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Theatre director : Salary and conditions

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  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
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  • Salaries for theatre directors depend upon the length and type of contract undertaken, e.g. freelance, repertory, touring. For example, directing a full-length play should earn you £1,305 per week, whereas directing a short-length play would pay £903 per week. For current union-agreed rates and advice contact Equity (the trade union for theatre directors), Independent Theatre Council  or the Theatrical Management Association (TMA) . For guidelines on commission rates, writer-directors are advised to contact The Writers' Guild of Great Britain .
  • Directors may negotiate their own contracts and salaries or they may employ agents to deal on their behalf. Variations in salary may be considerable.
  • Low salaries may be supplemented by freelance work, running creative workshops or script consultancy. Working as a theatre director can be a precarious way to earn a living. Directors may also branch out into acting or voice-overs.
  • Some directors are volunteers or work for their own companies. In a large theatre, an assistant director may support the work of the director. For small-budget studio performance runs or for fringe productions, a director may work alone.
  • Working hours involve regular weekend and evening work. Many directors work more hours than they have been contracted for with no time off in lieu. Rehearsal schedules are two to five weeks or more. Building-based directors tend to have more regular working patterns and conditions.
  • Theatre venues vary enormously. The working environment may be dark, gloomy and hot.
  • Theatre directors usually belong to the trade union Equity . Membership also provides insurance and legal assistance. 
  • Most directors are employed as freelancers on contract for each production from the planning/rehearsal period through to the first night. Fixed-term contracts tend to last between one and three years or, in the case of artistic directors, three to five years.
  • The work can be highly stressful and frustrating, but it can also be extremely rewarding.
  • Travel is common and may involve overseas work. If working with a touring company, it is unlikely that directors will be on the road for the full tour, although they may visit certain venues.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
August 2011
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