EDINBURGH 2023: Matthew Greenhough Guest Blog

Matthew Greenhough, Creative Director of Wound Up theatre and writer of The Death of Molly Miller, on the representation of working class people in theatre.

Theatre ain't for working-class people. Working-class people wouldn't even know what to do in a theatre, and frankly, we shouldn't trust them anywhere near one. Research actually shows that, in an environment such as a theatre, working-class people are liable to get confused, shit themselves, and tear the place up. Basically, working-class people are aliens, completely unknowable creatures who don't act or behave like good Twitter-fearing middle-class theatre-going folk. So while theatre can be about them (they're really good for content - with all their poverty, benefits sanctions and kestrels) for the love of Jehovah, don't let them in the building. 

Oh, the wry wit of the chippy Northern working-class playwright. The above statement is, of course, lightly fictionalised, a satirical take on what I presume, based on experience, the theatre world thinks about folk from working-class stock. But it's pretty bang on really, init?

Despite working-class people making up a pretty decent chunk of the British population, we make up a tiny fraction of creators and audiences in the theatre world, which is almost exclusively the domain of the boring privileged people. The stats are hard to quantify (perhaps because keeping povvos out seems to be baked into theatrical culture these days) but in telly and film, which are closely linked to our industry in terms of culture and talent, the stark reality is obvious. Get this right - 7% of the British population went to private school (by word for proper posh) but they make up a revolting 42% of Bafta winners, and a nauseating 67% of British Oscar Winners. 

"But that's a different industry!" I hear some Etonian twonk protest. (An Etonian who works in theatre, lives in Kensington, has a twice-weekly cleaner, and who, yes, I'll admit, exists solely as a figment of my bitter imagination to help make this point.) But I mention this because I've started working in telly over the last couple of years. (Not even a humble brag, I'm just braggin - I'm well proud of myself. There’s bugger all northern working-class folk there, and It took f-ing ages to break through, and now I've got three telly projects in development - AND WHAT? COME AT ME!) But ridiculously, despite the stats above - in my personal experience - TV is way more accommodating to working-class people and stories than theatre. My marginal success in the industry proves it. (Completely subjectively…) Commissioners at major international broadcasters will read my work. Producers at my local theatre won’t…  (Most of my work in over a decade in theatre was completely self-funded through money raised working on zero-hour contracts… I’ll expect my medal is in the post.)

To be fair, theatre does have a place for working-class people currently. It loves talking about them in plays written by people without a clue. Presenting anyone without a bulging ISA as poverty-porn scumbags with a heart of gold. But let's face it - most theatre is made by and for people whose stomachs don’t collapse in on themselves whenever they have to pay more than a fiver for a pint. People who are happy to cast and watch rich drama school toffs play joyless stereotypes of poor people. People who after the show finishes, leave the theatre and ignore real unfortunates on the way to their post-show pate platter, while still feeling like they’ve contributed.

The theatre world, and I hate to break it to you, is a middle-class echo chamber, of smug privileged people shouting two or three of the same opinions at each other ad infinitum and thinking they're doing social good. Yes, there's been a sincere movement to try and make it more inclusive in the last few years - a genuine attempt to engage with marginalised groups. But rarely, if ever do I see a class being brought into that dialogue, and without it, such movements just perpetuate the alienation of the majority of people from our industry.

The solution is simple. Put class front and centre. It really is that easy. And don't worry - the way the economy’s going, you'll probably be living in poverty soon anyway, so think of it as investing in your future. 

Oh - and come and see The Death of Molly Miller, and/or Tones - A Hip Hop Opera at the Edinburgh Fringe - or you officially hate poor people. Sorry, but it's true! 

The Death of Molly Miller will be performed at 6.30pm in Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly) from 3rd – 26th August

Booking link: https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/events/event/the-death-of-molly-miller

Tones: A Hip Hop Opera will be performed at 3pm in Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs) from 2nd – 28th August

Booking link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/tones-hip-hop-opera

Photo credit: Aimee Morley

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