat
- Scottish Opera to cut third of workforce
- Equity conference - Union attacks SO chorus redundancy plans
- Redundancy fears for third of Scottish Opera staff
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