Slave labour in the Theatre...

[threebikesmcginty]

Slave labour.

Oh no it isn't!







Sorry, but someone had to start...

 

[Fnaar]

Oh no it isn't!
Sorry, but someone had to start...

Slaps thigh and exeunts stage left, pursued by Una Stubbs.

 

[theclaud]

pm theclaude and ask her advice.

I'm not sure I'll be all that useful as it's not quite my bag, but I don't like Stagecoach. It's big business. Very big business. The schools are franchises, and there's also an agency. If it's a professional panto (is Oxford Playhouse producing it?), I think it's out of order that he wouldn't be paid, or at the very least have expenses covered. OP is a charity, but the panto is likely to make money to subsidise its other work. There's nothing wrong in principle with running a panto as a fundraiser for a not-for-profit venue, but I'd be very surprised if the directors and designers and adult leads are are working for nothing, and the tech crew certainly wouldn't. It sounds like quite a tough schedule. Has he got any kind of contract? If Little Foodie's got the part through the Stagecoach Agency, then it goes without saying that they'll have charged OP a fee to cast it. The main house has 600-odd seats - if the children are working for nothing, I think it's beyond mean not to offer a pair of tickets to each of them over the run.

 

[ttcycle]

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

Don't get me started on this...I entirely disagree with this and it cuts pretty close to home.

EDIT- Disagree with people being exploited and working for free-it must be stamped out

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'm not sure I'll be all that useful as it's not quite my bag, but I don't like Stagecoach. It's big business. Very big business. The schools are franchises, and there's also an agency. If it's a professional panto (is Oxford Playhouse producing it?), I think it's out of order that he wouldn't be paid, or at the very least have expenses covered. OP is a charity, but the panto is likely to make money to subsidise its other work. There's nothing wrong in principle with running a panto as a fundraiser for a not-for-profit venue, but I'd be very surprised if the directors and designers and adult leads are are working for nothing, and the tech crew certainly wouldn't. It sounds like quite a tough schedule. Has he got any kind of contract? If Little Foodie's got the part through the Stagecoach Agency, then it goes without saying that they'll have charged OP a fee to cast it. The main house has 600-odd seats - if the children are working for nothing, I think it's beyond mean not to offer a pair of tickets to each of them over the run.

Thanks theclaud.

It is the Playhouse and I guess that Stagecoach did the casting for the kids.
I know what you mean about Stagecoach being a pretty big business, I have no illusions about that, but it has been a good investment for FF minor and he's had some very good opportunities come his way. We've yet to use their paid 'agent' system for finding parts, but we might need to consider some kind of agent if he progresses and wishes to go further.

Back to the O P'House, If this is a fundraiser to enable it to do other stuff, that's fine by me, but they might actually 'sell the idea' to us who have an alturistic bone in our bodies. A token of their appreciation would however be nice (however small) and I agree, a pair of tickets would seem small beer.
Let's see what develops... but I'm not banking on it.

 

[Jezston]

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

Same with most 'media' and 'entertainment' professions.

Which is why these industries are largely full of posho imbeciles. They are the only people who have parents who can afford to keep them living in London and going to the right parties while they earn £0-12k salaries.