[mjr]

Hello, I in know way want this to sound like an intrusive or rood question and in know ways mean to offend anyone, but i am going to be studying in london very soon, and i will be there for a few years. I would very much to become a usher in a west end theatre while i am there, i was wondering if it is worth it??, Does anyoneknow the average pay for Front of House work??, and i do realise it could varry from venue to venue, but i would appreciate any suggestions and help. I was also wondering if there is anything you pacificacally need whijle doing this line of work

thankyou

[Matthew Winn]

Hello, I in know way want this to sound like an intrusive or rood question and in know ways mean to offend anyone, but i am going to be studying in london very soon, and i will be there for a few years. I would very much to become a usher in a west end theatre while i am there, i was wondering if it is worth it??, Does anyoneknow the average pay for Front of House work??

You can expect around £23 a show or £6 to £7 an hour, sometimes more depending on responsibilities. Some theatres also add a weekly commission.

It's worth it if you're spending all day studying and want the chance to earn some extra money in the evenings. Many students do that sort of evening work.

[mjr]

You can expect around £23 a show or £6 to £7 an hour, sometimes more depending on responsibilities. Some theatres also add a weekly commission.

It's worth it if you're spending all day studying and want the chance to earn some extra money in the evenings. Many students do that sort of evening work.

thanks very much

[bananafrit]

It's not quite that much unfortunately. It's £5.35ph for Ushering. Bar is a little bit more. Its a min call of 3.75 hours per shift so about £20 a show, £160 a week if you're doing all 8 shows. That is before tax. As Matthew Winn said, most companies (I know ATG and Delfont do) offer a commission based on sales of merchandise and programmes etc. How much you get from that will depend on which show you're working on obviously. Eg. Grease will be selling a LOT of merchandise because it's a busy show whereas Woman in Black will sell very little because I believe there's only a poster and programme available.

[Matthew Winn]

Thanks for the correction. I was going by what a few people had told me; the £6 to £7 was for bar work plus the responsibility for adding up all the figures at the end of the evening, so that's the higher end of the scale.

(And I wouldn't have used the phrase "It's not quite that much". "It's even lower than that" is probably more to the point. They deserve more money for having to deal with the sort of people mentioned in the "Worst Audience Ever" thread.)

[bananafrit]

(They deserve more money for having to deal with the sort of people mentioned in the "Worst Audience Ever" thread.)

Here here! (or is it Hear Hear? - I've never quite worked that one out!)

[Orchestrator]

Here here! (or is it Hear Hear? - I've never quite worked that one out!)

It's short for Hear him! Hear Him!, I think. But I've seen "here, here" so many times on the internet that I'm beginning to think even I'll get it wrong soon. It's up there with "loose" (for lose) and "I could care less" for My Favorite Top Internet Error of 2005 Ever, Ever.

From the UK gov. site:

There are three levels of minimum wage, and the rates from 1st October 2007 are:

£5.52 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
A development rate of £4.60 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
£3.40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age.

So I would imagine West End ushers must now be paid £5.52 ph unless they are under 22.

More than 25 years ago I used to do casual work as a barman in the Royal Albert Hall. It was £6 a night plus "tips" which could be as much as £10 and 2 packets of B&H.

[Panni]

Hello, I in know way want this to sound like an intrusive or rood question and in know ways mean to offend anyone, but i am going to be studying in london very soon, and i will be there for a few years. I would very much to become a usher in a west end theatre while i am there, i was wondering if it is worth it??, Does anyoneknow the average pay for Front of House work??, and i do realise it could varry from venue to venue, but i would appreciate any suggestions and help. I was also wondering if there is anything you pacificacally need whijle doing this line of work

thankyou

Hello,

I am in the same situation exactly as you were. What happened to you?Did you get a job as an usherette or sg like that?
I am studying on a film course at a uni in London and a theatre job (for ex. a Front of House job) would be the most suitable for me as I have lessons during the day, so my free time mostly will be in the evenings and weekends.
What is more working in a theatre could contribute to my professional development as theatre and film industry have some similar tools and methods.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

regards,

Panni