Rodents take centre stage in West End

15 March 2010

Three-quarters of actors and stage managers in the West End report regular infestations including mice, rats and fleas, a report from actors’ union Equity found.

Nearly 59 per cent said that vermin infestation problems were not dealt with “quickly and effectively”.

The findings are the result of Equity’s West End Spring Clean Campaign conducted in February. The report is based on responses from nearly 350 performers and stage managers in 24 theatres, “many of them featuring world-famous shows”, Equity said.

Among the theatres surveyed were the Adelphi, Apollo Victoria, Cambridge, London Palladium, Prince Edward’s, Prince of Wales and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Other findings include problems with heating. Nearly 27 per cent said the heating generally does not work “as it should”. More than a third of respondents said there were “problems with ventilation, for example air quality”.

Nearly 38 per cent said the temperature of the back stage area was not “comfortable” and almost a quarter said back stage was not “clean and tidy”.

Toilets, too, were an issue for nearly 30 per cent of respondents who said the facilities were not “well maintained and in good state of decorative repair”.

However, 78 per cent of respondents said repairs were “satisfactorily” attended to, with 14 per cent saying action was taken “very quickly”. Only 9 per cent said repairs were done “slowly”.

“Our floors have been eaten by mice,” said one respondent. Another said that they “see and hear mice, they eat through food packaging and even through one of the girl’s warm-up tops”.

Mice get everywhere, said a respondent: “I had tiny bite marks on my lipstick recently when I left the lid off.”

Equity General Secretary Christine Payne she knew it was bad out there, “but I am really shocked by this”.

She said she accepted that many West End theatres are old and difficult buildings to manage. “But this is running out of control.”

In addition to the infestations of vermin, the report said, there are “far too few cooking facilities”.

Virginia Wilde, Equity’s West End organiser said actors often have very short periods between a late matinee and the evening performance. “With two out of three performers not even having access to a microwave there is a danger of them performing without the fuel they need to meet the demands of their job.”

An Equity working party of West End performers and stage managers are now pouring over these findings before recommending urgent action to Equity’s governing council. The findings have already been sent to the Society of London Theatre, which represents theatre producers and owners.