Reggie’s Creatives Play Havoc

“I must have silk.” The words still rang in my ears after all these years. It was my first real encounter of precious “creatives” meeting bureaucrats at the Western Theatre all those years ago where I first learnt about Prima Donnas in the great Costume Department Dispute. It was still fresh and vivid in my mind as I sat in the planning meeting at Reggie’s to discuss how the row in the fundraising committee was going to be handled. There was some urgency as the upset was starting to overshadow the forthcoming fête.

Illustration by Bill Morris

“How do you cope with a problem like Dr. St. Clair?” Sue, the disputes procedure chair, groaned as she opened the meeting. “He recognises no authority but his own; he is dismissive of all except those who are useful to him; and now he proposes to bust the budget for the fete.” Sue, as the Chief Executive’s deputy, was tasked with getting Dr. St. Clair under control, and settling the row before it spoiled the fundraiser’s fête. The problem was compounded for her as Dr. St. Clair was in charge of the Medical Advisory Committee as he was a recognised senior paediatrician; and he was a charismatic charmer, when it suited.

There were five committees working on how to spend the endowment for Reggie’s new building—

— and the all-important (in the eyes of the Chief Executive and the bureaucrats) Financial Control and Project Management Committee. There were sensible people on this group but they didn’t understand (or tolerate) creative types. Continue reading →