You Me Bum Bum Train gives actors a bad ride, says union

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/jul/13/you-me-bum-bum-train-equity

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To the uninitiated, it sounds like the sort of special-interest nightclub you might come across in certain parts of London or Amsterdam. But to those in the know, You Me Bum Bum Train is a theatrical experience unlike any other – an unpredictable rollercoaster ride of a show in which you are both audience and star.

Performed by up to 250 actors for just one audience member at a time, the show set tongues wagging in 2010, when it was staged in the disused LEB building in Bethnal Green, east London, with the support of London's Barbican theatre. The reviews, though elliptical (critics are asked not to reveal details so as not to remove the element of surprise), were mostly effusive, and the show went on to win several awards. Now, performers are being recruited for a new version of You Me Bum Bum Train, which kicks off next Thursday near the Olympic site in Stratford as part of the Barbican's contribution to the London 2012 Festival. But a row is brewing.

The performers' union Equity is considering taking legal action against the company's two artistic directors, Kate Bond and Morgan Lloyd, on the grounds that none of the small army of actors and crew involved in the show – which costs £20 a ticket – gets paid. According to a spokesman, Equity has repeatedly contacted the directors following a complaint from a union member, but has not received a satisfactory response. So the union is seeking advice about whether it has a legal case to bring against You Me Bum Bum Train for failing to pay professional performers the minimum wage.

"We are frustrated that the production company will not enter into meaningful dialogue with us about paying performers," the spokesman said in a statement. "We believe the performers, most of whom are professional, should be paid. We also feel that as a publicly funded organisation they have a responsibility to treat their performers fairly."

Bond and Lloyd are illustrators by training and came up with the idea for You Me Bum Bum Train in 2004 after running a club night in which punters were pushed around in wheelchairs. They deny ignoring Equity's concerns, which they describe as "very vague". "If we haven't been in touch with them," Lloyd said, "it's probably because we've been too busy filling skips. This show is all hands on deck; we're a very small team, and we look after every part for the show ourselves."

They point out that the show's sheer scale – and its unprecedented actor-to-audience ratio – makes paying the performers and crew impossible. "Our last show involved 450 people," Bond said. "If we paid everyone at Equity rates, it would cost between £2.5 and £3m to stage. It's just not possible."

The directors stress that every performer and crew-member is involved on a voluntary basis: no formal auditions are held, so the actors aren't all professionals, and they can leave at any time – even in the middle of a performance. They also state that neither of them has ever taken a wage from the show. "Even if we could pay people," said Lloyd, "it would completely change the dynamic. The whole point is to create an exciting, inclusive experience – for the audience and the performers. We have people taking part who've never done anything like this before, and now they're thinking about performing professionally. We have people who've given up full-time, paid jobs, just so they can be a part of it. It's really special."

Eboni Dixon, a 20-year-old student actor from London, performed in the 2010 version of You Me Bum Bum Train, and is considering getting involved again this year. "I came across it when I was on my gap year," she said, "and I thought I'd do it for the experience. But even now that I'm training, I'd still do it – it's an amazing thing to be part of, and it's not as if anybody's making any money out of you."

She understands Equity's critical stance on theatre companies that don't pay their actors, but thinks the union is aiming at the wrong target. "So many big companies are getting away without paying performers," she says, "especially in TV and film. I've been in things like Made in Chelsea and Street Dance 3D, and not been paid anything at all. The companies think they can get away with it because so many people want to act."

This point about the increasing prevalence of companies expecting actors, especially those at the beginning of their careers, to work for free – and its negative effect on the profession as a whole – is echoed by actor, director and Equity member Samuel West. "I haven't seen a You Me Bum Bum Train show yet," he said. "The idea of having one audience member at a time can be terribly exciting for both audience and performers, and by its nature won't earn much from the box office. But no matter how good the artistic results, I can't support a working model where actors aren't paid at all. Otherwise the only people who can afford to be in those shows are those who have other jobs or savings or private incomes – and that alters the demographic of actors you can use, and eventually the demographic of the profession."