Equity backs campaign to reinstate classes at Seven Dials Playhouse

In February, the Actors Centre was relaunched as the Seven Dials Playhouse, offering a year-round theatre programme with workshops, classes and seminars in response to the themes of each play, created in tandem with each visiting company. 

In response to the rebrand, a campaign called Actor at the Centre was launched, led by former members and tutors of the Actors Centre who have criticised the organisation for a ‘lack of transparency’ over the changes. 

The group, which is backed by stars such as Sheila Hancock and Mark Rylance, argues that there was a lack of consultation over the decision to change the charity’s business model to a receiving venue, and say the decision to abolish regular classes marks the ‘loss of a vital resource for actors’. 

Union Equity is backing the campaign, and urges the management of Seven Dials Playhouse to reconsider and reinstate regular classes. 

Rylance said: 'I hope we actors don’t lose the fundamental support of the Actors Centre. If it is to become a new receiving house, surely the trustees must sustain the same level of workshop and services for actors that have earned the centre its reputation and support over many years.'

Chief executive of the Seven Dials Playhouse, Amanda Davey, has disputed these claims and said the former model was not working. She said that the changes make the organisation 'more inclusive, accessible and welcoming to a wider and more diverse demographic of people'. 

Equity general secretary Paul W Fleming said: ‘Equity believes strongly in the provision of a space and accessible training for actors and other creative professionals in the centre of London.

‘We share the disappointment of the Actor at the Centre campaign about the lack of consultation with longstanding partners – including the union – and service users over the change of the Actors Centre to the Seven Dials Playhouse.’

Fleming added that the union hoped the management would ‘review their approach, and transparently put actors’ and creative professionals’ welfare and professional development at the heart of their mission going forward’.