Major theatres lift writers' fees

The Writers’ Guild has agreed a full 3.7% cost-of-living increase on minimum fees and other payments by the leading subsidised theatres – Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Court.

The agreement brings the basic minimum fee for a new play to £10,654. The table of financial terms and the full text of the Guild agreement can be found on the Guild website.

The increases, which are effective from 1 April 2010, are based on the “headline” Retail Prices Index, which covers a representative range of goods and services including housing costs. There was no increase in 2009 because RPI stood at zero.