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The Other Palace is just another example of the corporate takeover of theatre culture

To London’s Other Palace, a rolling mess. Honestly, the full catalogue of stories would take more than a book to cover.

As you may now have read, a summarily letter was sent to casual front of house workers that had the professionalism of a Bank Holiday sing-a-long matinee of We Will Rock You.

The blanket letter sent from some kind of middle-management bunker began: “Dear Staff Member,” — have these people not heard of mail merge?

“I am writing to give you notice that your current contract with The Other Palace ends on 3rd September 2023. We have some new roles as detailed below available for the new show which starts on 8th September 2023.”

In 5 days? It went on to promise that the new roles with “fixed weekly hours” would mean “more stability within the team on all positions”.

Right you are. Aware that they can do whatever they want, though, the grim letter asks employees to send a brief paragraph for the role they wish to apply for and ‘why we should re-hire you’.

Where do you even start? It’s called fire and rehire – it seems nearly all corporate West End theatre operators are currently cynically exploiting things in this way to drive down casual workers pay and conditions. Join a union, kids. 

However, The Other Palace’s behaviour exposes much more than just low pay and poor terms and conditions; it also highlighted the significant legal imbalance that exists between arts workers and their employers.

But wait! A brazen statement followed: “The Other Palace issued a letter to FOH employees on casual & fixed-term contracts due to end on 3 Sept. We were pleased to let them know that there was the opportunity to continue working with us should they wish to be considered & are delighted by the number who are interested.”

There is simply no moral failing of theirs that would not cause their employees to passionately excuse it or love them more for it. Obviously. 

In a recent profile, fresh from a spin class, Other Palace artistic director Paul Taylor Mills said that he had stopped engaging in conversation on Twitter as an act of self-preservation. “It’s too aggressive for me.”

Fair enough. Bizarrely, a go-to phrase of Mr Taylor Mills is ‘Be Kind’.

Sorry what? Far be it for me to speak for all “real people”, but as a real person I have to say my overall impression is that the only people who are not usually being kind are the people in positions of power who deploy the phrase.

And yet, everything being someone else’s fault is surely not the most appealing strategy. 

Crucially, The Other Palace allegedly has and continues to put its loyal staff under tremendous stress and pressure. Why do we assume that they will do it for love?

In the meantime, key Theatre service staff are surviving on less and less. Where’s the sense and where’s the future in that? Where is SOLT?

Last week, one prominent West End theatre operator terminated FOH contracts with 2 weeks notice – one usher who contacted me said: “We didn’t even get a letter!” 

Of course, the entire theatre industry is facing the impact of a bleak economic reality, with the real challenges of Brexit and the hangover from the pandemic. Nobody disputes that.

But maybe corporate theatres like The Other Palace should think about treating casual workers with some dignity. As the cost of living crisis bites, maybe all theatres – Nimax, LW Theatres, Delftont Mackintosh and ATG should think of the ways that poor decision making, firing and rehiring loyal staff is impacting frontline staff and their wellbeing. And how about a little more transparency from West End Theatre owners around their commitment to paying staff Living Wage – not just Minimum wage.

These small steps may just help shift a theatre culture that currently sees nothing unusual in a cheap, often young drama school students, actors in the casual workforce subsidising its success.

MOTHER GOOSE Starring Ian McKellen, John Bishop and Mel Giedroyc To Tour UK and Ireland

Mother Goose

Ambassador Theatre Group Productions have announced a UK and Ireland Tour of the pantomime MOTHER GOOSE. The first of its kind to tour the country and play all the way to Easter! www.mothergooseshow.co.uk

Starring Ian McKellen as Mother Goose, John Bishop as Vic Goose and Mel Giedroyc as the Goose, the show will play at the Theatre Royal Brighton from 3 – 11 December 2022, before a season at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End (15 December 2022 – 29 January 2023). It will then play Chichester Festival Theatre (7 – 11 February 2023), Sheffield Lyceum (14 – 18 February 2023), Wolverhampton Grand (22 – 26 February 2023), Liverpool Empire (28 February – 4 March 2023), Oxford New Theatre (7 – 11 March 2023), Bord Gais Energy Theatre Dublin (22 – 26 March 2023), and Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff (28 March – 1 April 2023) with further venues to be announced soon.

This very special pantomime is written by Jonathan Harvey (Coronation Street, Gimme Gimme Gimme) and directed by award-winning director Cal McCrystal. Set and Costume design is by Liz Ascroft, Choreography by Lizzi Gee, Lighting design by Prema Mehta, Sound design by Ben Harrison andPuppet Design and Creation by Chris Barlow. Casting is by Anne Vosser and the Production Manager is Ben Arkell.

The show will also star Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Jack, Simbi Akande as Jill, Sharon Ballard as Evil Fairy Malignia and Karen Mavundukure as Good Fairy Encanta. The cast also includes Adam Brown, Gabriel Fleary, Richard Leeming and Genevieve Nicole. Further casting to be announced soon.

