A week that was dominated by ill-tempered arguments kicked off with complaints from the 1985 Les Misérables cast. The cast were not particularly happy about the fact that First Night Records – the record label that published the show’s original cast recording – had stopped paying them royalties. First Night initially argued that the performer’s contracts only entitled them to 25 years’ payment, but after a few angry skirmishes, the two sides have now returned to the negotiating table Photograph: Graham Wiltshire/Rex Features
Also manning the Parisian barricades have been employees at the Comédie-Française, who went on strike in revolt against an antiquated pay scheme. Backstage staff and non-lead actors are unhappy at the Paris theatre’s bonus structure – an arcane system enshrined by state decree, which goes all the way back to 1680. However, after the company’s inaugural production of its 2012 season was called off due to the strike, management agreed to discuss modernisation Photograph: Jean-Loup Gautreau/AFP
No such signs of compromise in the legal battle that is fast escalating on the other side of the Atlantic around Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The latest twist in the ongoing Spidie saga has seen producers of the show issue a counter-suit against former director Julie Taymor. Taymor was booted off the show last year and has been suing producers claiming unpaid royalties. Now, though, the producers have hit back, claiming ‘Taymor caused numerous delays, drove up costs, and failed to direct a musical about Spider-Man that could open on Broadway’ Photograph: Ann Johansson/AP
A difference of opinion on an altogether smaller scale at the Greenwich Playhouse in south-east London. Galleon Theatre Company, which has been resident at the fringe venue for the last 15-plus years, has not had its lease renewed by the pub that houses the theatre. Galleon claims the pub wants to use the space to ‘exploit commercial opportunities offered by the Olympics’ later this year, but the pub’s owners Beds and Bars insist that the space will be continue to be used ‘much in the same way as it is now’. Time will tell Photograph: PR
Andrew Lloyd Webber is on a mission to find God. Well, the son of God at least. The Lord has announced that he will be staging a new arena version of his musical Jesus Christ Superstar – seen above in his recent Canadian incarnation – with the lead role cast through yet another of his TV talent shows. There’s one big change to the process this time round, though: it’ll be on ITV rather than the Beeb. Expect an unholy alliance of Christians and out-of-work actors to start moaning Photograph: David Nou/Stratford Shakespeare Festival/PR
In Scotland, a positively mouthwatering lineup has been announced for the 10th Glasgow International Comedy festival. Big names lined up for the event, which takes place in 40 venues across the city, include Dara Ó Briain, Stewart Lee and Rory Bremner (above). There are also short plays from Mel Giedroyc and Kieran Lynn, while Greg McHugh (best known for Gary: Tank Commander) and Frankie Boyle will host a special fundraising gala for Palestine Photograph: Alicia Canter
We end on a bit of a downer, I’m afraid, with news of falling audiences at theatres across England. Data released by the Arts Council has revealed that attendances at its regularly funded theatres fell by nearly 8% between 2008/9 and 2010/11. Outside London the results were even starker, with bums disappearing from seats at a rate of over 10%. If you take the national companies out of the equation it gets worse, with levels down by nearly 13%. Some good news, though: the national companies have seen increased audiences, London theatres are holding steady and other art forms – such as visual arts and dance – are all performing well Photograph: Robert Daly/Robert Daly/Getty
