smoking in theatre

The smoking ban came into place in England on 1 July 2007. From that date all public places had to legally become smoke free this included pubs, clubs and places of work. There were a few exemptions for example prison cells (if both inmates were smokers), care home bedrooms and of course on stage in the theatre. 

This is the regulation:

The Smoke-Free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007, Part 2 states: "Where the artistic integrity of a performance makes it appropriate for a person who is taking part in that performance to smoke, the part of the premises in which that person performs is not smoke-free in relation to that person during his performance."

That is it one sentence which pretty much boils down to a vague and around about way of staying you can smoke on stage if the play calls for it.  It is almost if on a Friday afternoon before the dealing of rules about the ban someone went ‘ooopps better put in something about smoking on stage!’

The legislation does not comment any further and does not give guidelines on what is deemed artistically integral; this is up to props/producer/director to sort out with the local council.  It can feel a little like it is bit pot luck if you get a particularly strict enforcement officer or not.

So you have permission it is ‘artistically integral’ smoke now what….STRESS!! For the head of props at least.

Herbals or real? -  ‘real’ cigarettes (with nicotine and tar in them) cost on average about £4-5 per packet of 20. Herbals are a lot cheaper at only £2 per packet of 20 (I have used herbal cigarettes for productions because purely because of the cost) BUT herbals smell ‘funny’ and even the non-smokers in the audience will know they are herbals and isn’t the point of smoking on stage in the first place to keep the play authentic and fool the audience in believing it is not a show? Herbal break this barrier down and then you are full circle. You may as well just not have them.

Real or fake ?  -  A real smoking cigarette is better than a non-smoking prop one I will agree with you there, but what about the water vapour electronic cigarettes?  I can get behind these types of cigarettes there are no health risks the look like they are smoking but it is the cost. They can cost up to £40 per cigarette and smaller theatres cannot afford it. Also they do not burn down like a ‘real’ cigarette so is the audience to believe that the character has found the everlasting cigarette or that the character does smoke but only a few puffs and them stubs out almost a full one?? Hmmm….

Who will smoke who won’t/ Are there member of the cast that refuse to smoke? This comes from first had experience. Where the director did not pull rank and allowed the cast to call shots on what they wanted to do. One member refused to touch a real one and insisted on herbal (fine they were cheaper anyway) but another member of cast INSISTED that real menthol ones were provided for them….

How many will they get through? This one boils down to cost again if the whole cast are smoking it will be a fortune if it is just one character it will not be so bad.  

Ash trays on the set/Fire regulations – sand/gel in ashtrays. Overzealous fire safety office will insist on sand in the astray…. Not really and authentic look considering you are meant to be in a restaurant/house/hotel… once again breaking the illusion your working so hard to keep you may as well not bother.

Ventilation – to be honest in most modern and larger theatres this is not really a problem even a lot of smaller and amateur theatre have adequate extraction for smoking to not be a problem.

So…Should we call time on smoking in the theatre?  In my opinion YES especially for amateur or small professional theatres.

It is not just the costs and the temperamental actors and the hassle of getting permission it is that it not aesthetically pleasing!!! It looks stayed and forced and sometimes just distracts from the acting.

In today’s society less people smoke and in turn it means that less actors smoke so when they are presented with the task the first few rehearsals are invariably stilted and unrealistic. Smokers and non-smokers alike can spot out someone with a cigarette that has been smoking for years and someone just posing with it.

Also the direction needs a lot of work if smoking is ‘needed’ in the play. Generally smokers have patterns on when they have a cigarettes for example; when  waiting for someone, whilst they are stood on their own (not of course that has been replaced with the healthier habit of playing on your smart phone…somehow I do not think this would be a suitable on stage substitute in a noel coward play!), if they are bored or just habits for example – one in the morning as you get up, on your way to work, when you are drinking alcohol  or maybe when they finish work. It is different for every one and I think that in the microcosm of a characters life there is not the time to be puffing away and making it look natural especially if it is a fast paced play.

Personally having a cigarette on stage is similar to having a working clock on stage. The script denotes a faster passage of time than the clock or cigarette (as it burns down) shows

If the direction is not correct it looks forces and sometimes panic-ed. The cigarette can becomes a cue for actors as well and if it doesn’t light or, on opening night when the actors are breathing harder and are nervous, the cigarette is smoked more quickly the actors are thrown and may miss it.***

Also if you are a smoker you know where the ashtrays are in your house and you don’t get up to talk to someone and then turn around in a blind panic thinking where to I flick the ash…and under no circumstances would it ever just be left to fall on the floor! (No you did not get away with it the smokers knew!!)

So yes I think that it is about time that theatres went on the patch and maybe take the time to think how the play can be tackled with to cigarettes instead of using the “its set in the 50’s every one smoked then” get out clause.  After all the next generation of writer may well be writing Ext pub smokers garden in the stage notes any way.

*** I know that the simple solution is don’t let it be a cue but individuals have their own methods. Also I am posing the worst case scenario of newbie amateur actors and understand a lot of the variables mentioned would not occur/occur less with long term professional.