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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 7, 2020 20:26:14 GMT
Awful news. Nick Holder has tweeted saying the entire cast (including his partner who played Rosie) have been “permanently laid off”.
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Post by ceebee on Aug 7, 2020 21:16:45 GMT
If they change their minds, I'm the first in line.
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Post by stevej678 on Aug 7, 2020 21:17:33 GMT
Here's how the show's official account marked the day the London cast were all let go... 😲
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 7, 2020 21:23:04 GMT
Wow.
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Post by Seriously on Aug 7, 2020 21:54:07 GMT
They'd just finished auditioning a new cast when COVID hit, and quite a few were thought to be leaving.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2020 23:07:12 GMT
To be fair, didn’t that post go up long before the announcement was made to the cast? It was probably a timed tweet on Hootsuite or something - wouldn’t be the first time that’s landed some poor, unsuspecting social media bod in the proverbial...
That said, probably kindest to delete it after the announcement.
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 7, 2020 23:37:36 GMT
Knowing a few people in the cast, it was going to be quite a large cast change, so that many have been a factor in the decision.
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Post by anthony40 on Aug 8, 2020 6:15:13 GMT
As awful as that news is (to be fair) what's the alternative? Wait around in limbo, endlessly hoping? How long can both camps wait? At least they know, have a decision and can move on, both personally and professionally.
But I am confident the show will be back. It's just too popular a feel-good show not too. And the success of both films have only added to that popularity.
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Post by talkingheads on Aug 8, 2020 7:58:28 GMT
As awful as that news is (to be fair) what's the alternative? Wait around in limbo, endlessly hoping? How long can both camps wait? At least they know, have a decision and can move on, both personally and professionally. But I am confident the show will be back. It's just too popular a feel-good show not too. And the success of both films have only added to that popularity. I think it would be the first post Covid show I'd choose to watch to cheer me up! |
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2020 17:06:10 GMT
As awful as that news is (to be fair) what's the alternative? Wait around in limbo, endlessly hoping? How long can both camps wait? At least they know, have a decision and can move on, both personally and professionally. But I am confident the show will be back. It's just too popular a feel-good show not too. And the success of both films have only added to that popularity. I would imagine that feel good musicals will see a boost when theatres eventually reopen. In times of uncertainly, that's often the case and IIRC Mamma Mia! on Broadway opened a month after 9/11 and it was the sort of show the city needed. |
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Post by firefingers on Aug 8, 2020 20:21:30 GMT
It's simple. The show can't open as social distancing and lack of tourists will decimate their takings. The government are now asking companies to put in some of the furlough money. The producers would thus be spending money with none coming in. The government flat out refused this week to make a special case for theatre and others that can not return. The producers either bankrupt themselves or shed everything they can to ensure that the show can be remounted when it is safe to do so.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2020 20:52:08 GMT
It's simple. The show can't open as social distancing and lack of tourists will decimate their takings. The government are now asking companies to put in some of the furlough money. The producers would thus be spending money with none coming in. The government flat out refused this week to make a special case for theatre and others that can not return. The producers either bankrupt themselves or shed everything they can to ensure that the show can be remounted when it is safe to do so. I really feel for the actors; but you are absolutely correct. This is the reality. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 8, 2020 21:20:11 GMT
This is true.. but the producers of this show have a LOT of money in the bank.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 6:15:09 GMT
This is true.. but the producers of this show have a LOT of money in the bank. If you think that money is sitting around in an easily accessible bank account then you don't know much about economics or investment... It always amazes me how people think everyone who is rich can simply write a cheque out of thin air. It really isnt that simple. |
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Post by talkingheads on Aug 9, 2020 7:14:41 GMT
This is true.. but the producers of this show have a LOT of money in the bank. Ah, must be funny in a rich man's world. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 7:49:46 GMT
This is true.. but the producers of this show have a LOT of money in the bank. If you think that money is sitting around in an easily accessible bank account then you don't know much about economics or investment... It always amazes me how people think everyone who is rich can simply write a cheque out of thin air. It really isnt that simple. 100% this. Also amazes me how people are unable to understand the difference between someone's personal wealth and their businesses. No matter how wealthy you are, you are not going to throw money away on things that are currently unviable. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 8:07:15 GMT
