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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 8, 2016 21:06:53 GMT
Generally the cast you get on tour are sub standard to London, pay is less, staying in hotels is not everyones cup of tea, away from their families, therefore you don't attract top talent, but I thought the lady playing Mrs Wilkinson was brilliant and the bloke playing Tony was superb, he deserves his break after playing in Title of the Show above a pub. Billy was excellent as all the children were. In my top 3 of the best musicals ever written. I urge all to see it. C'mon PoL. Not every actor appearing in the West End has family in London or even the South East. That's a huge generalisation and does a disservice to actors all over the country who have to move away from family and friends in order to get work. And if actors are really turning down paid employment because they don't like living in digs then I think they're in the wrong industry. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 8, 2016 21:54:44 GMT
That's not what I am saying, I am saying very good actors don't want to live out of a suitcase so therefore if you are an actor who lives in say Manchester, and you are touring around the country you are still going to be away from your family. I know time to time big actors go on tour and I did say that Mrs Wilkinson and Tony were brilliant. London is the only city in the UK that offer artists stability, permanence is important, I know if I had a family Skype, wouldn't do it for me. Also I know very good actors that are crying out for work, as the acting profession is saturated and would take any work available, even if it means being away from your loved one. Young actors would may welcome touring the country, as it is a bit of a adventure for them.
Manchester are getting Maxine Peake in Streetcar, in my book she is a first class actor.
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Post by firefingers on Jul 8, 2016 23:00:49 GMT
Hotels? I bloody wish. Subsistence is a smidge over 150 a week now, good luck getting 7 nights in a hotel for that. I am normally in some old dear's spare room with her 17 cats. Touring life does not agree with me.
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Post by Seriously on Jul 8, 2016 23:48:59 GMT
Generally the cast you get on tour are sub standard to London What a horrible thing to say. |
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Post by ToshiBoy on Jul 9, 2016 0:55:33 GMT
Hotels? I bloody wish. Subsistence is a smidge over 150 a week now, good luck getting 7 nights in a hotel for that. I am normally in some old dear's spare room with her 17 cats. Touring life does not agree with me. I don't know who you tour with by you should not be receiving subsistence, if touring, you should be receiving touring allowance which is £235 a week. |
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Post by firefingers on Jul 9, 2016 1:07:05 GMT
Hotels? I bloody wish. Subsistence is a smidge over 150 a week now, good luck getting 7 nights in a hotel for that. I am normally in some old dear's spare room with her 17 cats. Touring life does not agree with me. I don't know who you tour with by you should not be receiving subsistence, if touring, you should be receiving touring allowance which is £235 a week. Touring allowance is subsistence + travel money + a couple of other little bits, isn't it? The 150 figure is what is paid when working above a certain threshold of miles away from home. So that is the figure for just accommodation, I think. My touring experience is limited, and sadly on a buyout a lot of the time these days. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 9, 2016 7:14:19 GMT
Manchester are getting Maxine Peake in Streetcar, in my book she is a first class actor. Maxine lives in Salford. She moved back from London some years ago. That's probably why she's a fixture at the Exchange |
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Post by Michael on Jul 9, 2016 8:30:51 GMT
Hotels? I bloody wish. Subsistence is a smidge over 150 a week now, good luck getting 7 nights in a hotel for that. I am normally in some old dear's spare room with her 17 cats. Touring life does not agree with me. I don't know who you tour with by you should not be receiving subsistence, if touring, you should be receiving touring allowance which is £235 a week. Touring allowance is subsistence + travel money + a couple of other little bits, isn't it? The 150 figure is what is paid when working above a certain threshold of miles away from home. So that is the figure for just accommodation, I think. My touring experience is limited, and sadly on a buyout a lot of the time these days. Is the touring allowance the same for all cast and crew? Or would, for example, an MD get more than a drummer, a sound engineer more than a technician and a lead actor more than an ensemble member? And: Does the production company usually arrange all accomodations (and can maybe negotiate a better deal / discout as they are renting several rooms at a time) or is it everyone's own responsibility? |
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Post by theatremadness on Jul 9, 2016 11:03:11 GMT
I'm not sure on the touring allowance - I would've presumed that everyone will be on the same allowance, but maybe their actual weekly rehearsal/performance fee may differ depending on their role within the show.
