Did you know that many well-known actors had their big break while working as understudies? One of the most famous examples is Anthony Hopkins, who stepped in for Laurence Olivier in The Dance of Death at the National Theatre. Others include actor Paapa Essiedu and musical theatre performers Kerry Ellis and Natasha Barnes.
Potential exposure when you’re breaking into the acting industry may be one reason to consider understudying, but there are many others.
“Aside from earning a weekly paycheck, understudies are privileged to be part of a company of actors and fellow creative artists, and to work on often complex, wonderful material,” casting director Ilene Starger writes in Backstage.
Understudies are presented with the opportunity to forge “strong relationships,” she says, adding that “frequently, an understudy will, in subsequent productions, be cast in an onstage role by the same director. This is a business of relationships; excellent work does not go unrewarded.”
Actor Thomas Michaelson has understudied twice in the West End, first on The Father at Wyndham’s Theatre in 2015 and then on Inter Alia, both at the National Theatre in 2015 and Wyndham’s in 2026. For him, it was about being part of a good production.
“Both plays I worked on were fantastic, exciting, and important plays, and I wanted to be a part of them – even if being the understudy can at times be frustrating,” he says.
On The Father, he ended up stepping in. “I was lucky enough to be working with the brilliant Kenneth Cranham, who welcomed the chance to play with a different version of the character. It was a reminder that the understudy is just as valued an actor as any member of the company,” he says. “You learn, rehearse, and connect with a wonderful piece of writing, with a wonderful team of creatives, knowing that there’s a distinct possibility you will never get to perform it in front of a paying audience.”
“It’s a case of weighing the pros and cons,” Michaelson says, arguing that “some plays come along that you just have to be involved with.”
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Understudies are an essential role within the theatre ecosystem. An understudy’s job is to be ready to cover a performer who is unable to perform their role for any reason, which could include illness.
Understudies are “often cast in a show as a member of the ensemble, meaning an understudy will have to balance two or more parts in one show and learn multiple ‘tracks’,” Sophie Thomas writes for London Theatre. A track is “a path taken by a performer during a show that stays the same, regardless of who is in the role.”
A standby usually has one responsibility, which is to cover the lead in a show. So a standby may be less likely to perform than an understudy, who is more likely to have an ensemble role or understudy multiple roles.
What is the difference between a swing and an understudy? Swings perhaps have the hardest job of all, as they learn “multiple tracks so they can cover many people,” Thomas writes. “Occasionally, a swing may have to perform a ‘cut track,’ which means they’ll be doing the jobs of two or more people as one person.” Unlike understudies, who may have a smaller or ensemble role, swings do not perform in every performance.
An alternate, meanwhile, is cast to perform a specific role in a show, but will not perform every date. They may be guaranteed a certain number of shows per week, and are the first port of call if a lead performer is unable to perform.
“Quality understudies are crucial to allow a show to keep going,” says actor Canavan Connolly, who has understudied multiple times across his career.
On the one hand, they’re about salary to pay, but, on the other, they could end up saving performances – even entire runs. “There was a production at the Fringe this year that missed five sold-out performances, totalling over 2,000 tickets having to be reallocated or refunded, because they didn’t have swings or covers in their company,” Connolly says.
Having understudies “takes the pressure off the core cast and allows them to rest when they need it,” he says, adding that he had to be covered when he lost his voice on one occasion.
Understudies are essential to productions not just for financial reasons, but also for the well-being and peace of mind of the company.
Credit: Kozlik/Shutterstock
Understudy salaries can vary widely. The actors’ union Equity has minimum pay rates for performers in productions using Equity contracts. Understudies in the West End and commercial productions on an Equity contract will get the standard minimum fee, plus an additional payment for performers with understudy responsibilities.
The standard minimum payment ranges from £829.82 for an eight-show week in a theatre of up to 800 seats to £1,187.05 for 12 performances a week in a theatre of more than 1,100 seats.
For those working in the West End, an additional weekly payment for understudies is currently:
- £57.60 for a lead role
- £34.56 for a supporting role
An additional understudy fee is not compulsory in fringe and subsidised theatre, so performers may just receive the standard minimum fee. Rates are negotiated on an individual basis for fringe, while the minimum weekly fee for subsidised theatre is £547.29.
It’s impossible to say how much understudies earn for productions not using Equity contracts, as it varies widely depending on the production.
“I would say, certainly in my case, you don’t ‘get into’ understudying," Michaelson says.
“Understudy roles are just another on the list of roles to cast in a production,” he says. “If you want to be part of that production...go for whatever role you can.”
Many actors who become understudies originally auditioned for a principal role in a production, rather than explicitly auditioning to become an understudy. When applying to jobs, there may be a time that you don’t land the lead role you auditioned for, but, instead of missing out entirely, you’re offered the role of understudy, which is a big achievement in itself.
“A good understudy is never there to impersonate the performance of the actor they are covering, but to match it,” Connolly says. “However, they will be expected to stay true to the director’s vision for the role they are playing.”
“The rhythm and beats are there in the show as it has been rehearsed and directed,” he adds. “You just need to match the energy and rhythms to support the cast who are onstage with you, so they can do their job to the best of their abilities.”
Connolly advises actors who have been cast as understudies to “treat it like any other job.… You may never be called on, but you must be ready and present. The hope is you are never needed, but when you are, you can be trusted to say the lines, hit the beats, and be a good company member.”
And, for understudies who get called upon to perform, “it may be the biggest opportunity of your life. Show you can do the work and it won’t go unnoticed.”
Meanwhile, Michaelson’s advice to actors preparing for an understudy role is to “know the script inside out, listen to everything that happens onstage, know you may barely get to rehearse, [and] know that you deserve to be there.”