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read moreThe producer of the award-winning musical Come From Away has said performers will have to be vaccinated before they return to the stage when NSW begins reopening next month.
With the production becoming the first Australian theatre company to mandate vaccinations, which also extends to the crew, Producer Rodney Rigby stated “we want to lead by example.
“We want to be a safe house and get back to work as fast as we possibly can.”
The move comes after productions on New York’s Broadway and in London’s West End introduced similar ‘no jab, no play’ rules for performers earlier this year.
Come From Away, which drew down the curtain at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on 27th June , has been dogged by COVID shutdowns for its entire Australian run. It was closed down in Melbourne and Brisbane before being hit once again in Sydney.
Rigby told the Sydney Morning Herald “our employees have spent more time this year stood down without pay than working and we want to do everything we possibly can to create the safest possible working environment for everybody on Come From Away.
“It’s been devastating to us. We have only played to 7% of our potential audience in Sydney.”
Rigby said the production was on target to have almost all 60 performers and crew vaccinated by 4th October.
Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance Chief Executive, Paul Murphy said the union was in favour of vaccination for all workers “where it is reasonable and safe to do so”.
However, he urged employers not to rush the process, advising “they must engage with employees and contractors and explain their situation respectfully as consultation is critical to ensure everyone is informed and moving in the right direction.
“Every workplace will be different and it is not possible to make a blanket policy when there are so many variables.”
A spokesperson for NSW Health quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald said it was too soon to give definitive guidance on vaccine requirements for theatre performers but that there would be clarity on the issue once health orders were finalised.
Michael Cassel, the Australian Producer of Hamilton, said the NSW Government’s latest outline of its plans to ease out of lockdown “was pretty clear regarding what is required of audience and staff in venues so we’ll be adhering to that”.
He said plans for the resumption of performances would be announced soon.
Outgoing Opera Australia Chief Executive, Rory Jeffes said vaccination would be a “critical factor” for the company getting back to work, adding that OA was still consulting with employees about a potential vaccine mandate.
Image: The cast of Come From Away has been stood down without pay since June due to NSW’s Coronavirus lockdown.
10th September 2021 - Australian Vaccine Passports potentially ready within weeks
9th September 2021 - Gyms, stadiums and recreation facilities to reopen to fully vaccinated adults as part of NSW’s new roadmap to ‘freedom’
8th September 2021 - New Zealand Comedy Trust says nation’s alert level two ‘make it near impossible to plan ahead’
6th September 2021 - Leading entertainment promoters launch ‘Vax the Nation’ campaign
5th September 2021 - Calls for AFL fans to be banned from matches if they don’t have a COVID-19 vaccine
3rd September 2021 - Cancellations caused by ongoing lockdowns sees income of Victorian event businesses fall by 80%
30th August 2021 - Major venues pivot to become mass vaccination centres
29th August 2021 - What employers need to consider about vaccinations for staff and consumers
23rd August 2021 - Darwin Festival delivers successful 2021 event notwithstanding COVID challenges
26th August 2021 - National Cabinet to consider access to leisure for vaccinated Australians
20th August 2021 - Outback music festival organiser to demand proof of vaccination for attendees in 2022
11th August 2021 - Australian live entertainment groups call for federal insurance guarantee
11th August 2021 - Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena transforms into vaccination centre for HSC students
8th August 2021 - Australian entertainers highlight how Coronavirus has devastated lives and careers
30th July 2021 - Australia’s lockdowns to end once 80% of the population is vaccinated against COVID-19
28th July 2021 - Unvaccinated Australians could be barred from festivals, theatres and sport and entertainment venues
20th July 2021 - Victorian performing arts community launches advertisement backing COVID-19 vaccinations
13th July 2021 - Vaccine Passport could be on Phones by December
8th July 2021 - VMA says Australia getting vaccinated is the key to live entertainment industry’s road to recovery
2nd July 2021 - Hamilton and Come From Away cast and crew members stood down without pay during Sydney lockdown
16th June 2021 - Sunshine Coast live music venue owner critical of inconsistent COVID-19 safety rules
24th May 2021 - Live music venues in Sydney and NSW to receive government financial boost
25th March 2021 - Federal Government announces $135 million in funding for live entertainment
22nd March 2021 - Australian Live Music Business Council calls on government to ease COVID restrictions on venues
19th March 2021 - Live Performance Australia calls for 100% capacity in all live entertainment venues
14th October 2020 - Live entertainment industry counts the cost of COVID
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