Regarding accommodation, the production company can provide a digs list, but it is up to the individual to actually sort and book their accommodation and travel. There are many website and facebook groups specifically for digs for actors that most actors are aware of, and frequent tour-ers will tend to stay with the same people in their respective cities whenever they visit, if they are available. I once did a 2 month tour that visited 15 theatres in that time. It's a daunting prospect to have to organise it, but it just happens!
Also, can't get my head around PoL's comment that "very good actors don't want to live out of a suitcase". Don't they?!?!?! Where and who have you sourced this info from?? So only crap actors are fine with touring and living out of a suitcase? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, of course some actors choose not to tour - maybe they are at a later stage of their career of they've just started a family etc, I completely understand that but to completely generalise all touring actors as "sub-par" and that if you choose to live out of a suitcase you mustn't be very good is quite insulting! BB is quite right - few actors (not talking well-known people here) would turn down a large-scale tour.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 9, 2016 17:35:32 GMT
Now I didn't say crap actors did I?
'Very good actor' was a very poor choice of words from me, I should have said best actor for the role, they normally wouldn't opt to be away from their family if they have one, living out of a suitcase, different city each week, endless travelling up the motorways. Just saying it wouldn't be the best actor for the role preferred option normally. How many actors from the Billy Elliot tour, have been in the cast in London? How many cast members from other shows that play London do the cast, then actually go out and tour?
I agree subsidence for actors being £135 is very pitiful, that works out at 1 seat in the theatre sold for the whole week, provides 3 cast members there subsidence for that week.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2016 17:39:06 GMT
that works out at 1 seat in the theatre sold for the whole week, provides 3 cast members there subsidence for that week Oh! |
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Post by ToshiBoy on Jul 10, 2016 2:17:47 GMT
I don't know who you tour with by you should not be receiving subsistence, if touring, you should be receiving touring allowance which is £235 a week. Touring allowance is subsistence + travel money + a couple of other little bits, isn't it? The 150 figure is what is paid when working above a certain threshold of miles away from home. So that is the figure for just accommodation, I think. My touring experience is limited, and sadly on a buyout a lot of the time these days. Nope, Touring allowance is touring allowance, this is £235 per week. Travel Allowance is paid in advance on a weekly basis of 4 weekly depending on the contract, this is a standard rail fare from venue to venue, this has nothing to do with the touring allowance. If you live within 25 miles of you home (contractual home) address, you don't receive anything bar sometimes a rail card for the week. Sometimes, when in rehearsal you will get subsitinace which is normally around £150-£180 then officially on the road goes up to touring allowance. |
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Post by horton on Jul 10, 2016 4:01:28 GMT
There are plenty of West End regulars (and a smattering of the original cast) in this tour. Given the precarious state of the business, people take the work where they can get it. The idea that tour casts are "sub standard" is ridiculously dated.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2016 15:09:11 GMT
I didn't use the words "sub standard".
If you are easily pleased in the provinces with people like Phil Jupitus or Norman Pace being an exceptional actor, then clearly you have won your argument.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 15:11:57 GMT
Generally the cast you get on tour are sub standard to London I didn't use the words "sub standard". |
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Post by Michael on Jul 11, 2016 15:21:48 GMT
I didn't use the words "sub standard". If you are easily pleased in the provinces with people like Phil Jupitus or Norman Pace being an exceptional actor, then clearly you have won your argument. So I must have dreamed seeing John Owen Jones doing the Phantom and Les Mis UK tours? |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2016 18:11:43 GMT
John Owen Jones played both roles in the West End long before he was offered the role on tour, undoubtley he was offered handsome remuneration to play both roles, as a box office draw. He has never originated a leading role to open a new musical.
I don't care a stuff about his Sunday Roast too.
