The League of Independent Producers will lobby and negotiate on behalf of its members with other trade bodies or with theatre owners directly, with the stated aim of "improving the lot of the independent producer". The body, which is in the process of being constituted and registered, has grown out of a more informal group - the Society of London Theatre's independent producers forum.
Greg Ripley-Duggan, one of the founding board members of LIP and its acting chair, told The Stage "It was suggested to me that we should revitalise that now defunct body. In response to that, I sent a round-robin email out and to my surprise 50 people turned up at the first meeting, which suggested to me that (since in the old days we'd only get ten or 12), the climate had changed somewhat.
"There's a general view that trading as a producer is getting harder and harder. That very delicate balance that you tread as an independent between your obligations to your investors, your artists and the work you're creating, on the one hand, and the relationships with your landlords and the buildings you are renting or going into on tour - it's becoming a very hard balance to maintain."
Mime Olympics - Musicians have hit out at Olympic organisers, saying they feel "bitterly let down" by the amount of live music showcased as part of London 2012. The Musicians' Union has spoken out after it emerged "the bulk" of the music at the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies will be mimed.
Although professional musicians have benefited from paid studio work as a result of the Olympics, the union says the games will not deliver the boost to live performance that organisers had claimed it would. MU assistant general secretary Horace Trubridge said, "As far as we can ascertain, the bulk of the music that you hear when you switch your telly on or take your seat in the arena is going to be pre-recorded, and you are not going to be experiencing live performance, which is a massive own goal. The British public don't like recorded music. They like things live. They like to see the live band on Strictly Come Dancing, or the live band on The Voice and if they go to a concert or an event that features music, it has to be live. If it isn't live, they get angry about it."
One Vision - Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh and leading tenor Alfie Boe are joining forces to sing on One Vision, the official single for Team GB. Accompanied by the Youth Music Voices choir, Walsh and Boe will debut their version of the classic Queen track on 11 May at London's Royal Albert Hall.
The official Team GB and Paralympics GB single will go on sale the same day. The original track, based around one of Brian May's most recognisable riffs, was a top 10 hit for Queen in 1985. The lyrics have been slightly tweaked for the Olympic version - the phrase "one man" becomes "one team" throughout the song. Also missing is Freddie Mercury's infamous pay-off: He originally sang "Fried Chicken" instead of the title during the fade out.
(Jim Evans)
