Theatre Bingeing...

This month, I've seen quite a lot of stuff at the theatre. I saw Viva Forever, A Chorus Line, Merrily We Roll Along, The Cripple of Inishmaan and Much Ado About Nothing...the latter was actually at the cinema...but it's Shakespeare, so still counts, right?

The reason I saw Viva Forever was out of curiosity, more than anything - I got a great ticket for £20 - fab! I was OK, but the lack of story made it pretty boring, if you want to hear about its misgivings, I wrote a mini review about it here. At the other end of the spectrum that day, was A Chorus Line, which quite frankly, made Viva look like a school play. But the saddest part is, shortly after, ACL announced it's closing! So sad.

Merrily was without a doubt the highlight of the month. It was glorious. The acting was so good. I was really taken with Josephina Gabrielle's portrayal of Gussie, the way she seemed to get more innocent and quieter throughout the show really was awesome to see...well crafted character acting. If you don't know what it's about, you'll see why that's so fascinating to watch.

Inishmaan was very good. Everyone has gone nuts over Daniel Radcliffe, but to be honest, I just didn't get him. His irish accent wobbled on a few occasions, and there was something weirdly introvert about the way he took the scene in his hotel room, where he kept coughing. It was like he forgot he was in a theatre. I don't know. Don't get me wrong though, he was good, I just don't get what all the fuss is about.

Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing was fantastic though. An understated movie. Filmed over 12 days at Whedon's house and featuring familiar faces, for all Angel fans. The black and white tone gave this film a simple and classy edge. I really enjoyed it, and can't wait to get it on DVD.

Dignity in the Workplace. A response to Jess Gow's blog.

A few times last week, I noticed the same blog post getting shared on my Facebook homefeed. It was from a blogger I hadn’t heard of before. A Girl In the Dark - recently posted a charming and clever blog entry, and faux application to be Artistic Director of the National Theatre. Of course, it wasn’t a real and actual application. I have to say, I loved it. Having worked in professional theatre, I smiled to myself at certain salient points that someone might only really understand if they had worked in theatreland themselves.

It stayed with me and rattled around my head. Whether she knows it or not, she touched on some very important issues about life in the theatre workplace., that struck a chord with me. It felt good to know that someone else shared a similar opinions as me. Then, I was somewhat horrified when I read her follow up post about an Actor who made her feel like an idiot, by implying that by raising issues, such as her choosing to only work with actors who came with no ego, she was attacking the industry she was in. 

The thing that stood out for me, was the issue of bullying in the workplace (or rather her quips about invoking a rule to only work with a company that were "normal" human beings and not pretentious, vicious lovies). So, the response from whoever-this-big-name-actor-is, was to "suck it up"...is this an acceptable response from anyone, in any industry? I wonder what the HR dept of your standard company office would think about that?

And here lies the problem. Weirdly, theatre seems to govern a certain reverence from people, like a hallowed arena. From people I’ve spoken to and twitter feeds I’ve seen, the perception of the public about a theatre company, is that it runs smoothly and everyone is like a happy family. Actually get behind the safety curtain, it can be, and often is a different matter altogether. 

I've worked in the West End with a beautiful family-like company… and also with a fractuous, back biting company. I've worked with uncomfortable regional theatre companies and very comfortable national theatre companies. I don’t know what it is about Theatre compared to other industries I’ve worked in, but the egos you can come across are astounding. Of course, also, the humble and lovely people you meet are as equally astounding.

What I don't understand is, why no one seems to call out those who possess the drama school, stage brat, diva attitude at work? In my experience, it just doesn't happen. Weirdly though, it's not just actors, it's stage managers and behind the scenes folk too. Getting bums on seats, and making money is the priority of theatreland, understandable. But sadly, it's not about protecting your company from infectious negativity and diva-like bullying.

When I read about the actor who seemed to slam Jess’s blog post, I rolled my eyes, and thought "fucking typical". Here is someone, putting something out there that, in my opinion, Company Managers, Producers and yes, Equity should listen to.