Mother Goose (McKellen) and her husband Vic (Bishop) run an Animal Sanctuary for waifs and strays and live a wholesome life inside an abandoned Debenhams. But when a goose (Giedroyc) flies in, will fame and fortune get the better of them?! Will Ma’s feathers be seriously ruffled? Will Pa tell everyone to get stuffed?! And is their fair life about to turn fowl? Get ready for fairies with hefty vocal chords, puppets with tap dance qualifications and impeccably constructed mayhem that will quack up the whole family. This hilarious family-friendly mother of all pantos is the ultimate theatrical feast full of fun, farce and more than a couple of surprises that will make you honk out loud.

Mother Goose is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold, Seaview, Wessex Grove, Richard Winkler & Dawn Smalberg, Caiola Productions and George Waud for Groove International.

The Londoner is the official hotel partner of Mother Goose.

HAMLET extends its run at Theatre Royal Windsor

Ian McKellen as Hamlet at Theatre Royal Windsor
First look at Ian McKellen as Hamlet at Theatre Royal Windsor
Credit: Mark Brenner
  • Seats released for three extra weeks until September 25th, 2021
  • Cast Includes: Ben Allen, Francesca Annis, Frances Barber, Emmanuella Cole, Llinos Daniel, Alis Wyn Davies, Ashley D Gayle, Alison Halstead, Nick Howard-Brown, Jonathan Hyde, Asif Khan, Lee Knight, Missy Malek, Ian McKellen, Jenny Seagrove
  • Directed by Sean Mathias

Having opened the production under extended social distancing restrictions (now due to end on July 19th), we are thrilled to announce that we have been able to extend our run of Hamlet by three weeks.

All performances thus far, and through to the end of July are sold out, so we urge you to book your tickets now.

The reimagined age, color, and gender-blind production, directed by Sean Mathias, see Ian McKellen lead a permanent company in two plays including Francesca Annis, Frances Barber, Jonathan Hyde, and Jenny Seagrove.

Tickets start at just £25 with discounts available for NHS workers and students. The staging of Hamlet has been designed to offer the unique experience of being up-close and immersed in the performance via Shakespearean wooden bleacher seats on either side of the stage.

Box packages are also available. Choose a Royal or Circle box with a pre-show and interval glass of fizz, and a complimentary program delivered to your private box. Contact Box Office for more details.

Due to the extension of Hamlet, the second production in our Season, The Cherry Orchard will now open three weeks later than planned, from Fri 1st October – Sat 13 November

Listings Information

Hamlet 

Performance Dates: Mon 21 June – Sat 25 September

Show Times: 7.30 PM Mon-Sat

Special matinee performances: 2.30 PM Sat 24 July, Sat 21 August & Sat 11 September (no evening performances on these dates)

The Cherry Orchard 

Performance Dates: Fri 1st October – Sat 13 November

Show Times: 7.30 PM Mon-Sat

2.30 PM Thu & Sat 

Ticket Prices: £25 – £75 

Further ticket released: Tues 13th July, 10.30 am

https://theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk

Box Office: 01753 853 888 

@theatrewindsor (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

Sean Mathias is a leading British theatre and film director and writer with numerous awards to his name including the Evening Standard Theatre Award, WhatsOnStage Award, the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award, a Fringe First at Edinburgh, and the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes. In 2009/10 Sean was the Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Haymarket where his legendary production of Waiting for Godot starring Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Simon Callow, played two seasons, as well as touring the UK and internationally. In 2013 Sean directed and co-produced Beckett’s Godot and Pinter’s No Man’s Land in rep on Broadway. His production of No Man’s Land, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, was the highest-grossing play in the history of Wyndham’s Theatre. His association with Bill Kenwright started with his revolutionary production of Design For Living starring Rachel Weisz.

Ian McKellen made his long-overdue debut at Theatre Royal Windsor in 2019 in his acclaimed solo show. He was heralded that year as the most important actor in British theatre. Over the years he has worked with Sean Mathias consistently, most recently in WAITING AND GODOT and NO MAN’S LAND with another friend, Patrick Stewart. Mathias directed him as Uncle Vanya at the National Theatre and is looking forward to a further Chekhov journey. McKellen’s performances in Shakespeare are legendary, from Macbeth with Judi Dench to his film of RICHARD III with Maggie Smith. He played Hamlet on tour and in the West End nearly fifty years ago and is looking forward to the challenge of a return visit.

Bill Kenwright’s estimated 500 productions include West End successes Jessica Lange in A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie and Long Day’s Journey Into Night; Judi Dench in Filumena, Hay Fever and The Gift of the Gorgon (all directed by Sir Peter Hall); Rufus Norris’ Festen and Cabaret; The Wizard of Oz (Palladium); Joseph (Adelphi and New London); Evita (Dominion); and the Windrush musical The Big Life (Lyric Theatre). Broadway highlights include: Dancing At Lughnasa, Medea, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, Théâtre de Complicite’s The Chairs (multiple Tony Awards). Blood Brothers, which he also directed, ran for three years on Broadway (Music Box) and 24 years in the West End (Phoenix).

CREATIVE TEAM

Director: Sean Mathias; Set Designer: Lee Newby; Costume Designer: Loren Elstein; Lighting Designer: Zoe Spurr; Composer and Sound Designer: Adam Cork.