LEON DONNELLY'S LETTER TO MANAGEMENT 28th July 2009

Ms Cuqui Rivera, Leon Donnelly

Theatre Manager, 142 Southgate Rd

New London Theatre, London N1 3HX

Drury Lane, Bectu Number:

London WC2B 5PF B0516260

Tuesday 28th July 2009,

Dear Ms Rivera,

I would like to put in writing, and on the record, my displeasure at the manner in which
Bruce Tugby, Stage Carpenter, has allowed the situation in the New London Theatre
regarding Stage Crew discipline to deteriorate to the extent that one crew member, Carlos
Cruz, has suffered Racial bullying culminating in violent physical attack, and i find myself
now wondering if i am to be the next victim of attack.

As you are aware, Carlos Cruz recieved from Jimmy Stuart, 1st Dayman, damage to his
bicycle, which both Carlos and I told both yourself and Bruce Tugby at the time was part of
a series of racially motivated abuses that Carlos had recieved. I also told Deputy Manager
Clare Hannnon this. To my knowledge, no investigation into Racial Abuse was carried out.
Jimmy Stuart plastered Carlos's bicycle with pink stickers in a conscious attempt to
humiliate him. Only the day before Jimmy Stuart had been part of a group, including
Danny Bowers and Eddie Hardin, who had taunted Carlos for having bought a pink bicycle
lock, saying that he was 'gay' and generally mocking him. When Jimmy Stuart was
reluctantly made to remove these stickers he vindictively caused actual damage to
Carlos's rather expensive bicycle by leaving it covered with scratches. Bruce Tugby, in my
opinion, attempted to minimalise the whole matter, ignored the history of racial abuse prior
to the damage to Carlos's bicycle, and attempted to present the criminal damage to
Carlos's bicycle as merely a 'joke' that Carlos had failed to see the funny side of, thereby
avoiding the whole question of Racial Abuse. This, in itself, I believe, is a form of Racial
Descrimination towards Carlos Cruz on behalf of Bruce Tugby.

Jimmy Stuart lied to Bruce Tugby, telling him, that Carlos had threatened him, and Bruce
Tugby had accepted this lie. I told Bruce Tugby that i had heard the conversation that
Jimmy Stuart referred to. I told Bruce Tugby that Jimmy Stuart was a liar, as well as a
coward and a bully.Both Carlos and myself made clear to Bruce Tugby the racially
motivated nature of this humiliation. Jimmy Stuart was privately told by Bruce Tugby that
he would not recieve the intended promotion to 1st Deputy Stage Carpenter, once Carlos
and myself had made our complaints about this humiliating treatment and actual damage
to Carlos's property known to both yourself and Bruce Tugby.

When, according to Bruce Tugby's then 1st Deputy Martin Skelton, the entire company of
Actors from the National Theatre at the New London Theatre, Stage management and
Company Manager made a complaint to the New London Theatre concerning the levels of
drunkenness among the stage crew on stage, Bruce Tugby's Deputy ,Martin Skelton,
essentially told the crew that if they were to drink they should disguise it by chewing gum (I
believe the regulations call for immediate suspension if under the influence of alcohol and,
if necessary, the Police to be called). The result was that the drunkeness continued and ,
once Martin Skelton had left to become Master Carpenter of the Adelphi, both the
drunkeness and the levels of abuse that Carlos Cruz and myself received increased.
Danny Bowers even thought it appropriate to call us "Ladies" and "Girls" in front of the
audience, despite our protests, so sure was he that we could do nothing to stop him. I had
brought the matter up with Bruce Tugby, but ,by his own admission, he "forgot about it".
After the incident with the bicycle, and our reports about it to Bruce Tugby, Carlos and
myself received appalling treatment from Danny Bowers and Eddie Harding, both friends
of Jimmy Stuart . Jimmy Stuart had put his friend Eddie Hardin forward for his job in the
crew, though Eddie Hardin had never worked in a Theatre before, and it really showed in
his bad attitude, drunkenness at work and inappropriate behaviour. Once i had stood up
for Carlos I was fair game in the consideration of these bullies. Carlos and I made many
reports to Bruce Tugby in the desire to end this terrible treatment, but Bruce Tugby either
failed to pass on our complaints, or wilfully turned a blind eye to the seriousness of the
issues involved. We reported matters concerning Health and Safety Abuses, including
habitual drunkeness and Unsafe work practices, racial abuse, harrassment and a
completely non-professional attitude from Danny Bowers and Eddie Harding. By making
further complaints we made ourselves into targets for their vindictiveness and they
increased the level of their bullying. We did not intend this, we merely wished these
abuses to be investigated and to bring an end to them.

