A Question Of Attribution

One of the things that I am most proud of as a critic for The Stage is the publications commitment to credits. It is our job to supply a as full a list as is practical with every review that we write. All theatre is a collaborative process and while you may only remember the actors, or possibly the director or musical director of a show, there is usually a whole regiment of professionals who have enhanced your experience. If you can see and hear the actors, it's due, in part at least, to a lighting and sound designer. They haven't usually walked on stage in their daywear, so a costume designer was probably involved too - as was a set designer, sound operative, follow-spot operator, stage manager and possibly a wig mistress too.

Of course, this all depends on the size and shape of a production and particularly at festivals and on the fringe, the credits are more likely to be fewer in number and often doubled - the artist on stage may well have directed the piece and designed the lighting! I remember my first visit to Edinburgh, where The Stage doesn't let up its credit listing in the slightest, being shocked that not only was a programme unlikely, but it was rare to get even a list of credits. In Edinburgh, we usually have to harass the director/stage manager as they are struggling to strike the show. I have to say this did lead to a particularly embarrassing moment after one play left me utterly distraught - I was fighting a losing battle to hold back tears - while asking the director who had designed the lighting.

In a world where 'low-pay' and 'no-pay' are regular tag-lines and the market is flooded with talent, I can at least understand why people may work simply for the experience. Wrong or right, if it's a project you're passionate about and there's no sense of exploitation, then why not. What worries me is when there is no credit for your work.

At festivals like Edinburgh, I also understand the necessity of thrift and that even a photocopied credit list may be beyond the budget. Thankfully, at least the website or facebook page will carry a complete list of credits. Recently however I went to see a show that was touring the UK that told a rather different story. For want of a better description, it was a pop anthology show but it featured dialogue as well as the songs, a headline act, a support act, a dancing chorus, a set, lighting and sound. I wasn't surprised that there was no programme and the website seemed pretty thorough with credits for the star, producers and sound and lighting people.

What did disturb me was that the website failed to credit both the support act (three names) or the dancing chorus (eight names). Since when did this become acceptable? If nothing else, there should be a credit where a credit is due. A half-arsed acknowledgment on stage during the applause is not acceptable and the performers really need to speak to their agents. Ignoring a credit is unacceptable and while we may have grown immune a scarcity of technical credits on fringe productions, don't let this bad habit spread.