Coronation Street Musical: Paul O’Grady Not Happy

With news that the producers of the Coronation Street musical have withdrawn the show from it’s upcoming tour around the country, cast and crew are now voicing their concerns over the production. Paul O’Grady has given a forthright interview with The Stage saying the production is “bedlam” and that everyone involved need to be paid immediately.

O’Grady, who plays the show’s narrator, told The Stage it was “out of order” to put the blame on artistic factors.

He said no proper reason for the show’s postponement has been given to the cast and crew, insisting everybody involved in the production “worked above and beyond the call of duty” on the show.

He also revealed that the majority of the cast have yet to be paid and urged Ward, who is the managing director of the show’s production company, Reckless Entertainment, to “pay up”.

“That is what is killing me. I can afford it, but they [the cast and crew] can’t. I feel like screaming out, ‘Pay your crew’.”

He added: “That is what is sickening me. And there were people on this for whom this was their first job, and I had to tell them it’s not like this all the time.”

The performer said he had contemplated leaving the production during rehearsals, but said he had decided not to because he was “determined to stick the bloody thing out”.

O’Grady also said that he is won’t be returning to the show if and when it does come back.

Source: The Stage