Credit Where Credit's Due

My husband works in the communications department for an accountancy firm. He is working late tonight with the rest of his team, helping to provide a corporate response to the Budget announcement that was made this afternoon. It's as twilight descends in my office/ bedroom, and I think of the long evening ahead of him, that I start reflecting on my recent CV mail outs.


Over the last few weeks I have been targeting theatre venues which I deem obtainable in terms of me auditioning and appearing in their productions. To put it bluntly, I am asking for the opportunity to apply for a job which I probably won't be paid for! I know I am not alone in this constant 'beavering away' to attain the much coveted 'job'. We are a massively over-saturated industry and competition is fierce. What baffles me is that the Government feels justified in making cuts to the arts, forcing projects to continue unfunded and therefore relying on artistes who are desperate for employment to work for free. With this in mind, I think it quite fair to say that we as a workforce are exploited. Arts and entertainment are an integral part of our existence, so, as they say, "the show must go on". However, I can't imagine any other industry that would accept the exploitation of its workers in such a way. Look what happened when Tesco supported the Government's workfare scheme, where shelf stackers worked for free.


Credit where credit's due, despite the lack of funding, artistes still produce top quality work. Take for instance, those at The Southwark Playhouse. I went last night to see its production of Adam Guettel's musical Floyd Collins starring Glenn Carter. Set within the Kentucky caves, it was so aptly performed within The Vault, emotionally charged, and earnestly played, that I really felt myself suffocating along with the hero, Floyd. It was a special piece of theatre. Speaking to one of the actors afterwards, he said he was exhausted, doing the show in the evening but having to work an office job in the day because the profit-share doesn't cover his rent... and this is professional theatre! Needless to say, he gave a fantastic performance.


So, I know this is a topic way out of my hands, but I wanted to dedicate a blog to the hard work and persistence of fellow artistes. What can be seen as a glamorous career choice is, for the majority, in reality, a daily battle. The determination stems from a real passion for what we do in which money has a minimalistic influence. It's not a plea for sympathy but more a homage to all the talented people out there who don't get the recognition they deserve.