Ian McKellen donates £40,000 to help UK theatre workers through pandemic
Ushers, stage hands, dressers and those who work on the stage door of the nation’s empty theatres are struggling to survive during lockdown, with some even contemplating suicide according to the industry charity, The Theatrical Guild. Now Sir Ian McKellen, the renowned stage and screen star, has helped to launch an emergency fund to support them .
The actor, famous for playing Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s Tolkien films, has kicked off the fundraising drive with a donation of £40,000 of the money raised from his recent 80th birthday tour of British theatres.
“Many people who work in the theatre industry have seen their livelihoods disappear due to the coronavirus lockdown,” said McKellen. “I, for example, have received a distressing letter from a stage manager who is facing eviction from his home and can’t access government relief.”
The actor, who has recently announced a plan to play Hamlet again, 50 years after the last time, and who is now attending virtual rehearsals for the role, added that the emergency fund scheme is “a wonderful opportunity”.
The guild was set up 125 years ago to support those who, with their varied sets of skills, are the unsung heroes of staged performances. Most are low-paid, self-employed or on zero hours contracts and as a result many have fallen through the safety nets put up by the government to protect those who lost work during the pandemic.
Actors Eddie Redmayne and Prasanna Puwanarajah are also backing the new fundraising effort because of the evidence of serious need in the front-of-house and backstage community, which includes costumiers, wig makers, props assistants, scene painters, lighting and sound operators, box office and bar staff as well as cleaners.
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The privations of lockdown have meant many have been unable to pay their rent and several have considered suicide, Adam Bambrough, the guild’s general manager told The Observer.
“These people are a huge part of every single theatrical building in the country and they are the public face of many theatres. As well being mainly freelancers, those with jobs have been hit heavily by the swathe of redundancies happening in theatres,” said Bambrough. “Sadly I have heard from nine or 10 people who have been contemplating taking their own lives in the last few weeks. Many others are struggling to find the money for food and rent.”
The emergency appeal is aimed at helping with food bills, housing costs, mental health services and other basic essentials. The guild cites the example of one stage manager, Maria, who lost her room in theatre digs overnight when her production shutdown. The guild has given her money for temporary accommodation.
