THE STC (SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY) IS IN BREACH OF CONTRACT WITH ITS AUDIENCE

When three out of five actors performing Chekhov’s Seagull play took their curtain call last week when the performance finished had donned Palestinian Keffiyeh around their shoulders to express their solidarity with and support of the Palestinian cause in the current war of Israel against the Hamas terror group. Some of the audience reacted enthusiastically whilst others were irritated or even shocked and others were indifferent.

When a person buys a ticket to a performance he/she does this after considering the play, the actors, director etc. to come to a decision whether it is worth the money to buy a ticket. In a way this is no different to purchase decisions made on other goods and services. When a consumer buys a can of tuna in spring water he or she expects to open the can and get exactly what was described on the label — tuna in spring water but not sardines or smoked oysters. This is inherent to the contract between the supplier and the purchaser.

The audience of STC entered the theatre expecting to sit on a designated chair and watch the play — Seagull by Chekhov. It did not buy a ticket to attend a political demonstration. Actors have the right to have their own opinions like any other person. However, when performing, an actor is not on stage in his capacity as an individual but as an actor performing a role in a specific performance which has been sold to an audience.

The responsibility to deliver goods and services as described rests with the entity supplying the good or service. This means that STC has a responsibility to ensure that the audience receives what it was promised — the performance of a play — and not a political demonstration of some of the cast. STC is in breach of its contract with its paying audience. Actors or members of the audience are always free to express their opinion as individuals in many ways from participating at organised political events, in posting opinions on social media, writing letters to papers, discussing points of views with others willing to have a political discussion. But they are not entitled to force their opinion on any member of the paying audience. STC — as any other commercial entity such as corporations — have to focus entirely on delivering their product as promised or be in breach of their contract with the audience/consumer.