Working-class talent blighted by Covid-19 pandemic, says actor Michelle Collins
The actor Michelle Collins has warned that the screen and stage industries risk losing a generation of working-class talent if they are not offered further support during the coronavirus pandemic.
Collins, who played Cindy Beale over 10 years on EastEnders, said she feared “young working-class actors, who don’t come from privileged backgrounds” would “become disillusioned and leave the industry”. Collins and fellow actors have raised the alarm about how many freelancers have fallen between the cracks in the self-employment income support scheme (SEISS), mainly because they have a second income stream from often temporary PAYE work.
“A lot of actors rely on [work in] hospitality to supplement their income and they can no longer do that,” said Collins. “I want people to know that it is a misconception that all actors are wealthy. They certainly are not.” Many, she said, have “slipped through the net” of the government schemes. Last Friday, the Treasury announced that 2.3m claims worth £6.8bn had been made through SEISS and that chancellor Rishi Sunak is extending the scheme, with those eligible able to claim a second and final grant in August, capped at £6,570. But many have pointed out gaps in the system, including for those who have been self-employed for less than a year. Last week, Chester Storyhouse artistic director Alex Clifton told the Guardian that he was shocked by the situation for freelancers in the arts: “If we get this moment wrong, these people will drain away from our industry.”
To raise money for creatives affected by the coronavirus crisis, Collins teamed up with Genesius Pictures and with the actors’ union Equity whose benevolent fund provides members with financial assistance. She organised an ambitious video project, #FortheLoveofArts, and invited actors to perform a series of 50 short monologues to raise awareness of the appeal. She ended up with a dream cast including Ian McKellen, Pearl Mackie, Derek Jacobi, Lennie James, Lesley Manville, Adjoa Andoh and Layton Williams. Their performances can be viewed on the Equity Benevolent Fund’s YouTube channel. Some actors penned their own monologues; others perform famous speeches. Hugh Dennis wrote a piece for his Outnumbered co-star Claire Skinner. Collins, who performs a monologue by Chloe Moss, also matched particular writers and actors. Tony Grounds wrote a speech for McKellen and Coronation Street writer Susan Oudot created a piece for Manville. “I also gave a new writer, Tyler Rigby, who is only 21 and just out of uni, the chance to write for Danny Miller, a big Emmerdale actor,” said Collins.
So far the appeal has raised about a third of its £100,000 target. The Equity Benevolent Fund has been giving out £86,000 a week to support those who cannot afford to pay for food, utilities or other essentials. The union says there is no sign that applications are dying down and is appealing for donations from the public.
Collins hopes to secure a TV broadcast for the monologues and to publish a collection of them, with proceeds going to Equity. The book, she points out, will have many pieces suitable for future auditions for actors.
Maureen Beattie, Equity president, said: “We are particularly grateful to Michelle Collins for her generosity and commitment to the welfare of her fellow workers in the entertainment industry. The money raised will make a crucial difference to the thousands of performers and creatives that the Equity Benevolent Fund helps in this crisis.”
Collins, who has had prominent television roles in Two Thousand Acres of Sky and Coronation Street, was due to appear in a national tour of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party this spring. That production has now been postponed, along with a solo show that she planned to take to the Edinburgh festival. Early in her theatre career Collins performed at the Nuffield in Southampton, which went into administration last month. Without further support for individual creatives and organisations, she said, “so many theatres will close – there will be nowhere for them to work”.
