Opinion with Meg Walters

In 2017, I graduated from one of the country's top drama schools. I stepped out of the sweat-stained classrooms where I had learned how to use my body and voice to craft a character and entered the real world filled with hope. It wasn't fame I was after or even a part on a TV show – all I wanted was to be a jobbing theatre actor.

I had grown up idolising theatre actors of the 20th century, some of whom had come to our drama school and regaled us with tales of their ‘tough’ early careers – the camaraderie of the rep seasons at the National or the RSC; the bohemian flats filled to the brim with actors all living on top of each other. It sounded like heaven – and now, I was about to experience it all for myself. Sure, teachers and younger visiting alumni had warned us that it was a tough industry now. But surely, I thought, this world still existed. And was now within reach. After all, I was trained, and I was good!

The reality was a little different – I entered an industry that had largely transformed. Most big theatre shows, I soon discovered, were only interested in casting actors who already had a big name or, at the very least, a sizable social media following. Since the pandemic, it's only gotten worse. The lockdowns put the already unstable industry under increased financial strain. Now, casting a big name with a big following is one of the few surefire ways to guarantee a consistent audience. To make matters worse, as the cost of living has risen, theatre has become, for many, an unaffordable luxury – stunt casting has become a common tactic to entice people to the theatre (and to justify ticket price hikes).

In the past few years, there have been dozens of such castings on the West End – and some have been easier to stomach than others. There are those who are actually experienced and theatrically trained – Andrew Scott, Sarah Snook, Matt Smith, Joseph Fiennes. Then there are those without training – Ashley Roberts of the Pussycat Dolls starred in Waitress, Sheena Easton appeared in 42nd Street. When model-turned-actor Cara Delevingne was cast in Cabaret, she told the Evening Standard, ‘You know, I auditioned like anyone else’ – however, it's hard to imagine that producers didn't look a little more fondly on that audition thanks to her 42 million Instagram followers.

For unknown trained actors – people who have spent years honing a difficult and specific craft – this trend in casting is obviously a difficult one to stomach. But there are a few silver linings For one thing, what matters most is that theatre survives – in a world of streaming and social media, if this tactic can help stabilise the industry financially and give confidence to producers of future productions, that is a good thing. After all, audience appetites have shifted. It turns out, a lot of people will go to the theatre (who wouldn't normally go for, you know, the sake of the story) just to see someone they admire. If these people discover a love of on-stage storytelling, who are we to complain? This will perhaps draw a new (often younger) demographic to the theatre, which is vital for the industry's survival. Another positive: some celebrities are pretty good on stage, actually! If this kind of stunt casting is done carefully, it doesn't have to diminish the quality of the performance.

If we're completely honest about it, casting big names is nothing new – the only difference is, once upon a time, the big names got those names from the stage in the first place.