Dear Factory,

This letter of resignation is public and posted on the website, not in an attempt to humiliate or manipulate, but in order that there be no misunderstandings about my reasons. And, I guess, as a farewell to the company.

As you know, I’ve championed and supported The Factory with every ounce of my being for the last two and a half years. I still believe that at our best, when we are at the top of our game, we are great. Truly Great.

However, as you also know, I’ve been championing female involvement for some time now. And I’m aware this has seemed confrontational and has made me unpopular. In Tim Evan’s words, he is ‘getting MORE THAN A LITTLE fed up with absurd and utterly infuriating, unfounded, comments such as "But if the Factory were to take the women in the company seriously".’

The points about female discrimination, made by myself and others, are not unfounded or absurd. I have counted the number of Factory opportunities for men and women over the last two and a half years, purely in an attempt to defend my position, as people clearly don’t believe there is an issue to even discuss. It's upsetting to see the actual figures so far.

Opportunities (This is the total opportunities for actors, directors and new writers involved in Factory projects. If an actor has been cast in two separate projects, they have been counted twice. If they have been involved in a project as a writer and as an actor, they have been counted twice.)
Men - 125
Women – 62

Supporting roles (This is the number of times in 7 recent Seagull shows, and the 5 York Hamlet shows that actors present at the show did not play a main role)
Men – 16
Women – 54

So you see. Twice the opportunities for men compared to women. Women who do make it into a squad are three times more likely to play bit parts or just watch.

There has not been a single project where the representation of women has been equal to that of men as actors, writers or directors – not even either of the genderless new writing projects.

I’m not writing this to throw s**t at the company, or hurt anyone. Just it’s the truth, and I don’t appreciate being shouted down by a management who have ignored the issue since it first came up about two years ago.

If the company puts product above and beyond squad morale, equality and open discussion, then it’s not a company I want to be in. It’s not the company I thought I joined.

This may sound ungrateful as I’ve been offered more than most by The Factory. But
this isn’t about me. It’s about the company being the best it can be.

My decision to leave is final. Not one taken lightly, and one that I really don’t want to lose friends over.

Thank you to The Factory and everyone individually for making the last two and a half years amazing.

The work and friendship have been the stuff of dreams.

Much love,
Bedi