Slave labour in the Theatre...

[Fab Foodie]

Some here may recall that my young lad (11 this week) has a bit of a talent for acting/singing. Chitty, Joseph etc and several auditions.
He's atStagecoach where they get a lot of requests for local productions, so he's just been picked for a part in this this year's Oxford Panto, Cinderella.

Fab! Was our initial reaction. Will be good for him to be in another professional production.

However, now we realise that it's 37 performances from the week before christmas until the 3rd week of Jan.
8 days off school.
Rehearsals several evenings a week right after work (Oxford) for the next god-knows how many weeks.

OK, well that's the price you pay for the priviledge... It'll proably cost us around £100 in parking, fuel etc (even car-sharing), not to mention a whole lot of time.

Now here's the rub, he gets no pay at all, nothing for his efforts (other than a great sense of pride and being worked like a mule), no small token contribution to travel expenses either, but the bit that really boils my pi55 is that we don't even get discounted family tickets!
20 kid's parents at close £100 each...
I feel like we're funding their bloody business.

Slave labour.

 

[taxing]

That's shocking! I'd have thought that each kid would get at least two free tickets for their parents/grandparents/siblings/whoever the hell they want.

 

[Aperitif]

You're like a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Fab...calm down!
My sister has been funding her son to the tune of 'gawd knows' £ks as he has taken on the single-minded task of acting.
He has all the certificates you can shake a sword at (including Advanced Stagefighting / craft/ whatever). One of his noteable performances was appearing in Holby City (is that the medical programme?) as an Arabic citizen (he is)...head to foot in bandages
At the moment, he's appearing in The Big Fellah, at the Lyric - but he can get tickets at £10..so there is life after all. Your son will do it, and repay you with a nice party at yours (using all your bathrooms) for all his swooning entourage!

Good luck to him!

 

[fossyant]

37 performances........sheesh........

Is that 8 days out of school early ? That's way too much.

PS both my kids at drama school - we have to sell tickets at any shows, but it's like one or two nights... once a year, not 37... in two weeks........FFS.

 

[e-rider]

yeah that's expensive but it goes with the industry. perhaps encourage your 11 year old to aim for a career in burger king or mr cod!

consider the cost of a uni degree - £30K

 

[ttcycle]

Good God...that's immense and to get nothing back.

I hope it's worth it as they really are taking the piss there and exploiting the kids and their families.

 

[vernon]

Good God...that's immense and to get nothing back.

I hope it's worth it as they really are taking the piss there and exploiting the kids and their families.

It's not that different from journalism and the legal profession where trainees are expected to work for (next to) nothing.

 

[Fab Foodie]

yeah that's expensive but it goes with the industry. perhaps encourage your 11 year old to aim for a career in burger king or mr cod!

consider the cost of a uni degree - £30K

Yeah and I have 3 children I hope to go through Uni

 

[Fab Foodie]

You're like a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Fab...calm down!
My sister has been funding her son to the tune of 'gawd knows' £ks as he has taken on the single-minded task of acting.
He has all the certificates you can shake a sword at (including Advanced Stagefighting / craft/ whatever). One of his noteable performances was appearing in Holby City (is that the medical programme?) as an Arabic citizen (he is)...head to foot in bandages
At the moment, he's appearing in The Big Fellah, at the Lyric - but he can get tickets at £10..so there is life after all. Your son will do it, and repay you with a nice party at yours (using all your bathrooms) for all his swooning entourage!

Good luck to him!

I know, I know, It's absolutely the process unfortunately. But, some small token would be apprecieted even if it was only discounted tickets. It does seem somewhat stingy.
Chitty paid though, he made about £250 for a lot less than half of cinderallas 37 appearances...

Oh well, we'll just have to enjoy the warm glow of pride as we fill Oxfords all consuming parking meters...

 

[dellzeqq]

pm theclaude and ask her advice.

 

[Night Train]

I am with my local am dram group and have taken a break for a while. This is partly because I have no time left over due to paid work and partly because I need a rest from it.

The troupe reherse two evenings a week for 3 hours an evening all year round. What gets me is that so many of them do maybe 30 minutes of actual activity and the rest of the time they are sitting on their backsides gabbing and disturbing the rehersals for those that are working. They contribute nothing else the rest of the time. The rest of us work our backsides off to make sure the production happens.

For me it is 3 hours of hard graft as I have to rehearse for the on stage production, rehearse for the back stage, build all the set and make most of the props as well as painting all the back drops.

Not only do I give them two evenings but often I give them another two or three days, either in my workshop or on the stage, outside of rehearsal time during the week. I also donate timber and other materials.

For this I pay them a membership fee for the privilage and have to buy all the tickets that I want for family and friends and pay for tea and biscuits during the breaks.

Slave labour or a passion?
I don't know, mostly it is the latter. Recently though it has been the former especially due to the lack of help from other members for the last few shows when I have been pushed for time.

Unfortunatley, with the stage that is the way it is until fame and fortune calls.

 

[postman]

Have a word with Big Mac- it is said .he is worth £653 million


Bet he's not Les Miserables .


He might drop you a few quid .

 

[yello]

Well, if FF Jnr hasn't yet developed the necessary 'drama queen' act, his daddy certainly has! Years of unselfish, unthanked work and low pay is de rigeuer for aspiring actors, I thought! And for their parents too!

Actually, in all honesty, I would have expected you'd get free tickets. That does surprise me.

 

[Aperitif]

Well, if FF Jnr hasn't yet developed the necessary 'drama queen' act, his daddy certainly has! Years of unselfish, unthanked work and low pay is de rigeuer for aspiring actors, I thought! And for their parents too!

Actually, in all honesty, I would have expected you'd get free tickets. That does surprise me.

Especially wth Cinderella - a bit of a shoe-in I would have thought...

 

[Fnaar]

Perhaps they ARE going to offer free tickets (very mean imho if they don't) but are keeping it as a nice Christmas sur[prise???