Members of BECTU at the Royal Shakespeare Company will strike on 15th September in protest at the job cuts which are part of the proposed reorganisation of the company, announced in May. Under the proposals up to sixty jobs in Stratford and 85 in London may go. On 30th August 90% of the union's membership voted for strike action.
The strike is supported by Professor Peter Holland, one of the RSC's governors, who is also opposed to the proposed changes. He feels that the strike will raise public awareness of what the company will lose through the reorganisation.
Academic honours for Branagh and Walter
Kenneth Branagh and Harriet Walter have been awarded honorary Doctorates of Literature by the University of Birmingham as part of the fiftieth anniversaery celebrations of the university's Shakespeare Institute in Stratford.
Kent and McDiarmid to leave the Almeida
Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid, joint artistic directors of Isl;ington's Almeida Theatre, are to leave the company next summer. In a statement, the two said, "An inherent truth in any artistic pursuit of this nature is that it cannot last forever. To have created, along with many others, a theatre of vision and commitment has been entirely rewarding but we believe now is the time to go."
The two have worked together at the Almeida since 1990 and have built up a world-wide reputation for the quality of the work produced at the theatre which has attracted major stars to work with them. Amongst those who have apppeared in Almeida prodyctions are Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Kevin Spacey.
The move has excited speculation that one or both may be joining the race to become the next director of the RNT.
London's Barbican, which includes the theatre and arts centre and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, has been listed as a Grade II building of special architectural interest for its scale, its plan, its cohesion and the ambition of the project. The listing means that alterations cannot be made to the buildings without taking its unique features into account.
The following is taken from the Society of London Theatre Website:
If you are a regular theatregoer with a keen critical eye, then you could be a Laurence Olivier Awards panellist. Since 1976, members of the theatregoing public have been helping the Society of London Theatre pick the winners of Britain's most prestigious theatre awards. The Awards year runs from January 1 to December 31 2002 and panellists will receive complimentary tickets for each production they are asked to see. There are four independent judging panels covering theatre, opera, dance and the work of the Society 's affiliate members (Almeida, Hampstead, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Tricycle and Young Vic). If you would like to apply please call the Olivier Panel Hotline on 020 7557 6777. Or, from next week, you can apply on-line at the Laurence Olivier Awards page of the site. Please note that people professionally connected with the theatre industry are not eligible to be public panellists and that previous panel members are unlikely to be reselected. The decision of the selection panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Only successful applicants will be contacted. The closing date for all panel applications is November 16 2001.
Soapstars an insult, Equity says
Soapstars, the TV programme which offers participants the chance to star in Emmerdale is an insult to the acting profession, Equity has said. It iss, a union statement ays, "an insulting affront to the men and women in our profession who endure low rates of pay, rejection and humiliation in the course of their work, despite their training, experience, dedication and talent".
The programme, a follow-up to Popstars which produced the group Hear'Say, is essentially a massive public audition to find a new family for the rural soap.
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