I'm an unknown writer and I have a play opening early next year at a tiny theatre in the UK. I signed the contract two years ago and it was announced a few months ago. Unfortunately, the theatre have now said that all audience members will have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test for entry. I'm opposed to this. What should I do? I think these are my options:
1. Try to withdraw the show (although that might not be legally possible as I've signed a contract)
2. Withdraw all my support for the show and urge people not to see it.
3. Do publicity interviews for the show and make it clear I'm opposed to vaccine passports (thus being demonised in the press as an "anti-vaxxer" and jeopardising my career in its early stages).
4. Do nothing. Don't draw attention to myself but also don't attend the show and make it clear privately to the theatre that I oppose their policy.
I'm very early in my career and making a stand would almost definitely alienate me from my peers and potential employers. As I'm not well known and it's a tiny theatre, it will not make much difference to our fight for freedom. Also, while I'm opposed to vaccine passports/proof of vaccination, part of me thinks proof of a negative test is an acceptable compromise.
Any thoughts welcome.
When you signed the contract was there any mention of the theatre being able to place restrictions upon conditions of entry?
You could argue that if it's not part of the contract then they're violating the terms and conditions by forcing a new clause without your agreement.
Or had you known at the time that they would impose such Draconian conditions then you would never had agreed to signing.
It will depend on how much of a stance you take and how important it is for you to have this play go through. If you let it run with these conditions, how far does that comprise your values?
Not saying anything will undermine you. Although nobody else will know, you will regret forever keeping your bitter silence.
I think option 4. Let your play run, you need the exposure, complain to the theatre about their unreasonable restrictions.
If you withdraw or cancel then the focus will be on your work and writing, (playwright cancels show - doesn't believe it's good enough), not upon the theatre.
You could also stage a protest art piece outside the theatre.
Call it "Totalitarian Theatre Tyranny vs Transcendent Transsexuals", where a group of enlightened trans buddists attempt to enter the theatre but unable to because they're unvaccinated. Thus exposing and highlighting the totalitarian assault upon our social and religious freedoms and the persecution of natural health by the Medical-Fascist state.
The theatre would hate that kind of publicity.
I feel for your predicament. If I were you, I'd go for Number 3. It may harm your career, but it ought to reward your conscience. On a purely practical level, I think you ought to consider the possibility that it could get to the point where simply being unvaccinated is enough to see you blacklisted anyway. With the removal of the right to work already being threatened in countries from Fiji to France, you ought to make some kind of a stand while you still can, then at least you'll be on the right side of history.
I think you should do 1, if that doesn't work go for 2 or 3, and start making contingency plans for another career. I was afraid of the consequences of writing against the jabbing of children with the COVID-19 injections (whatever they are), but having done it now I feel a lot better. You won't like yourself if you do nothing, and it will affect your writing in future, making it a much less rewarding career in any case. As for the tests well I think there are a lot of questions about whether they are reliable in any case, and you will feel bad if you are giving support to the manufacturing of consent for the vaccinations through the testing.
To be honest it depends on whether the principle is more importnt to you than your career. Only you can answer that in determining which action you do or don't take.
You're right you could be in breach of contract (impossible to say without looking at it). All contracts have termination clauses so look at them and see if any of them could apply.
How about writing some new lines into the play? We've seen enough official censorship and propaganda. Why not write some yourself in thr other direction?
You could ask them on what basis they are implementing these rules. Nothing is law yet, so this is their advance decision that they have to explain.
To me, life is nothing without principles, so I would have to take a stand in some way.