Bruce Tugby, from the beginning, has shown both Carlos and myself irritation and anger
whenever we have reported abuses to him, and has on several occasions asked us to
stop making complaints. Bruce Tugby has acted throughout as if Carlos Cruz and myself
were somehow the 'problem' because we were calling attention to these abuses, rather
than fully taking on board how illegal such abuses were and how distressing such abuses
were to us personally. It is my belief that Bruce Tugby, representing the New London
Theatre and the Really Usefull Group, has shown gross dereliction of his duty in both not
taking these matters seriously enough nor acting decisively, at the appropriate time, to
stop them, and should face a disciplinary process himself from within the Really Useful
Group to explain why he failed to act in the appropriate manner, at the appropriate time,
when abuses of this degree of seriousness were reported to him.

Carlos and myself had two long meetings with Bruce Tugby over this whole matter. The
first was on Saturday 13th June at Wong Kei Chinese restaurant, the second on Monday
15th June in Bruce Tugby's Carpenter's Room.
At the meeting in the Wong Kei Chinese Restaurant, 13th June, Bruce Tugby informed
Carlos and myself that he intended to call a general crew meeting on the following monday
to try to stop this situation from escalating. He said that he saw no reason that the crew
should not be able to work harmoniously together. Both Carlos and myself told Bruce
Tugby that it had always been our intention to work in the best stage crew in the West End.
I told Bruce Tugby that certain members of crew being racists and bullies did not lend to
harmony. Drunkenness among the crew also had a negative impact upon this. Bruce
Tugby could not adequately explain why he had let Danny Bowers shout and swear in our
faces, before the whole crew on stage, when Carlos had asked him politely not to call us
"Ladies" or "Girls" in front of the audience. Carlos had made this request after Danny
Bowers ignored my complaint about this to him, and Bruce Tugby had forgotten to mention
it to Danny Bowers himself. In regards to Danny Bower's shouting and swearing when
Carlos made this request, Bruce Tugby kept trying to make it appear that Carlos and
Danny were equally at fault in this. This was ridiculous, Carlos had not been shouting and
swearing, only Danny Bowers had behaved in this inappropriate manner. I told Bruce
Tugby that clearly the appropriate thing would have been for Bruce Tugby to tell Danny
Bowers not to shout and swear at a fellow crew member. Bruce Tugby should also have
told him, in my opinion, that such behaviour could lead to disciplinary action. Bruce Tugby
said that he had told both of them to shut up, but this was only after allowing Danny
Bowers to express himself fully in such an inappropriate manner, a manner in which Carlos
himself had not behaved.

I told Bruce Tugby that his approach had been to treat them both as if they were equally to
blame, and that this was just simply not the case. Why did Bruce Tugby have a problem
telling aggressors to stop being aggressive? Bruce Tugby referred to an aggressive
manner in Carlos. I asked Bruce Tugby what he found aggressive in Carlos's manner.
when Bruce Tugby found it difficult to find an answer, i suggested, "Is it because he has a
Spanish accent?" Eventually the only reason that Bruce Tugby could come up with for
Carlos's supposed aggressive manner was to say that Carlos had a tendency to speak
closely with people and that his voice was loud. When Danny Bowers had been shouting
and swearing at Carlos they were several feet apart and Carlos had been speaking very
reasonably.

Bruce Tugby appeared at this meeting intent on closing this whole matter down, and did
not seem to be taking seriously the abuses that both Carlos and myself had suffered. I told
Bruce Tugby that he could have sorted this whole thing out right from the first report, he
could have informally gathered the crew and told them that if they didn't stop pissing about
with all this racism, bullying and drunkenness that they would be sacked, but he didn't.
Bruce Tugby apologised for not having acted sooner. He indicated that his intention at the
Monday meeting was to address the issues that concerned us. As i indicate later below,
that was far from the result of that meeting.

I then asked Bruce Tugby if it was true, as Danny Bowers had told me, that Bruce Tugby
had employed Danny Bowers against the advice of Martin Skelton, his 1st Deputy,
because Martin Skelton had doubts as to Danny Bowers's good character. Bruce Tugby
said that essentially it was true. He also said that he did not have a very high opinion of
Danny Bowers's character himself. I then asked Bruce Tugby why, given this fact, he had
employed Danny Bowers in the first place. Bruce Tugby said that Danny Bowers had
certain "skills" that were useful to him. He did not specify what skills these were.

I told Bruce Tugby that Jimmy Stuart was a liar, a bully and a coward, as were Eddie
Harding and Danny Bowers. When Bruce Tugby told us that he had told Jimmy Stuart not
to apply for the position of 1st Deputy because he would not now be given it, my response
was "Quite right too!".