Why doesn’t people's behaviour have an influence on their career? And yes, of course it does sometimes – I know of some theatre folk with reputations for being unreliable, that some producers probably wouldn't touch with a bargepole. But there isn’t any sort of “we will work with you, if you work like a professional” culture. In some ways, the subtext of Jess’s blog being sssh’d by whoever-that-actor-is was, "I doesn’t matter how people treat you if you the audience loves them, you need to just get on with it and put up with them". If this was any other workplace, you could probably talk about it with your manager, and they might be able to do something, because there is a duty of care, particularly respecting every employee’s right to dignity in the place. The problem here though, is that the theatre industry is so bloody competitive, people are scared to rock the boat, and would rather get on with doing what they love, rather create a problem, and potentially be asked to leave.

This is wrong.

My friend posted a really interesting article about bullying in the arts, so at last, it is being brought to light...but will articles like this ever make a difference? Will the issue keep developing, or will the people who actually speak up, at work, just get pushed to the back, in silence?

I decided to leave theatre a couple of years ago. I lived the dream for a little while, but the reality and the pay cheques meant that I couldn't sustain a career. I'm happy though, seeing people I worked with go on to bigger and better things, and still fulfilling my theatre appetite with frequent theatre binges. Personally though, I wouldn't say I was bullied, but I certainly saw a lot of things that I knew weren't right, and I probably should have, or could have said something, anything, to someone. But, I put the reason I didn’t, down to fear. I adored each and every moment I spent working in theatre - it didn't feel like work, it felt like a priviledge.  I was there to make a piece of theatre. The purpose of my being there, ultimately, was the show. The show must go on (cliché, but imperative). I saw people be obstructive at detriment to a show because they weren't happy about this or that, I saw people deliberately defy company managers, as well as constantly bitch about the producers… and just generally create a bad atmosphere. Idiots.

On one show, I didn't really have a defined role, I would just do extra things, whatever I could to help out, and make “it” work. I remember once, when we moved into our theatre, and knowing the cast were heading to the stage for the first time, I helped finish off hoovering the stage for one of the stage hands. Upon some of the company appearing, I remember being greeted with a sneer of "Why are you doing that? That's not your job"...I felt dumbfounded, I felt like shouting back; "you mean, we're too good to clean?". It didn’t feel like they were joking either. It was ridiculous. For some (I really emphasise "some") professionals in theatre, it's clear that the only reason they're there, is for themselves and to massage their egos. It’s not for the show at all. They want things to run their way, or no way. 

You can't afford to have such an ignorant and abhorrent attitude in life, so why is OK to have that attitude in theatre? Why isn't it spoken about more? Do drama schools have a class about "being a professional in the industry" and teaching respect for each and every director they work for, even if they don't agree or particularly like what they're doing? They’re in someone else’s show, to be directed. They’re working with a team of Stage Managers, who are there to help the Company and the Director put together the vision. The contract was signed to show that you agree to work with them, not work against them. Without the Producers, you might not have a show in the first place, so for pity’s sake, don’t bitch about them.

So, whoever this actor is, I hope they understand that by Jess and other people pointing out that the theatre isn't always as rosy, as it's fans might feel it is - that that blog was an opportunity to make a stand to highlight the better way...not to see it as a reason to chastise someone for pointing out the fundamental Right of each and everyone of us - dignity in the workplace.

One day, if ever I end up with millions, and running my own Theatre Company, with my portfolio of international Theatres, oh and with my own production company to boot - I will be employing those with impeccable reputations, with a proven track record of demonstrating a fantastic work ethic. I have no room or time for people who have an ego that is the size of the West End itself. No time for anyone who can make someone else feel uncomfortable, without having the balls to apologise when appropriate.

By the way, this is never going to happen…my career focus isn’t on theatre at the moment…so, if anyone wants to live this out for me, I would happily oblige by buying an ice cream in the interval and then helping you hoover the stage at the end of the evening.

Thanks for reading this ranty post.

Marc :)