Equity targets exploitative open mic and 'play-to-play' nights

Performers’ union Equity is trying to clamp down on comedy gigs that don’t pay their acts.

Even charity gigs are not excluded from the ‘best practice’ guidelines issued by the trade union’s comedians’ network.

However, campaigners’ main focus is on profit-share gigs, often where a bucket is used to solicit donations, ‘pay to pay’ gigs where the comics end up out of pocket, and ‘bringers’, where the comedians have to bring customers to secure stage time.

After consulting its members, Equity said: ‘Problems were identified with various business models for presenting live comedy where financial risk is borne more by the comedian than by venues and promoters.’

It has now launched a ‘manifesto’ to try to combat the ‘alarming expectation that comedians will happily perform for expenses or even for free, without any promise of paid work in the future’ – although the document is more a statement of good practice rather than an action plan.

‘The launching of this manifesto is the first stage in the union tackling some of these ways of working that impact on the ability of members to earn a living,’ the union said.

Equity insists they are not targeting free spots with a genuine benefit for the comedian, such as progression spots that could lead to paid work in established comedy clubs or nights where comics choose to take the opportunity to try out new material for low fees or without payment.

But the ‘manifesto’ says:

• Professional work should be paid. All public access gigs providing such work would ideally require entry at a fee (ticketed). Payment to the acts would therefore be reflected in the price of the ticket and capacity of the venue. Payments should be fair and transparent. Participation in truly ‘free gigs’ are at the acts' discretion once they have ascertained that they are indeed ‘free’. 

• Equity members working on a door or bucket split or promoters on bar-take splits should agree in advance, in writing, what the financial agreement is. Equity members are advised to negotiate a minimum guarantee where possible. 

• Charity/benefit gigs should always be fee paid. A donation to the cause on behalf of the artist is at the artist’s discretion. Artists’ expenses should always be covered. 

• New material nights that charge an entry fee should compensate the acts proportionally. If money is exchanged between venue and promoter or audience and promoter, then acts should be paid. 

Equity says it will now survey its comedian members to identify those venues or promoters of most concern.

‘Pay to play’ gigs are particularly rife in London, where demand for stage time far outstrips the number of slots available in front of paying audiences.

Published: 18 Jan 2017