At Bruce Tugby's suggestion that he move Eddie Harding to work in the Flies, to separate
him from us, Carlos and I both objected and said that we feared that that would place him
in a position to do us greater injury. Carlos and I both work beneath the Flies at various
points in the show and did not want to give Eddie Hardin the opportunity to drop heavy
weights upon us, with possible fatal consequences. I told Bruce Tugby that, given Eddie
Hardin's character, we believed that he was capable of any act of violence against us,
including fatal injury. Bruce Tugby did not question this, but merely said that he would
consider our concerns when deciding where to place Eddie Hardin in future. Therefore,
more than two weeks before Eddie Hardin's violent attack upon Carlos we had told Bruce
Tugby, in person, that we both feared for our safety from a violent act from Eddie Hardin.
Against Union advice (which Willy Donaghy from BECTU had told me when i spoke to him
from Bruce Tugby's office on Monday 15th of June was to hold an informal meeting to
discuss the issues involved) Bruce Tugby called a Formal general crew meeting on
Monday 15th June , attended by yourself, which Carlos Cruz and myself, under advice
from Willy Donaghy from BECTU, refused to attend without representation from Bectu.
Although quite correct in not attending this meeting, Bruce Tugby became very angry with
us and accused us of "interfering" in Bruce Tugby's attempt "to clear the matter up" and
causing "further division" among the stage crew. When we said we would attend no formal
meeting without Bectu representation, Bruce told us to get a representative from Bectu
"NOW!", unreasonable given the fact that the Bectu office hours had passed. We did not
attend this meeting, but were suprised how short it was, and witnessed Eddie Hardin leave
the Theatre from this meeting laughing. Clearly, whatever Bruce Tugby had said at this
meeting was not taken seriously by at least one of the aggressors.

Carlos Cruz and myself were called by Bruce Tugby to a meeting in his office after the
General crew meeting and, once we had assurance from Bruce Tugby that this was an
Informal meeting, we agreed to attend this meeting without union representation, as
directed by Willy Donaghy (who i spoke to on the telephone from Bruce Tugby's office prior
to this meeting, Bruce Tugby having called him). at this meeting Bruce Tugby read to us
informally the formal statement that he had made to the crew generally. He referred to the
situation as "bickering", called for it to end, and said that from this point on any member of
crew who behaved inappropriately would risk facing disciplinary action, including possible
dismissal. He made no specific reference to any of the abuses that we had reported to
him, nor gave any indication that he intended any investigation of these abuses. When
asked for our comments on the statement that he had read at the `general crew meeting i
said, after a pause for consideration, that "bickering" hardly covered the issues that we
had reported to him, and that i would have wished "not being Racist" and "not Bullying" to
have been mentioned in his statement. Bruce Tugby said, irritably, " you didn't write it, I
did!". I do not believe that this aggressive tone was appropriate given that i was simply
giving a considered answer to his question. Bruce Tugby also gave at this general crew
meeting a "Final Warning" to the crew as a whole. Neither Carlos nor myself could see
why Bruce Tugby thought it appropriate to give us a "Final Warning" for having brought
these abuses to Bruce Tugby's attention. Surely the "Final Warning" should have been
given to the abusers. By spreading this "Final Warning" generally across the crew it diluted
any specific warning to Danny Bowers, Jimmy Stuart and Eddie Hardin. In my opinion.
Bruce Tugby just wasn't facing up to the issues involved here, and had not kept his
promise to us of 13th June to address these issues in this meeting. Why did he think it
appropriate to issue a "Final Warning" to Carlos and myself, as well as to others not
involved? Perhaps BECTU can advise whether it is appropriate or not to be given a Formal
"Final Warning" for reporting abuses in the work place?

Bruce Tugby at first claimed in our meeting with him on 15th June that he had not known
that our reports had specified that Carlos had been subjected to a series of racially
motivated abuses culminating in the damage to his bicycle, despite the fact that we had
made clear to Bruce Tugby from the very first complaints about the bicycle incident that
this was the case. Bruce Tugby, rather than giving us a promise to investigate the matter
fully, repeatedly asked us not to make any further complaints and to drop the matter. He
wanted the matter to end "now" and for us to take the matter no further. I told Bruce Tugby
that i would not make any such promise, and that if the abuses continued we would surely
continue to report them. I made this quite clear, saying "If abuses are to occur again, this
does not end". Bruce Tugby was attempting to draw a line in the sand, saying that he
would be looking for evidence of anyone behaving in an inappropriate manner from "now
on", wished to apply it "across the board", but gave no indication of wishing to investigate
all the previous abuses we had reported to him. It was, we felt, as if we had said nothing,
or that our previous complaints were being given no credence.

