Hello, and welcome back to Week in Review, our roundup of industry-wide news. From stage to screens big and small, we’ve got you covered. It’s everything you need to know and all you can’t afford to miss.
West End musical sparks cultural appropriation row
West End musical Falsettos has become a lightning rod for criticism over cultural appropriation in the theatre industry, with an open letter comparing the casting of non-Jews to the historical practice of blackface. Coming to London after a successful Broadway run, the revival of a 1992 musical about a dysfunctional Jewish family coming to terms with the AIDS crisis features no Jewish cast members or creative team, a move which has angered many. Signatories of the open letter, which included actors Miriam Margolyes and Maureen Lipman, said the non-Jewish cast and team was “at best...a startling lack of cultural sensitivity and at worst, overt appropriation and erasure of a culture and religion.”
The letter argued: “The theatre industry has rightfully begun to take a long, hard look at diversity,” but noted that Jews were being “omitted from this important and necessary conversation.” Falsetto producers Selladoor responded that it would have been inappropriate to ask performers about their religion in auditions, stating the musical’s original creators had a “direct input” in both the production and the “extensive casting process.” However, director Adam Lenson, founder of new group Jewish Artists’ Collective, said there had been “a lack of empathy” in Selladoor’s response, accusing producers of gaslighting the Jewish community. Responding to the row, Lenson said: “Jews are not a separate case, we are not a special case. We are a minority looking for meaningful inclusion in the stories about us.” Read more here.
Claims of malpractice at Courtyard Theatre ‘tip of the iceberg’
Claims of non-payment, aggression and “filthy conditions” at Hoxton’s Courtyard Theatre are “just the tip of the iceberg,” according to warnings from the Independent Theatre Council (ITC). Although the East London venue has been the subject of horror stories for some months, ITC chief Charlotte Jones told The Stage the group were aware of “dozens of buildings where this kind of practice is happening,” with organisations exploiting artists “desperate to work.”
Jones warned that performance venues set up under “club-type rules” were avoiding regulation and charging companies to stage work in unsafe spaces, with workers in the theatre sector “terribly open to exploitation.” Jones said: “The conditions are particularly bad, the audience experience is pretty awful, people are uninsured, the health and safety rules are appalling, the level of cleanliness is outrageous and the public are kind of duped by it.” She added that companies and artists should stick to venues who are members of professional associations such as ITC.
Survey reveals gendered ageism of film and TV
A survey of regular film and TV viewers has revealed that just 11% can name 15 leading women over 40, despite more than half being able to name 15 men in the same category. Of the 220 people surveyed by the Acting Your Age campaign, 98% said they were happy to see female actors over 40 in leading screen roles, with 95% saying young female performers should expect career longevity based on talent rather than age, showing a disparity in viewers’ expectations and the reality of the industry for many women over 40.
Campaign founder Nicky Clark argued the results shone a light on gendered ageism within the acting industry and revealed the imbalance of opportunities between male and female performers as they get older. Clark said: “In an industry as old and established as film and TV, we’re still seeing the everyday ageist and sexist attitudes we saw at its inception.” Read more here.
Sara Pascoe commissioned by BBC Two
BBC Two has commissioned a new six-part comedy series from Sara Pascoe based on her previous comedy short Sara Pascoe vs Monogamy. Subverting the traditional sitcom format with surreal asides and factual content, the series sees Pascoe aim to prove romantic love is just chemicals and conditioning while simultaneously preparing for her sister’s wedding. Produced by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s Stolen Picture, the first series of the as-yet-untitled sitcom begins shooting later this year.
READ: See Sara Pascoe + More Events For London Actors 1–15 September
White men still rule the film industry
White men remain the decision-makers and gatekeepers for big-budget commercial films, with the glass ceiling for women firmly still in place, according to the head of the BFI London Film Festival. The BFI’s Tricia Tuttle welcomed a strong show of movies directed or co-directed by women at the London Film Festival (LFF) but warned the gender imbalance still remained in the commercial film sector.
Although the BFI has a 50/50 gender split for films it finances, Tuttle said this was far from the case with commercial films: “I have friends who are filmmakers, who work in film and television, and they feel frustrated that they can’t get the kind of budgets that some male film-makers can, so it is still an issue.” She added those making decisions about big-budget films were still “typically male and white” and that this was reflected in the domination of Oscar and BAFTA awards by men. One film appearing at the LFF which looks to buck this trend is A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood by director Marielle Heller, an awards contender starring Tom Hanks.
READ: What to See at the 2019 London Film Festival
Theatre rep season is cancelled
New Wimbledon Theatre’s rep season has been cancelled after an investor pulled out, putting an end to the company just days ahead of opening. Featuring a season of plays that included Laura Wade’s Breathing Corpses and The Night Before Christmas by Anthony Neilson, the initiative from the New Actors Company included actors David Burt, Dave Fishley, and Imogen Smith. Due to run until the end of the year and despite strong ticket sales, a statement from the New Actors Company said the rep season had been cancelled due to “a last-minute withdrawal of confirmed investment.”
For more from Backstage UK, check out the magazine.