It's simple. The show can't open as social distancing and lack of tourists will decimate their takings. The government are now asking companies to put in some of the furlough money. The producers would thus be spending money with none coming in. The government flat out refused this week to make a special case for theatre and others that can not return. The producers either bankrupt themselves or shed everything they can to ensure that the show can be remounted when it is safe to do so. But were the actors furloughed in the first place? I understood they were self-employed, working on a contract, so unable to be furloughed. Thus receiving nothing at all from the company (although may be able to get some help through the government's scheme for the self-employed). |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 8:30:32 GMT
It's simple. The show can't open as social distancing and lack of tourists will decimate their takings. The government are now asking companies to put in some of the furlough money. The producers would thus be spending money with none coming in. The government flat out refused this week to make a special case for theatre and others that can not return. The producers either bankrupt themselves or shed everything they can to ensure that the show can be remounted when it is safe to do so. But were the actors furloughed in the first place? I understood they were self-employed, working on a contract, so unable to be furloughed. Thus receiving nothing at all from the company (although may be able to get some help through the government's scheme for the self-employed). Yeah I have never really understood this. I keep hearing that all actors are self employed. But if you are in a long running show with a yearly cast change is that still the case? Or are you employed by that producer for a year long contract? I had the impression that actors of long running shows were furloughed in the first instance but now realise this is probably wrong. If they are 'self employed' though, does that mean they stopped receiving pay the week theatres went dark? Or would producers be obliged to continue paying them for a reasonable amount of time? Whatever that means? Anyway, if the producers had already stopped paying them, all this announcement means is that they are being released from an obligation to keep them in the cast when they return. And does not have financial significance. The few that have spoken on Twitter however seem to imply that they ARE now at a financial loss though.... It's clearly complex - hopefully someone in the know of actors contracts with long running shows may know the answer! |
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Post by richey on Aug 9, 2020 10:05:41 GMT
What was the original tweet? It was taken down pretty promptly from what I can gather, I've not seen it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 10:07:10 GMT
What was the original tweet? It was taken down pretty promptly from what I can gather, I've not seen it. It's still there... |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 11:00:49 GMT
What was the original tweet? It was taken down pretty promptly from what I can gather, I've not seen it. Oh wait, sorry - you meant the official Mamma Mia tweet. 🤦♂️ |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 11:05:55 GMT
What was the original tweet? It was taken down pretty promptly from what I can gather, I've not seen it. Oh wait, sorry - you meant the official Mamma Mia tweet. 🤦♂️ Ahhh - must have been v quick - I didn't know there was one! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 11:37:26 GMT
Oh wait, sorry - you meant the official Mamma Mia tweet. 🤦♂️ Ahhh - must have been v quick - I didn't know there was one! It wasn't about the cast being let go. It was just a generic tweet promoting the show (someone had posted it earlier in the thread), but I guess was considered bad timing. |
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Post by danb on Aug 9, 2020 12:31:20 GMT
Unfortunately it just mirrors businesses the country and presumably the world over. I’m pretty sure that your ALW’s and Cam Macs covered everyones wages for the first month or so, but when it became apparent that this was a longer term crisis there would have been a realisation that it wasn’t sustainable. The company I work for has had to invest massively in PPE, screens and boosting it’s delivery arm to meet customer expectation and demand, and is now able to operate profitably again. Full bonus is being paid in-year in four instalments to thank us for continuing to work during lockdown, and to recognise our efforts. I feel valued and looked after and try to make sure that my team feel that too, every day. But I can well imagine it isn’t possible if you have knackered old buildings to maintain and a very tight margin in the first place. It is still business no matter how much you love what you do, and I’m sure the same is true of Littlestar & MM’s other producers; protecting the ‘now’ so that there actually is a future.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2020 12:34:05 GMT
As often happens, they may well have contracted out their publicity and promotion to a third party that is entirely unconnected to the show and knows nothing about it. Until recently I was still seeing advertising saying "See it today", including at the height of the lockdown when even if the show had been running nobody would have been allowed to travel to the theatre.
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