Carlos Cruz was very concerned that Bruce Tugby was putting his, Carlos's, reputation
and his integrity on the line, and said that he had merely come to Bruce Tugby with a
complaint and now "you are questioning my integrity". Carlos told Bruce Tugby that he
didn't understand where this was coming from. While accepting that we had throughout
behaved in an appropriate manner, Bruce Tugby could give no coherent reason why he
expected both Carlos and myself to accept as reasonable his desire for us to agree to
being part of a general disciplinary meeting where we were to be issued a Formal "Final
Warning". Bruce Tugby asked us both if we would accept this Informal reading of the
general crew warning as Formal. This was completely counter to the terms under which
Carlos and myself had agreed to attend this meeting. I repeated to Bruce Tugby that we
would not be willing to accept this Informal meeting as a Formal acceptance of the "Final
Warning" that he had given generally to the Crew in the prior Formal meeting, and that for
him to wish to make this Formal we would require Bectu representation at another
meeting, as i had told him at the beginning of the conversation. Bruce Tugby asked that, if
necessary, this Formal meeting be arranged at a future date, and we both agreed.
To my suggestion that, since members of the crew seemed to have seriously impaired
judgement due to their intake of alcohol, the whole crew should be breathalysed before
every show, Bruce Tugby said that ,unfortunately, he did not have a breathalyser (I believe
they are available from Argos at a relatively cheap price), but that "It may be necessary".
(Clare Hannon also agreed with my suggestion that the crew should be breathalysed
before every show when i had brought the matter up with her the week of the bicycle
incident.) In my opinion Bruce Tugby seemed intent on covering the whole matter up, he
wanted to wipe away the past and put all the crew on an equal footing of blame, despite
the fact that Carlos and myself had done nothing wrong, we had merely reported abuses,
as we were entitled.

Bruce Tugby also told us that this case was very complex because others had made
counter complaints about us, which made it very difficult for him to know who was telling
the truth. He had also told us this at the meeting in the Wong Kei restaurant on Saturday
13th of June. It was "a mess" he maintained, "partly of my own making". I told Bruce Tugby
that, since we had been very open with him about the complaints that we had made
against others, perhaps he might be willing to tell us the "specific" nature of the complaints
made against us. He seemed again lost for words before saying that the complaints
against us, though "vague", were essentially that we were "making trouble" because we
were making complaints . Carlos and i both laughed. "We are troublemakers?", i
exclaimed. I told Bruce that that wasn't such a complicated matter, that he KNEW that we
were making complaints and that we fully admitted to making complaints. Our complaints
were justified because they were true. It was no suprise that those we were reporting for
these abuses would consider us troublemakers, but i expressed suprise that Bruce Tugby
should seem so concerned to weigh such statements equally in the balance with our
complaints or give them any credence at all. Surely it was more important to discover if our
complaints were true rather than dismiss those complaints because they were "trouble" for
the abusers. We were reporting abuses and were fully entitled to. We were standing up for
our rights under law.This was not such a complicated matter. What was complicated was
understanding why Bruce Tugby kept avoiding the real issues involved, namely racial
bullying in the work place, bullying in the work place, Health and Safety Abuses in the work
place, and racial discrimination in the work place. Bruce Tugby agreed that he could have
stopped this situation from escalating by acting decisively and apologised, "I regret not
having done things quickly enough". This is not satisfactory. Not to have done the right
thing at the right time is bad enough, but then to attempt to put all crew members on an
equal footing of blame and to issue a general "Final Warning" to all is complete
incompetence and an avoidance of the serious nature of the complaints that we had
made.

Both Carlos and myself expressed to Bruce Tugby a great confusion at his own response
to our complaints, that when we had made complaints he had repeatedly been angry and
aggressive with us, shouting at us and intimidating us. This was suprising to us, since we
were innocent of any fault and were merely carrying out our right to report to Bruce Tugby,
the person responsible for our care in the New London Theatre, abuses that were both
illigal and personally distressing to us, and some of which, by his own admittion, had
placed our lives in danger. Bruce Tugby appologised for his behaviour, said he was
emotional and angry, "I'm being angry and that's not good", and said that he had acted
inappropriately towards us, "Anger towards anyone is always inappropriate. I'm sorry".
Bruce Tugby should have commended our courage in standing up against these abuses
rather than be angry with us for making these complaints. I said, "We are the ones in a
threatened position", and that we were guilty of nothing other than having brought these
abuses to Bruce Tugby's attention, as was quite right.

The meeting of 15th of June ended in complete farce, with Carlos and myself agreeing that
we would continue to behave in the professional manner in which we had always
behaved, and with us stating that we needed no future Formal meeting to restate this
Formally. Bruce Tugby said that he didn't think that we did, saying "You say you've always
been reasonable, I accept that." So, again, why did Bruce Tugby wish us to attend the
Formal meeting in the first place, given that he accepted that we had never behaved in an
unreasonable manner, were guilty of no fault, if not to cover up the specific abuses we had
reported to him and reduce everything to a question of "bickering" among the crew? Again
i ask, why did Bruce Tugby believe that we deserved a Formal "Final Warning" for having
reported abuses in the New London Theatre?

The incidents did not end as a result of this Formal "Final Warning" issued to the crew in
general. Carlos and i continued to report to Bruce Tugby our concerns, especially Health
and Safety Concerns at the dangerous manner in which Eddie Hardin and Danny Bowers
were moving the Tank when Carlos was inside it, with Carlos being hit several times as the
two of them laughed. Our complaints did not bring and end to this behaviour.

Carlos's father was unwell at this time, the beginning of July, Danny Bowers was aware of
this, and so it was that on Saturday 4th July an attack was carried out on Carlos by Eddie
Hardin, as i had feared would happen.

