A new charity, Second Stage, has been launched by theatre producer Edward Snape and arts marketer Jo Hutchison to support prison leavers into employment within the theatre and live entertainment industry.
To mark the occasion, Fiery Angel will host a fundraising cabaret celebrating its 25th anniversary on Thursday 6 November at the Bloomsbury Ballroom. The event will raise funds for Second Stage and feature performances from Rob Brydon, Dillie Keane of Fascinating Aida, Clive Rowe, and Michael Balogun, with more names to be announced.
Second Stage aims to provide professional theatre training in prisons and create pathways to backstage roles for those leaving the criminal justice system. The initiative responds to a reported shortfall in technical theatre staff across the UK, as highlighted by a 2024 survey conducted by SOLT and UK Theatre.
“Second Stage has been an idea I have been thinking about for quite some time, having been inspired by James Timpson, our Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation, who himself employs a significant number of prison leavers,” said Edward Snape.
“I have always felt that the theatre industry is brilliant in welcoming people from all walks of life, and continues to strive to be increasingly inclusive to all. I know many of us feel like outsiders until we alight on a career in theatre.
“This combined with an entrance level skills shortage in theatre, it therefore seemed the perfect opportunity for us, as an industry, to consider welcoming prison leavers eager to get back into the workforce. The potential to alleviate both issues at once seemed too inspiring to ignore.
“It’s hard to believe that less than a year ago I explained my idea to Jo Hutchison, who took this idea and ran with it, resulting in an incredibly positive response from the theatre industry.”
Jo Hutchison added, “Being tasked with researching the idea, it wasn’t something I could easily leave behind. Seeing the effect we could have on even a few, and hopefully many more young men, who had no idea our world even existed, was incredibly moving.
“Realising the privilege we all share in being part of the creative community, I wanted to provide a doorway into this community for these disadvantaged men. We have been met with support and encouragement from within HMPPS and from within our industry, so, with a lot of hard work and a few strong learning curves, I believe we will succeed in providing a conducive working environment for those society has left behind, while also addressing the pressing need to fill an entry-level staff shortage and increase diversity off stage.”
The charity draws inspiration from successful rehabilitation and employment programmes in other industries, including Timpsons, Balfour Beatty, and Greene King, as well as theatre organisations like Clean Break and Synergy.
“The reason why over time there are so many people in prisons is because of reoffending. You’ve got to get the reoffending levels down otherwise you’re permanently in a state where you’ve got to keep building more prisons,” said Lord James Timpson, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending.
More information can be found here.
