WEST END CONTRACTS AND ACTORS WAGES | (ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS)

Want to know how many hours a West End Actor is contracted to work? How they decide whether a role in a Musical is a 'lead', or what kind of payments you can expect as a Swing? I'm answering ALL of these, plus a ton more in this video!
Want to be an Actor in the West End? Watch this first!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:22 Swings and dance captains
02:46 Lead role or supporting lead?
04:58 Contract negotiation
06:09 Tax
07:17 Hours you have to work
S U B S C R I B E: goo.gl/RZSBdt
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Lead Roles I've Understudied in the West End: • Lead Roles I've Unders...
Thanks so much for the support! Absolutely no idea what I'm doing but that's the fun isn't it!

[@natefame]

Georgia, I have another video idea I’d love to see! How much time are actors allowed off? Are they punished for missing shows outside of their contracted days off? Is their pay docked?

[@natefame]

Georgia, this might be a separate money video but I’d love to hear your thoughts on why broadway actors get paid almost double then their UK counter parts, when they essentially do the same job. (Broadway equity minimum is $2034 usd) And more broadly, does that difference affect the lifestyle of a UK actor vs a Broadway actor?

[@thatoneemilyxox]

Thank you so much! Your videos are so helpful!

[@GeorgieAshford]

THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING! 💖LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF HOURS?? LINK TO THE VIDEO I REFERENCE HERE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2rbn56FYreWgJI💖

[@scswp6945]

£69 per week for a swing? That is ridiculous! I’m really shocked by that. Why do people accept such roles?

[@JonnyissoAwesome]

It's the base ensemble wage + £69, not just £69 that would be mental!

[@kareninacarado]

Hi Georgia! Love your vlogs! I know theatre awards season just finished, but I wonder if actors do get a raise if they get nominated for an Olivier or Tony, or even some commendations from the likes of the Ian Charleson Awards or WhatsOnStage. Would nominated actors get a raise if their show is ongoing or would the nominations/awards simply be a visibility booster when looking for their next role?

[@sharonh249]

Thank you very much for all this inside information. I have a bit of a sensitive question: I am wanting to send a monetary gift to an actor but I do not want to go via their agent. Is there any way of sending them money directly, seeing that we cannot contact them directly. If there is no way of bypassing the agent, would the agent take a cut? I really feel this actor is not being properly represented by their agent so I want to help them out.

[@Phelie315]

I would've assumed that in Les Mis Valjean and Javert would be lead roles, all the others with solos (Fantine, Epinone, Marius, Enjolras, the Thernadiers and so on) would be supporting roles and then for example the other students, the Bishop or the factory woman who outs Fantine in the beginning would be features roles. But then you also have shows like Come From Away, I wonder how they worked that one out? Is everyone a lead? Everyone supporting? Did they differentiate? That would be interesting to find out :)

[@emmermayonegg]

I’d love a breakdown of some shows and what roles are considered lead/supporting etc like I saw DEH the other night and based on the definitions I feel like only Evan would be the lead, and then like everyone else could be supporting? But then does someone need to step down a bit e.g. Alana I guess could be feature but then if she is then Connor and Jared could also be considered features? I think it’s easier with something with a bigger cast because “ensemble” becomes more clear, and then within the ensemble you can pick out people who could be considered features but with a cast of 8, or like someone else said, with CFA, is almost everyone considered supporting/lead as a result?

[@samuelblachon95130]

CAN YOU DO A VIDEO ON THE BRIDGERTON MUSICAL DRAMA PLEASE

[@luctownend2514]

So am I correct in thinking that the least paid roles are people in the ensemble who cover no roles? Also is there a pay gap between the ensemble and the lead roles when they aren't like a star name?

[@amy2460]

So how does it work for the swing contracts on Six? I'm guessing they're called swings but actually are contracted more like standbys for multiple roles, coz they don't have a full time track in the show as there's no ensemble?

[@dorothygracefranklin]

think so to

[@TeanoZ]

Do swings get paid £69 per track they learn or is it a blanket payment? (So do you get the same if you cover 2 tracks vs 4?)

[@kassidyj97]

Do you get paid more as an Equity actor vs Non Equity?

[@natefame]

Wait Georgia, did you mispeak? 69 pounds per week is only $83 American dollars?

[@GeorgieAshford]

No that’s correct! That is on top of their wage also x

[@natefame]

@@GeorgieAshford oh I see, so there’s the base minimum plus that.

[@lilymasters2705]

@@natefame yeah I was confused as well I thought how can someone live off £69 a week but if there is a base wage that makes a lot more sense xx

[@SamarkandChan]

That's so low for a swing, what are they meant to do to make a living? They have to be available every night of the show and keep up with it... So what else can they do?

[@Zsangel08]

That's on top of their base wage per week