I had told Carlos to expect any level of personal abuse from Eddie Hardin and Danny
Bowers, because they would not be satisfied until Carlos, myself, or both of us were gone
from the Theatre. It was my belief, i told Carlos on several occasions, that they would
attempt to provoke a reaction, insult him as much as possible to provoke this reaction,
preferably to get Carlos to hit them, or be involved in a so-called 'fight', blame Carlos as
the aggressor and force his removal so that they could carry on as they had before, being
drunk and behaving inappropriately. I stressed to Carlos that, no matter how much they
abused him, was he to allow them this opportunity. Carlos promised that he would not fall
into this trap. I believe that, with knowledge of Carlos's concerns for his father's health,
Danny Bowers and Eddie Hardin believed Saturday 4th July was the day to make their
move. The night before they had both screamed at Carlos to stop making reports, and now
they were intent upon striking while Carlos was distracted by his father's ill-health.

Carlos has told me in some detail what happened that day, and i have no reason to doubt
him. I have every reason to doubt anything that Danny Bowers, Eddie Hardin, or any of
their drinking partners has to say on the subject. Eddie Hardin abused Carlos on stage,
Carlos followed him through the puppet room, Eddie Hardin ranting and swearing all the
way, to ask him not to speak to him in this manner at work. Carlos had no intention of
fighting Eddie Hardin, quite the opposite. Outside the puppet room Eddie Hardin attacked
Carlos, Danny Bowers was first on the scene. Several actors witnessed Eddie Hardin
headbutt Carlos. The recent death of Natasha Richardson should make it evident to any
reasonable person that the blow that Eddie Hardin delivered to Carlos could have had fatal
consequences.
Danny Bowers, Eddie Hardin's friend, and one of the three that had been reported by
Carlos and myself for Racist bullying, is apparently the only witness to the beginning of this
attack. As i had warned Carlos prior to this attack, such a situation would leave Carlos
open to an accusation of being the 'aggressor' from his abusers. I am sure that Danny
Bowers will make such a claim against Carlos in his statement on this incident, making the
claim that an aggressive attack was carried out upon Eddie Hardin by Carlos Cruz, and
that Eddie Hardin's head-butting of Carlos was in some fashion in 'self-defence'. Rather an
extreme form of 'self-defence', as any reasonable person would conclude, given that
Carlos was, at the time, being restrained by Danny Bowers.

I was amazed that Bruce Tugby did not find it appropriate to call the Police immediately
upon knowledge of the head-butt to Carlos Cruz, nor to breathalyze Eddie Hardin. One of
the actors told me that they had smelt alcohol on Eddie Hardin's breath shortly before the
attack. I also smelt alcohol on Danny Bowers's breath. One wonders under what
conditions Bruce Tugby would be prepared to breathalyze a crew member, given that he
had already told us on 15th June that "It may be necessary". Was not a violent act such as
a head-butt worthy of calling the Police and having the crew members involved
breathalyzed? Questions as to Danny Bowers character not withstanding, i fear that Bruce
Tugby will find it 'convenient' to accept Danny Bowers word in this matter and allow himself
to be quit of the awkward matter of dealing with the racist abuses that have been carried
out under his 'watch' at The New London Theatre. Bruce Tugby was far less willing to take
the word of Carlos and myself when we told him that the nature of the abuses that we had
been consistently reporting to him were racially motivated, at least not publicly.

I believe a great injustice has been carried out in the manner in which Carlos Cruz has
been treated since he began working at the New London Theatre, there is no room for
Racism and bullying in the work place, and i believe that it is my duty to stand up against
this injustice and call upon the Really Useful Group to make a full and impartial
investigation into this whole matter, including Bruce Tugby's part in it.

After Carlos and Eddie Hardin were suspended, the atmosphere at work, while improved
by the abscence of Eddie Hardin, was not good, and I began to wonder if I would be the
next target of attack. I believe that Carlos was attacked for speaking up, and i do not
intend to be silenced myself. I believe we all have the right, in fact a duty, to speak up
when we see abuse and injustice, whether it be at work or in any sphere of life. I am sure
that the management of the New London Theatre and my union, Bectu, will be in full
aggreeance with this.

