National wants Sunday stage shows

Nicholas Hytner is the artistic director of the National Theatre

London's National Theatre says it hopes to stage performances on Sundays, but faces tough negotiations with unions.

The theatre wants to break with West End tradition by running shows seven days a week, and has approached unions for initial discussions of its plans.

But technicians' union Bectu says the majority of its members are against working on Sundays.

A spokesman said the union would give the idea "due consideration" once an official proposal had been submitted.

Currently, only a handful of London theatres open their doors on Sundays.

In 2004, the producers of Mary Poppins had to abandon plans for a run of Sunday performances after failing to come to an agreement with the cast and crew.

By contrast, visitors to New York this Sunday can see more than a dozen Broadway shows.

'Dark buildings'

The National Theatre's artistic director Nicholas Hytner first outlined plans to change the situation in an interview with The Guardian newspaper.

"At the moment, you walk along the South Bank on a Sunday and we're the only dark building," he said.

"It's ridiculous and it's got to change."

Willy Donaghy, supervising officer at Bectu, says there has yet to be a "top table discussion" about Hytner's proposal.

"We have skirted round the issue - shadow boxing, if you like," he told the BBC News website.

Mr Donaghy says that a recent poll of Bectu members suggested that around 90% were against working on Sundays.

"Our members are worried about the levels of compensation for working on Sundays and also the arrangements for quality time off."

"Those would be our main negotiating goals in any discussion."

Apart from Bectu, National Theatre bosses would have to come to an agreement with the Musicians Union and the actors' union Equity to go ahead with their plans.

If they prove successful, it would open the door for other theatres in the UK to follow suit.