Critics and academics have generally dismissed the commercial productions of the late, best known for their songs and melodramatic plots, as shallow, derivative ‘entertainment’. Instead, they have concentrated on the more recent internationally acclaimed art films, claiming that these constitute ‘national’ cinema, despite few having seen them. There is not a straight path within performing. You are nearly always employed on a freelance/contracted basis and the responsibilities can vary depending on the company and how long the production runs for. Sometimes Performers start out in fringe or small-scale theatre or create their own work, there can be ensemble roles in larger companies or understudy parts.