On Friday 17th of July, at approximately 5.20pm, during pre-set, i was waiting to help fly
out the Tank used in the show. Jimmy Stuart was at the fly controls. I called out "Tank
ready", and asked if anyone was available to help. Danny Bowers came over to my left to
the front of the Tank, i was at the back. Danny Bowers was having a conversation with
Jimmy Stuart, asking whether or not LX had finished with the Tank, although my calling out
that the Tank was ready was an indication that they had. Normally the Tank is flown out
with at least 3 people on it, with one other to page a bar back to let it through. Danny
Bowers said, "We can take it out with 2". I assumed Danny Bowers was speaking to
Jimmy Stuart and expressing an opinion to him, rather than giving me an instruction, and i
said nothing. Then Danny Bowers said to me in an agressive and sarcastic manner, "Or
don't you believe me or something?". I said to him that I didn't realize that he was speaking
to me. Danny Bowers said to me with a snort of derision, "What, d'ya want me to adress
you as "Leon" when I speak to you, or something?". I said that that would certainly help
me to understand that i was being adressed. Danny Bowers snorted again. I went round to
the front of the Tank and we began to fly it out, there now being someone paging back the
bar. Once the Tank was flown out, and seeing Bruce Tugby nearby, I asked Bruce Tugby to
come over and told him, in front of Danny Bowers and Jimmy Stuart, that i wished to
express my displeasure at the agressive and sarcastic manner in which Danny Bowers
had spoken to me. Jimmy Stuart said, "What the fuck's he want now?". Danny Bowers
looked at me in fury and said, "What is it you really want to say to me, Leon? Go on!". i
said, "I wish you only to adress me in a respectful manner at work, not in an agressive or a
sarcastic manner. If you cannot speak to me in a respectful manner, i wish you not to
adress me at all." "Is that all?", Danny Bowers said. I said that it was, and Danny Bowers
said, "All right then!", and walked across to the other side of the stage. Bruce Tugby
witnessed all of this exchange. I asked Bruce Tugby, " Do you agree that I am within my
rights to request that I be spoken to in a respectful manner at work?". Bruce Tugby said
that i was.

As i crossed the stage, carrying on with my work, Danny Bowers sidled up to me, saying in
an aggressive but low voice, " I've been fucking trying really hard with you these past two
weeks, mate!". I told Danny Bowers to stop right there, and that if he had anything further
to say to me that he should say it in front of Bruce Tugby, because i wished there to be
witnesses. Danny Bowers said to me, "Oh, so you only want me to speak to you in front of
Bruce now do you? In front of witnesses?". I said that that would suit me fine and asked
him to accompany me to Bruce Tugby, back over on stage right. As we approached Bruce
Tugby I said to him, " Danny has something to say to me and i would like you to be a
witness". Danny Bowers said, " All i was telling him was that i've been trying to be friendly
with him, saying hello and goodbye and all that'. Bruce Tugby asked me, "What's wrong
with that?". I said "It's not a question of hello or goodbye, I have the right to be spoken to
at work in a respectful manner, not with sarcasm or aggression". Danny Bowers walked off
with another one of his snorts. Bruce Tugby told me that he would ask Danny Bowers to be
"more careful" in the way in which he spoke to me in the future.

Bruce Tugby then asked me to sit with him in the auditorium (on stage right) to discuss my
concerns with him at the end of pre-set. I told Bruce Tugby that Danny Bowers had sidled
up to me after our first exchange and had quietly said "I've been fucking trying really hard
with you these past two weeks, mate", and how agressive he had been. Bruce Tugby
joked "Well, he obviously hasn't tried hard enough!". I told Bruce Tugby that i considered
Danny Bowers comment as a threat and a comment on my having brought up my
displeasure at the manner in which he had previously adressed me. Then Bruce Tugby
said something which really suprised me, " I don't really understand why it bothers you so
much". I said to Bruce Tugby, " You are, are you not, fully aware of the history of racism
and bullying in this Theatre, going back months? Carlos and I have made complaints to
you going back many weeks, and still the bullying continues." Bruce Tugby said, "Well, i
know that you 'percieve' it to be bullying". I said to Bruce Tugby, "All the 'accidents', all that
nonsense with "Girls" and "Ladies", and all the rest, I'm sick of it, it's gone on too long, and
i'm totally fed up with the attitude of these people". Bruce Tugby said, " Well, I'm sorry I
forgot to mention the "girls" and "ladies" thing, but when you brought it up at the pre-set i
asked Danny to stop it and he stopped it". I said, "While it is preferable now that i am not
adressed as a "Girl" or a "Lady", i am not prepared to be spoken to by him, or anyone else
in this building, in a dis-respectful manner. I will not be bullied by anyone here. This has
gone on far too long and i want it to stop. I will not accept bullying from any member of
crew and, if anyone tries it, i inform you that i will not take it, i absolutely will not take it. I
am a 43 year old man who just wants to come to work, do a job of work, and go home. I
am not here to be anyone's "Bitch"". Bruce Tugby said that he was unfamiliar with this use
of the word 'bitch'. I told him that it was common street parlance deriving, i believe, from
all-male prisons, and meant that i was not prepared to be anyone's tool to be played with,
humiliated by, nor 'fucked' with. i told Bruce Tugby that i had not recieved such Bullying
since school as i had recieved at the New London Theatre from Jimmy Stuart, Eddie
Hardin and Danny Bowers. Bruce Tugby said "Well, no-one should be bullied at school". I
told Bruce Tugby "Well, this is work, and i will not accept being bullied in the New London
Theatre". Bruce Tugby then said, "Well, no-one should accept being bullied anywhere". I
made it very clear to Bruce Tugby that i was appalled at the behaviour of certain members
of his crew, and that i was not going to passively accept any further bad treatment or bad
behaviour. Bruce Tugby repeated, " I will speak with Danny and ask him to be more careful
in the future in the way in which he adresses you".