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Post by Michael on Jul 11, 2016 18:34:48 GMT
Now it's getting ridiculous. But I'll bite: Madalena Alberto in the Evita UK Tour, Emma Williams in the Annie get your gun UK Tour, Siobhan Dillon in the Cabaret UK Tour, Rebecca Trehearn in the Ghost UK Tour, Bonnie Langford and Amy Lennox in the 9 to 5 UK Tour, Earl Carpenter and Katie Hall in the Phantom UK Tour, Ramin Karimloo and Jon Jon Briones in the Miss Saigon tour, Dianne Pilkington and Earl Carpenter in the Beauty and the Beast UK Tour - to just name a few. Yes, you are completely right, they are all sub standard.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 18:41:00 GMT
Sir ian mckellen and patrick stewart
Robert lyndsey
Rufus hound
Michael ball
Brian conley
Samantha barks
Alexandra burke
Lee mead
Connie fisher
Not to mention various west end ensemble members who have gone on tour
Never mind regional theatre
To be honest in the last decade touring theatre has got as good if not better than the west end.
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Post by danb on Jul 11, 2016 18:50:48 GMT
Now it's getting ridiculous. But I'll bite: Madalena Alberto in the Evita UK Tour, Emma Williams in the Annie get your gun UK Tour, Siobhan Dillon in the Cabaret UK Tour, Rebecca Trehearn in the Ghost UK Tour, Bonnie Langford and Amy Lennox in the 9 to 5 UK Tour, Earl Carpenter and Katie Hall in the Phantom UK Tour, Ramin Karimloo and Jon Jon Briones in the Miss Saigon tour, Dianne Pilkington and Earl Carpenter in the Beauty and the Beast UK Tour - to just name a few. Yes, you are completely right, they are all sub standard. I completely agree but the bulk of those mentioned are 'either on their way up' rather than the 'on the way down' -ers like Williams and Burke etc. The point is more than MT is now the next step to many a short lived reality tv/soap career, especially if they trained beforehand. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 18:55:41 GMT
I wouldnt class emma williams or alexandra burke as on the way down.
The comment was tour casts are substandard. These comments show how absolutely ridiculous (and typically London centric snobbery) it is to make those statements. These are all people who have worked up to west end or broadway leads or have actually been in the west end and then toured, often in the same role. Therefore its not correct to say the west end is any better
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 18:59:12 GMT
Sir ian mckellen and patrick stewart Robert lyndsey Rufus hound Michael ball Brian conley Samantha barks Alexandra burke Lee mead Connie fisher Not to mention various west end ensemble members who have gone on tour Never mind regional theatre To be honest in the last decade touring theatre has got as good if not better than the west end. I agree, the quality of theatre we get in Plymouth now has vastly improved. The cheap shows we would have attracted 10 years ago are long gone (in the main). |
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Post by Michael on Jul 11, 2016 19:33:54 GMT
As the discussion in the Billy Elliot thread has recently moved away from the show itself to touring in general and the comparison of casts, I've moved all these posts into this new thread. Please continue the discussion here. Thanks.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2016 19:39:27 GMT
I did use Sub Standard then qualified it in a later post as being the best.
See all those names are desperate.
The only one that jumps out is Michael Ball, who was getting £30k a week for Edna Turnball and championed the role, before it came to the West End, as he did with Mack and Mabel, forgot what London theatre that transferred to. for Hairspray he only did selective dates.
Madalena Alberto hardly a name? Great actress though
Emma Williams had to resort to stripping to the buff to get a role.
A lot of those names were in the ascendency, on your list.
Things get desperate when you name Rufus Hound and Bonnie Langford period.
Sir Ian Mckellen and Patrick Stewart are only doing a short 3 week tour of 3 venues.
Brian Conley is pure class.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2016 20:00:35 GMT
Side stepping the comparisson of actors (others are doing a better job)
I take big issue with your idea that those of us 'In the provinces' have somehow substandard taste. Firstly many of these places you class as provincial backwaters have thriving theatre/arts scenes of their own outside of touring, Manchester as Maxime Peake was mentioned is a great example of that, so audiences there know the difference between quality actors/productions. Secondly it's an insult to even the most casual theatre goer to think that just because they don't live in London they don't know/deserve what you deem as 'quality' work.
Secondly, just because an actor hasn't happened upon the lucky break that brings them into the West End in a starring role doesn't mean they are less talented, it just means they weren't in that particular right place at the right time. Or you know they were busy doing great work somewhere you'd never set foot. Like the provinces. Wherever they are, sounds like somewhere filled with Hobbits to me. Brilliant.
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