158 roles at risk at RSC over ongoing crisis created by pandemic
THE Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has revealed that 158 roles are at risk as it continues to cope with the devastating effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on the arts.
The Stratford-based company said it has begun a formal consultation with its permanent workforce trade unions and staff representatives.
It said the consultation process, which will look at redundancies and changes in terms and conditions of employment, is a result of the ongoing impact of Covid19.
The RSC said that it hopes to keep the number of compulsory redundancies to below 90 - which would represent a 17% reduction in the workforce - through a number of measures.
They include redeployment into existing and newly created roles and applications for voluntary redundancy.
The consultation is expected to end in early December.
The RSC has also revealed it will concentrate its efforts going forward on the main Royal Shakespeare Theatre, with its other two theatres in Stratford (the Swan Theatre and The Other Place) remaining closed until 2022.
It said it would continue its education, digital and streaming activity throughout the autumn and winter to allow people to experience the RSC in their homes and schools.
This winter, small-scale socially distanced performances will take place in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and be streamed into homes.
The company will also stage free outdoor activity, and revealed it plans to reopen its West End hit, Matilda The Musical as soon as it is financially viable.
Planning continues for the full reopening of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in spring 2021 with full-scale productions of The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors, when the RSC hopes social distancing restrictions will be eased.
The production of the new family musical The Magician’s Elephant, due to open in November 2021, is set to go ahead as planned in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Gregory Doran, the RSC’S artistic director said: “We want to welcome our audiences back, to reopen again and to help our regional and wider economy rebuild itself, bringing people back into our towns and cities.
“Our financial position and uncertainty around future restrictions means that our immediate focus will be on our largest theatre in Stratford-upon-avon - the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. “We’re planning for a winter programme of events which will see a small number of socially distanced audiences back in our buildings, an exciting prospect with audiences also joining us online from their homes.” Mr Doran added: “We look ahead with optimism to 2021 when we plan for our postponed productions of The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors to finally make it to the stage, and for our glorious Matilda The Musical to re-open at the Cambridge Theatre alongside other shows to reignite the vital West End economy.
“We want our brilliant workforce, permanent and freelance, to be back doing what they do best, making live theatre.
“Throughout the pandemic we have supported young people and teachers around the country through RSC Education.
“It’s critical work that responds directly to support teachers and young people need now, and this will continue through newly developed ways of working that support learning at home and in school.”
Mr Doran revealed it had been “a difficult day” for the RSC.
He said: “We continue to face the challenges of the ongoing pandemic and today was a difficult day as we began formal consultation about potential redundancies with our fantastic staff.
“We will continue to respond creatively to the ongoing crisis and look forward to the moment when we can reopen our doors with full-scale productions.”
Catherine Mallyon, RSC executive director, added:”these are incredibly difficult times for everyone, and for the theatre community they are especially tough.
“Our live performance sector is experiencing one of the highest levels of loss of work anywhere: the personal impact of this is often devastating; the loss of skilled and talented people permanently from our sector is a very real worry for the future; and the impact on the nation’s economy immense.
“We are today taking tough decisions to cut costs and make sure we can reopen with confidence.”
We are today taking tough decisions to cut costs and make sure we can reopen with confidence. Catherine Mallyon