As we crossed the stage to leave i said to Bruce Tugby, "Do you accept that everything
that i have said to you is reasonable, that my concerns are reasonable, and that i have a
right to adress any concerns about the way in which i am treated to you?" Bruce Tugby
said, "You can come and speak to me about anything you want. We can discuss the color
of the sky if you want!". At this inappropriate and flippant reply i was amazed. I told Bruce
Tugby, " I am not interested in discussing the color of the sky. All i want is to be able to go
to work and not be bullied, and not be treated in a disrespectful manner, that is all!". After
everything that had happened, after all the reports that Carlos and i had made to Bruce
Tugby, and after Carlos having been so savagely attacked, i could not believe that Bruce
Tugby would make such a stupid and flippant remark. It seems that it is easy for Bruce
Tugby to treat the whole thing as a joke, he has not had to suffer abuse as we both have,
nor actual bodily harm, as Carlos has, and as i wish to avoid recieving.

After leaving the Theatre, after the pre-set, i sat at a table outside the cafe opposite the
Theatre and began to write notes on my exchange with Danny Bowers, and the
conversation with Bruce Tugby. After a time it began to rain heavily, but i was under the
canopy and so continued to write. All of a sudden, Jimmy Stuart appeared over my left
shoulder, having run in from the rain for cover. I immediately covered up my writing. Now, i
have never taken kindly to Jimmy Stuart's arrogant and bullying manner, but have always
behaved neutrally and professionally at work towards him. Outside of work i have no
interest in him whatsoever. He has often behaved towards both myself personally and
others in such an offensive manner that i could never accept such a person as a friend,
and there is no requirement that i should do so. Jimmy Stuart said to me, "Have you
brought this rain on, Leon?". I said nothing but continued to keep my writings covered.
Jimmy Stuart then said, "Are you not talikng to me?". Again i said nothing, i did not ask for
his company nor did i wish it's further continuence. Jimmy Stuart continued, " That's
fucking nice, i try to be fucking friendly and you fucking ignore me. Very friendly". I pointed
to the Theatre and said calmly, "In there i will speak to you on matters regarding work, but
outside I have no wish for social communication with you, ever". Jimmy Stuart said, "I don't
care if you're not talking to me.", to which i calmly answered, "Good". Then Jimmy Stuart
walked away saying, "You're not fucking worth it, mate, believe me." As i said, i had not
invited his company, nor would i ever do so, having seen what his true character is over
these past months. I have never made friends with a racist bully before, and i do not ever
intend to do so. I wanted to make clear to Jimmy Stuart that he should leave me alone. I
will not be cowed by him, and if he attempts to bully me in any form i will report him.

Just before the show that evening Bruce Tugby came up to me in the wings and said that
he had told Danny Bowers to be "very careful" when speaking to me in future.

The following evening, Saturday 18th July, Danny Bowers, shortly before the 'ghosts' go
on, stood a metre or so from me and stared at me silently, cross-armed, in an intimidating
and threatening manner. Now, i do not fear Danny Bowers, i know like most cowards and
bullies he is mostly "piss and wind", and alone, i doubt that he would have the courage to
attack me, but with back-up i'm sure he would be quite capable of causing serious injury.
That is my opinion. I have a low opinion of his character, as Bruce Tugby told me he had,
and as Martin Skelton had. My experience with bullies tells me that they are most likely to
attack in packs.( Eddie Hardin is somewhat different, he is, in my opinion, something of a
psychopath, and vicious with it. In fact, at the time of his vicious attack on Carlos, Eddie
Hardin had been sporting a cut on his upper left lip that he had recieved a week or two
before in another fight. Eddie Hardin is no stranger to violence. Eddie Hardin once boasted
in the crew room about his 'nutter' mate who had been in the UVF (for those not in the
know, the UVF is an Ulster Loyalist Paramilitary unit with links to the BNP, Combat 18, and
the American Klu Klux Klan). He also boasted of an interview he was sent to conduct with
the Irish singer Shane McGowan, in Dublin, for the 'lads' magazine "Nuts", which ended in
Eddie Hardin head-butting Shane McGowan and writing about it in the magazine (the
Really Useful Group may wish to read this article and contact Shane McGowan for his
views on Eddie Hardin's character).)
Towards the end of that Saturday evening show, as i left stage right to cross under to
stage left, i walked down the steps of the staircase only to be followed by Craig's words
following after me, "Fuck off!". Craig is another of Eddie Hardin's drinking buddies, also
fond of being drunk at work. I had initially liked Craig, and when i first met him, on "Imagine
This", he was grateful for the job, worked in a sensible and sober manner, but he had
really fallen in with the wrong crowd, and i fear that it has done his character no good at
all. Craig had seemed to look up to Eddie Hardin , Jimmy Stuart and Danny Bowers, and
had soon begun to emulate them. i didn't care what Craig or any of them thought about
me, in fact it is good to know where you stand with such people. As i said, my experience
tells me that bullies attack in packs, so it's good to be clear who the pack is so that i can
be sure who i need to be careful around. I have been told several things by various actors
in the company concerning the bullies involved in this sorry tale. One interesting thing an
actor told me only this Monday, 27th July; he said that his partner had overheard Danny
Bowers saying at stage door, amongst other things, "We don't put up with grasses at the
New London". Now, whether Danny Bowers was reffering to myself, the treatment meeted
out to Carlos, or both, I am not sure, but the implied threat is evident.

