SLEEPING ON BEACHES

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 31 October 1933, Page 3

SLEEPING ON BEACHES

ACTRESSES ON TOUR. NO LODGING AVAILABLE. Girl members of touring theatrical companies on the South coast of Eh'glaml, were lately being forced to sleep on. beaches because they could not find hotel accommodation owing .to record numbers of visitors. When they were able .to find lodgings it sometimes

meant sharing, a- room with two or three strangers. _ A girl who had been teuriilg with i> pdpular play .stated that her story was typical ,of hundreds of others. ..She said : “The trouble is that even when there is a room to snare the Inhdhi'dj will not let it for two or three days, and. take the risk of losing a two weeks’ let. . Also they know that even if we could afford it we know too rnnch about ‘digs’ to pay fancy, prices, and they find it more profitable to take holiday-makers ■ . . “At t one resort three of life spent more than six hours walking from door to door. There -were whole streets with ‘Rooms to let’ signs in the Windows. In every case it was the same story. As soon as they heard we were from the theatre we Were told to try Mrs Sb-and-sb lowed- down. In the ‘ehd

we .gave it up and slept on the tfea'ch. “At another plaice I was told I could share a room with three other girls. In another town I had to share a room with a woman and her young baby, and although I was dead’ tired after a matinee and evening performance, I had to act as nurse most of the night.” Another actress, stated that quite often they were forced to pay lOs for a night’s lodging. A. chorus girl or small part actress usually gets €d a. week, and when an agent’is. commission and the cost of grease-paint, etc., is. deducted she is left with_ little m'or* than £2 10s_tq last ,the week.