A British Protest of a U.S. Invasion

This has been a big year for Hollywood stars in Britain’s theater, with Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Matt Damon and Woody Harrelson among American film actors taking lead roles in West End plays here.

But Equity, the British actors’ union, has decided that enough is enough and has lashed out at the frequent practice of giving starring parts to American actors at a time when 80% of its membership is out of work.

The last straw for Equity was the casting of two Americans in major roles for the upcoming “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the National Theatre. Film actress Glenn Close, best known for “Fatal Attraction” and “101 Dalmatians,” will take the part of Tennessee Williams’ legendary character Blanche DuBois in the production. Another American, Robert Pastorelli, will join Close in “Streetcar.” A third leading member of the cast, Essie Davis, is Australian, but the role of Stanley Kowalski is being taken by British actor Iain Glen.

Because the National is subsidized annually by $21.5 million of British taxpayers’ money, Equity takes greater exception to its willingness to cast Americans than when commercial theaters in the West End do so. The union has called for a meeting to discuss hiring practices with the National’s artistic director, Trevor Nunn.

“We are disappointed in the National Theatre,” said Christine Payne, head of theater and variety at Equity. “We do not buy the argument that ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is an American production. Their production of [the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical] ‘Oklahoma!’ was as American as you can get, yet the stars were British.”

Equity spokesman Martin Brown added: “This is not the West End. This is the National Theatre, which takes public investment. We believe it’s inappropriate to have three of four leads [in ‘Streetcar’] from overseas.”

For its part, the National protests that it is doing nothing wrong. “We have chosen the best actors for every role, and no union rules have been broken,” said a spokeswoman. “We have followed correct procedures, and we are not sure what the fuss is about. Nothing in our constitution says we can only employ only British actors. If you take that line, you have to ask: Are we going to ban foreign audiences? Should we be doing plays by foreign playwrights?” There is no doubt that American screen stars, carefully cast, can add luster to a British production, turning it into an event. Paltrow’s presence in David Auburn’s “Proof” at the Donmar Warehouse made it one of this year’s hottest tickets. Madonna’s star role as an art dealer in “Up for Grabs” at the Wyndham’s Theatre made even the play’s previews a must-see.

The London premiere of Kenneth Lonergan’s “This Is Our Youth” at the Garrick Theatre became a huge word-of-mouth hit among younger audiences; its original cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Hayden Christensen and Anna Paquin were succeeded by Damon, Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix. Harrelson (and his American co-star Kyle MacLachlan) are helping “On an Average Day” do steady business at the Comedy Theatre.

British and American unions have an agreement that actors of “international status” can work in both countries and will automatically receive work permits. The unions also operate an exchange deal to allow their members to work overseas. In “A Streetcar Named Desire,” for example, Pastorelli was cast as part of an approved exchange with a British actor who has appeared in the U.S. Some 40 British actors benefit from this exchange annually.

Still, Equity has problems with the National’s casting policy quite aside from this exchange policy. In the past, the theater has resorted to lesser-known American actors in lead roles, especially in revivals of American musicals. Among them are Michael Hayden, who was Billy Bigelow in the National’s much-lauded production of “Carousel,” and Lauren Kennedy, who appeared as Nellie Forbush in last year’s National revival of “South Pacific.”

To complicate matters, the reverse does not always apply. When the National wanted to transfer its production of “Oklahoma!” to New York, with its original cast intact, most members were prevented from working in the U.S. These included Maureen Lipman, who played Aunt Eller. Lipman, a comic actress, author and TV personality, is a household name in Britain but is virtually unknown in America.

Yet some of Britain’s leading stage actors prosper in America. This year alone, Alan Bates and Lindsay Duncan made a huge impact on Broadway, winning Tony awards for best lead actor and actress in a play (for “Fortune’s Fool” and “Private Lives,” respectively). British Tony nominees this year included Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman and Kate Burton.

But Equity believes more actors work in Britain than British actors work in America and wants a review of the exchange arrangements.

The National’s spokeswoman admitted an imbalance exists under current exchange regulations. “The answer is not to make it harder for foreign actors to work here, but to make it easier for British actors to work in America,” she said. “The British theater community has been open to Americans. There’s been interchange between the two, but it’s a long way from being reciprocated abroad.”

Many Equity members are also angry with West End producers for relying on American star casting in their productions. One British stage actor, who requested anonymity, told The Times: “Every time some American film star gets cast in London theater, we always hear how virtuous they are by accepting a huge cut in their normal pay and taking a modest salary. But that modest salary would represent more than a decent living for our members.”

Equity stresses that it does not wish the National to cancel its plans to stage “Streetcar,” which begins performances next month. Nor does it want Close or any other member of the announced cast to be replaced. But the union wants Nunn to join them in a discussion of the general issue of casting foreign actors, in order to persuade him, as Brown puts it, “not to go down that road in future.”