Soc Bitch doesn’t usually feature online—I’m trying to cut back my screen time—but some hot gossip fresh from the Bloomsbury Theatre (and an editorial diktat) has forced me out of hibernation.
Word on the street is that Stage Crew is being treated like shit by certain RADA-wannabe theatre societies. That’s right, the very same Stage Crew that has been doing all of the stage design for virtually every student production in the Bloomsbury Theatre (and more), often with limited budget and almost always for free.
Bitchy sources have reliably informed me that Slave Crew was last week subjected to shouting, arrogance, and the general flamboyant rage expected from grown-ass theatre kids during a certain play about shellfish. The drama kids couldn’t even fork out £15 for the production’s snack budget, which Stage Crew ended up paying for.
In an incredible demonstration of generosity and kindness, Slave Crew was invited to the cast after-after party—that is, until they changed their mind and decided they actually “[didn’t] want any Stage Crew people there”. Too bad for the folks who stayed around until 2am to clean up their production I guess.
Soc Bitch understands that this is far from the first time Slave Crew has been mistreated once the curtains drew, but it certainly took them a while to realise the vile behaviour they’ve been subjected to time and again probably isn’t OK.
The invisible stage hands are labouring on anyway, partly for career purposes and partly for the love of the game. But why be bullied by a student wannabe-actor when you could be on a real set being abused by a method-acting Christian Bale?
Indeed, aside from slaving away for no money, UCL Stage Crew is truly unique in Britain in that they are expected to fork out their own hard-earned cash to buy any supplies. Not to tell them what to do, but if this Bitch were in Stage Crew I would be pushing for a SAG-AFTRA-esque strike. Then again, I’ve got no stakes in this, I just live for the gossip.
Unfortunately, these theatre kids’ inflated egos show little signs of dimming; their superiority complex is probably difficult to shed. Maybe if they lost Stage Crew they’d realise what they had all along. Perhaps next time they can build their own life-sized moving carousel within a week and see how they like it.
