RSC could lose half its employees; Royal Exchange 50th launch event; new podcast episode: Rebecca Atkinson-Lord of An Tobar and Mull Theatre; Bookshop.org Booker Prize offer
News, reviews, features and podcast on theatre across the UK
The British Theatre Guide Newsletter
No 1230: 21 September 2025
Editorial
The big news this week in British theatre was the announcement that the RSC could be looking to lose hundreds of jobs, with 420 of its 835 non-freelance employees made eligible for voluntary redundancy. Steve Orme reported this in our news pages on Wednesday, and Philip Fisher has looked more deeply into the implications.
The reasons given by joint Artistic Directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans are to do with rising energy prices and costs of materials over the last few years, the increased cost of employing people (perhaps a reference to the increase in National Insurance employers’ contributions) and reduced spending power of audiences.
Although governments of any colour do not see supporting arts and culture as something that would win votes, despite the sector being one of the largest contributors to the economy and a major employer, I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be the ones in charge when such an important national organisation folded, but I think that we are a way off that yet. But I wonder how much halving the number of front-of-house staff, prop and costume makers, bar staff, stage management, technicians and everyone else that keeps an organisation like this running is going to affect the quality of what we see on stage as audiences.
On Monday, I was at another ‘Royal’ theatre that has had its challenges recently, albeit not principally financial. The Royal Exchange Theatre decided to put on a launch event for its 50th anniversary season, something they haven’t done before to my knowledge, and as we were promised entertainment and, more to the point, canapés, I thought it was worth a bus ride into Manchester. We were treated to an appearance from Sir Tom Courtenay, who has performed many times before on that stage but not for quite a few years, and comedian and actor Lucy Beaumont, as well as playwrights Rory Mullarkey and Tolu Okanlawon, hosted by recently titled Artistic Director Selina Cartmell and ending with “Send in the Clowns” from next year’s Christmas show, A Little Night Music.
When I saw a press release come in for the only producing theatre in the Scottish islands, on Mull in the Hebrides, I wanted to know more about it. When I found out that the person who runs it moved there from Ovalhouse (now Brixton House) in London, I thought she would be interesting to talk to. So I did for this week’s new podcast episode. And she was.
Rebecca Atkinson-Lord is currently in rehearsal for an adaptation of Sarah Moss’s novel Night Waking, which will open at Mull Theatre next week before touring to venues of various sizes, from the Traverse in Edinburgh to rural village halls. We spoke about this production, and also about the challenges of touring to venues where some of the audience may arrive by boat and have to wait for the tide to get home, or where there needs to be a ‘sheep poo clause’ in the contract for the venue (listen to find out why), as well as what she misses about working in London.
One of the companies with which we have an affiliate scheme, Bookshop.org, is putting anyone who buys any book from its site from 22 to 24 September into a draw for a £250 gift card, to coincide with the announcement of the Booker Prize shortlist on 23 September. Every sale to Bookshop.org supports independent bookshops rather than multinational corporations, and if you buy something through a link here or on our web site, it also supports BTG as we get a small cut at no extra cost to you.
English National Opera's debut Greater Manchester season will include its first ever production of Albert Herring, transferring from the London Coliseum to The Lowry.
English National Opera's debut Greater Manchester season will include its first ever production of Albert Herring, transferring from the London Coliseum to The Lowry.
“Europe’s first purpose-built theatre-in-the-round” will celebrate the beginning of its 40th anniversary with a spring season including three major productions.
English National Opera's debut Greater Manchester season will include its first ever production of Albert Herring, transferring from the London Coliseum to The Lowry.
Sherlock Holmes and the Hunt for Moriarty (Blackeyed Theatre In association with Theatre Royal Winchester and South Hill Park) - Forum Theatre Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, –
Eddie Izzard's Hamlet (Mick Perrin Worldwide Ltd in association with PBJ Management) - ARC, Stockton Arts Centre, Stockton on Tees,
Sherlock Holmes and the Hunt for Moriarty (Blackeyed Theatre In association with Theatre Royal Winchester and South Hill Park) - Northern Stage, Newcastle Upon Tyne, –
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody (Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale and Oskar Eiriksson in association with The Barn Theatre Cirencester) - Sunderland Empire, Sunderland, –
