Jessie Buckley to star in Afterbirth at standard theatre rate

Jessie Buckley will star in the world premiere of Nina Segal’s Afterbirth at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2028, earning the venue’s standard company rate of £140 a day, artistic director David Byrne said. The production is scheduled to run from January 15 to February 26, with Maria Aberg directing. Buckley will play Annie, and a press night is set for January 24. The play explores the realities of birth and parenthood. Byrne told The Times that Buckley would receive the same rate as other actors at the theatre. The reported daily pay equates to £971 for eight performances a week. The figures describe the Royal Court’s company rate, based on West End union agreements, rather than a special arrangement for the actor. Buckley’s film fees are not publicly established in the reports. Industry experts were cited as estimating that she could command up to £4.5 million per film; another report gave an estimate of up to £5 million for blockbuster roles. Those figures are estimates, not disclosed earnings, and do not establish what she has been paid for any particular film. Afterbirth marks Buckley’s return to the London stage for the first time since 2022, when she played Sally...