Stage show in doubt

Press, 3 September 1982, Page 4

Stage show in doubt

Uncertainty still hangs over this evening’s performance of “Twin Messiahs" at the Court Theatre in Christchurch. Production staff workers at five of New Zealand’s six community theatres are threatening to take industrial action from Noon today after a breakdown in their award talks.,' The president of Actors’ Equity in Christchurch. Mr Endel Lust, would not elaborate on the proposed action. He said that a decision would not be made until noon — the deadline for management to respond to the workers’

demands. Production staff workers in the five theatres were originally to have gone on strike from noon yesterday, but they decided in Wellington yesterday to postpone action until all theatre managements had been informed of the strike, reports the Press Association. The secretary of the Wellington branch of Actors’ Equity, Mr Nigel Petrie, said yesterday that the Theatre Corporate and Mercury Theatres in Auckland, the Court Theatre in Christ- • church, and the Fortune Theatre in Dunedin would

take stop-work action.. These theatres might have to cancel some shows. Wellington's Downstage Theatre production workers are imposing an overtime ban and will work to rule. Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North has been exempted from action by Equity because of its financial difficulties. Mr Petrie said he did not know how long the industrial action would continue. Theatre production workers seek pay relativity with actors. Their award talks have been under negotiation for six months