Since the attack upon Carlos, and the suspension of both Carlos and his agressor Eddie
Hardin, i have been very cautious whenever approaching the New London Theatre, while
in the building, and when i leave. I was right when i said to Bruce Tugby that i feared an
attack from Eddie Hardin upon either Carlos or myself, and i see no reason to suppose
that i am now any safer from such an attack myself. Indeed, i recall a brief exchange
between Clare Hannon, Assistant Manager, and myself in the auditorium the week after
the bicycle incident: Clare Hannon asked me if "it" was still going on, meaning the racist
abuse. I told her that it was. She asked me what i was going to do about the situation. I
said, "There's always the Law." Clare Hannon laughed and said, "There's always Death!". i
do hope that she is wrong, but i will not be silent and allow these injustices to pass without
comment to the necessary authorities. That is why i am writing to yourself, Ms Rivera, and
sending a copy of this letter to Willy Donaghy at Bectu, because i both want my comments
to be on the record and i want the Really Useful Group to do something about this
appalling and dangerous mess that Bruce Tugby's lack of judgement has left us all with.

It is my belief that Bruce Tugby has shown himself incapable of dealing fairly or capably in
this whole matter, including in the investigation into Carlos Cruz's brutal attack by Eddie
Hardin and it's whole back-story, and i request that somebody much higher up in the
Really Useful Group take over the handling of this matter. I also request that somebody
much higher up in the Really Useful Group should investigate Bruce Tugby's handling of
the whole matter up to this point, and that Bruce Tugby should face a disciplinary
investigation himself for the incompetent manner in which he has allowed this whole
problem to fester, and for his attempts to avoid the real and serious issues involved here,
namely, concerning matters of Health and Safety in the workplace, Racial Discrimination in
the workplace, Racial bullying in the workplace, bullying in the workplace and harrassment
in the workplace . I would like to make it clear here that i bear no ill-will to either the New
London Theatre nor the Really Useful Group itself. I love my job and i wish it to continue
as long as possible. However, Bruce Tugby, by employing several rather unsavoury types
and not being willing to check them sufficiently in their appalling mis-behaviour, has left me
with no choice but to speak up and make my complaints heard, at whatever personal risk
this entails.

I would like both the Really useful Group and my Union, Bectu, to be notified by myself
now that, should a violent attack upon myself take place either inside or outside this
Theatre, they should not see this as co-incidental, but as a probable, if not inevitable,
result of my having made the complaints that i have made in an attempt to end this
intolerable situation. I would also like to state, on the record, that in the event that i am
accused by any of the bullies outlined above, or their drinkling associates, of having been
the aggressor in any 'fight' not independently witnessed, that i have never attacked anyone
in my life, have no intention of ever attacking anyone, and have no Police record
whatsoever. I do not wish to recieve a beating from any of these bullies, only for them to
accuse me of being the 'aggressor', as i fear will be the case with Carlos Cruz. I would like
you to consider this letter as merely a prelimary corresponance before i send you my
complete statement on the abuses that have occurred here at the New London Theatre.

The situation amongst the New London Theatre stage crew has not only been a scandal to
the New London Theatre itself, nor just to the Really Useful Group as a whole, but to the
whole of British theatre. In the past 20 years i have worked in hundreds of theatres in
Canada, America, and this country as an actor, playwright, director, fire-officer, stage-door
keeper and crew member. I have never witnessed such a drunken, shambolic, racist and
bullying crew as Bruce Tugby managed to put together at the New London Theatre for
"Warhorse". The photographs of Carlos Cruz's face after the vicious physical assault upon
him should haunt any thoughtful and compassionate person involved in the Really Useful
Group, stir them to seek justice in this case, and instill within them a determination that
such appalling abuses never have an opportunity to repeat themselves in the New London
Theatre ever again. It is my belief that by speaking up in this matter i am rendering both
the New London Theatre and the Really Useful Group as a whole a great service. It is time
that you cleaned your House, and i will assist you in any way that i can.

Yours Sincerely,

Leon Donnelly

Copy to Willy Donaghy, Bectu.

Copy kept for own use.