‘ Lockdown has left actors
SHAMELESS star David Threlfall says the nation’s actors have been “locked out” as their industry teeters on the brink of extinction.
The stage and TV veteran, 66, admits the postponement of live theatre performances has had a devastating impact on the vast majority of jobbing actors.
He said: “For actors a whole area has been sliced away. We have been literally locked out of our place of work. We are bereft. The majority of actors are as hard- working as any part of society you could name.”
David, a Royal Shakespeare Company associate, has kept busy during the lockdown, working with the theatre to provide its online educational content. The actor, who found TV fame as Frank Gallagher in Channel 4 hit Shameless, is now worried about what will happen to his industry if theatres don’t reopen soon.
He added: “Whether it’s a high- profile company like the RSC or the small Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, things won’t be the same.
“And it’s not just bigger companies such as the National Theatre, where jobs
have recently been axed, or the RSC, who have had to furlough 90 per cent of staff. We mustn’t forget others.
“Is it too late for some of them? Southampton, Norwich, Chester. It reads like a relegation battle – which it is.
“But the difference here is that all these theatres are being relegated to nowhere as opposed to the league below.”
David said there is now an opportunity to rebuild the in- house repertory system, where a resident acting company keeps a repertory of plays that are always ready for performance, often presenting a different one each night of the week.
He added: “The only place young actors can get a sense of being part of a company playing different parts is the RSC.
“Let’s spread the load. It could be one big positive to come out of all this mess.”