West End actors threaten strike over low pay
Major venues could be shuttered
Friday, 3rd March 2023 — By Tom Foot
WEST End actors are preparing for a historic strike action after their union demanded a 17 per cent pay rise and five-day working week.
The Equity union has now officially submitted a pay claim to the Society of London Theatre, warning that industrial action will follow if demands are not met.
Equity’s campaign is focused on raising fees for low-paid understudies, “swings”, and stage management, who step into roles due to absences.
Some of Theatreland’s smash-hit shows could be shuttered by the action that follows a survey of members who said they had to take second jobs because poverty pay did not cover basic living expenses.
The Stand Up for 17% campaign comes after a string of top-earning West End performers, including Jason Leigh Winter, warned wages were pricing most actors out of London.
The Moulin Rouge! star posted: “How are we genuinely supposed to live when the price of everything is increasing so much but not our rate of pay to match it?”
And Equity reported a survey of members showed that 61 per cent of those responding had considered leaving the industry due to conditions and pay in the last three years.
One angry post said an actor playing a lead in a major central London venue shouldn’t have to live in a flat-share.
Theatres across the United Kingdom generated ticket revenues of £1.28billion in 2018, according to UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre.
But Equity’s West End spokeswoman Hannah Plant said: “We need greater financial trans- parency from producers to ensure that profits aren’t being funnelled off to line the pockets of the rich at the expense of our members.
“It’s high time West End workers are paid what they deserve.”
Paul Fleming, Equity’s general secretary, added: “Theatre is about people, particularly its talented and skilled work- force – and we need real focus on ensuring per- formers and stage management are fairly paid, and achieve a proper work-life balance.”
Equity also wants producers to increase the holiday entitlement for actors from 28 to 34 days per year.
Meanwhile backstage, ticketing, and box office members employed in London’s West End are calling for a strike ballot despite an offer of a raise from 1.6 per cent to 3.25 per cent.
A spokeswoman for SOLT said: “As we enter this year’s negotiations, we are keen to build on our already constructive relationship with Equity to achieve a sustainable outcome.”
