Many of you may have heard of the anger towards Sia and her new movie, or James Corden and his stereotypical acting in The Prom. Due to this, I am going to be discussing the boundaries of theatre and how far people should go when portraying other people or characters, whether that character or actor be part of the LGBTQ+ community or have some form of disability.

When asked ‘should straight people be able to play people/characters who are part of the LGBTQ+ community?’, 72.1% of people asked suggested that they should be able to. One opinion on this was “a straight actor playing a gay person is ok with me, but I am not the main voice which should be heard as I am not gay, and others should be heard before me.”

I personally feel that it is a different case when you are looking at people who are physically disabled versus people who are mentally disabled. It is quite a difficult decision to make and I feel it is situational. Say the character becomes a wheelchair user throughout the course of the play or film, it becomes much more difficult to cast a disabled person as you need someone who is able bodied for part of the play. However, I do not feel that it is right for someone who isn’t mentally disabled to play someone who is if there is someone who is mentally disabled who is capable of playing the role as you do not understand what someone with that condition experiences. If there is not someone who is capable of playing the role, then I feel it is ok to have someone play the character as long as they have thoroughly researched the role and none of their acting is stereotypical or offensive.

When asked about the above, someone said, “I think if people have done the research and understand what it’s like to live with all of the above, then maybe it’s ok, but when there’s so many able people from the categories to play the parts, it’s ridiculous and pretty offensive to choose someone else.”

In the UK-EU Brexit deal, there is a gaping hole where the promised free movement of musicians should be. According to research from the Association of British Orchestras (ABO), British musicians will only be able to perform in EU countries for up to 90 days within 180 days. They may also need a work permit to do so, rules for which are set by each member state. This means musicians could be required to have multiple visas or work permits to be able to perform in different countries across the EU. This will become too expensive and potentially prohibitive, especially for musicians at the start of their careers.

Some of the UK’s biggest music stars have written to the government demanding action to ensure visa-free touring in the European Union. Sir Elton John and Liam Gallagher are among 110 artists who have signed an open letter.

The Musicians’ Union has been lobbying for the creation of a “musicians’ passport” that would last at least two years, cost nothing or very little, encompass all EU member states, prevent any requirement for carnets or other permits, and cover road crew, technicians, and other necessary staff to facilitate touring. A change.org petition supporting this idea has reached 113,500 signatures.

I believe it is unacceptable that musicians are expected to potentially have to pay for multiple visas just to tour Europe. This will make it impossible for some to tour and will put off others from starting their careers in the first place.

Mental health and the help that people with mental health problems receive is an important topic in the UK. However, this problem has become much more prominent over the course of the coronavirus crisis. There is increasingly deteriorating mental health in this country with a significant lack of support. This needs changing.

Coronavirus lockdowns have led to worsening mental health and many people are struggling to cope. In the last lockdown a study found that suicidal thoughts have increased from 8% to 10% and they were highest among young adults (18-29 years), rising from 12.5% to 14%. One in four respondents experienced at least moderate levels of depressive symptoms. Young people, women, individuals from more socially-disadvantaged backgrounds and those with pre-existing mental health problems reported the worst mental health problems in the initial phase of the national lockdown. You can find out more information about this here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54616688

Coronavirus is affecting student mental health in so many different ways. Mind’s coronavirus survey results revealed the following: people aged 18-24 reported worse mental health and wellbeing during the 2020 UK lockdown with nearly three quarters (73%) of students saying that their mental health declined during the lockdown. This number is only going to increase during the lockdown the UK is now facing this January and beyond. You can find out more at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/student-mental-health-during-coronavirus/

Despite the NHS website stating that, “We aim to transform mental health services by 2020, with an ambition of putting mental health on an equal footing to physical health,” this has not happened and mental health is still not equal to physical health, with there being long waiting lists and not enough beds, meaning people are not getting the help that they require soon enough and this can sometimes be too late.

We need to solve this mental health crisis and allow people to be able to access the help they need.

Lewis Capaldi in his alternative job

So what exactly is the Twitter madness from people in the arts about? The #notlowskilled #savethearts #MoreThanViable tags that are going round social media were especially noticeable on the evening of Wednesday 7th October when performers from all over the country posted photos and videos of them performing due to the chancellor’s suggestion — perhaps slightly misreported — that they should retrain into another profession.

Here are some ideas as to what jobs famous people working in the arts would do if they were forced to retrain:

• Harry Styles – Florist (Harry Styles has said that if he was not a singer, he would probably be a florist).

• Lewis Capaldi – Greggs Worker (Capaldi’s connections with Greggs are already well-known).

• David Tennant – Mechanic (because of Doctor Who, I feel Tennant would enjoy using his “sonic screwdriver” in real life).

• Ed Sheeran – Driving instructor (Ed Sheeran is driving in his song “Castle on the Hill,” so it seems fitting).

• Michael Ball – Singing waiter (due to Michael Ball’s musical theatre background, he would probably enjoy entertaining people while they eat).

• Pink – McDonald’s worker (Pink used to work at McDonald’s so I’m sure she could easily take to flipping burgers again).