05 April 2012
Posted in
Theatre
Good news for playwrights
The Writers’ Guild has agreed significant increases in minimum fees and other payments for writers working for the flagship national companies and many local and touring theatres.
An increase of just under 8% takes the benchmark fee for a play at the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company or Royal Court Theatre to £11,500. Attendance fees rise to £291 per week. These fees were last increased in April 2010, but the new deal more than compensates for the rise in the cost of living since then.
Under the Guild’s agreement with the Independent Theatre Council, which mainly covers smaller theatres and touring companies, a 3% increase has been agreed, bringing the minimum for a full-length play to £7,880 and attendance fees to £57.50 per day. These fees were last increased a year ago.
Discussions are continuing about revisions and updates to other sections of both agreements.
Writers’ Guild General Secretary Bernie Corbett said: 'We are pleased that these important theatre organisations have readily recognised the central role of the writer and agreed higher minimum fees reflecting recent rises in the cost of living. This is welcome at a time when theatres are having to cope with cuts in Arts Council and local authority support.'
The Guild is also seeking comparable increases in writers’ minimum fees in its other main theatre agreement, with the Theatrical Management Association, mainly representing larger regional and repertory theatres, whose fees were last increased in December 2010.
The full texts and rate cards of the Writers’ Guild’s theatre agreements can be found in the Rates and Agreements section of this website.
