'Stage crew bullies and drunkenness made my life hell at War Horse'

Hit: a scene from War Horse
Felix Allen12 April 2012

A worker on West End hit War Horse claims he was sacked for exposing a culture of backstage drunkenness and racist bullying.

Leon Donnelly, an experienced stagehand, is pursuing a case for wrongful dismissal against the management of the New London Theatre, which until recently was owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

He says drink-fuelled behaviour was endangering crew and cast at the play, a First World War drama mixing live actors and puppetry. It transferred to the New London Theatre last year following two sell-out seasons at the National.

Mr Donnelly alleges that a number of his former colleagues at the New London would come into work drunk and that when he complained he was subjected to swearing, threats and racial abuse about his Irish ancestry.

He also claims he and others were plagued by "accidents" such as hammers being dropped from platforms above the stage. In one alleged case, Mr Donnelly narrowly escaped serious injury when a full-size replica tank was "intentionally" dropped on his legs. Mr Donnelly says he was so appalled by the crew's behaviour, and by the management's failure to condemn it, that he made direct contact with Lord Lloyd-Webber and bosses at the National Theatre.

He was then sacked for breaching confidentiality with his "damaging and derogatory" remarks and for having recorded conversations with his line manager.

He told The Observer: "I have done nothing wrong, yet I was sacked as a malicious troublemaker when all I wanted was for managers in the theatre, the home of liberal arts, to step in and stop what was going on before their eyes. I didn't want an actor or member of staff to be injured or killed because we have drunks on the stage crew." He said he was offered a £25,000 pay-off in return for his silence, which he turned down.

Mr Donnelly is not the first person to have voiced concern. Carlos Cruz, a former stagehand, claimed to have been called "Manuel" and a "f***ing Spanish waiter".

He said he suffered homophobic taunts and was headbutted by one of the crew. He took up a formal grievance with the theatre management and has since left the UK following a financial settlement,

Two weeks ago, Lord Lloyd-Webber's company the Really Useful Group sold four theatres, including the New London. It is understood that one of the men at the centre of Mr Donnelly's allegations is still employed on War Horse.

A spokesman for the Really Useful Group said: "These are claims made by an ex-employee. A tribunal claim has been raised, although a date for the hearing has not been set.

"As this is an ongoing legal matter it is not appropriate to comment further at this stage."

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