Where Do Performers Hit Resistance in Musical Theatre?

Be You’s research has some blunt answers – and practical ways forward.

We asked performers across Melbourne: “Where have you found the most resistance in pursuing a career in musical theatre?”

The answers were raw. They were consistent. And they don't just paint a picture of separate barriers; they reveal a reinforcing feedback loop - a cumulative gauntlet where each obstacle makes the next one harder to overcome.

Let’s break it down.

1. Economic & Resource Barriers

What it is: Performers are juggling multiple jobs, paying for classes, and scraping together rent. Training, auditions, even basic survival comes at a cost.

Why it matters: When money decides who can train, who can show up, and who can keep going, we’re not building an industry based on talent. We’re building one based on privilege.

In practice:

• Companies, funders, producers — stop assuming unpaid development is a badge of honour. It’s exclusion.

• Budget for bursaries, subsidised training, or travel allowances. Even small stipends can make the difference between someone turning up or dropping out.

• Make transparent what is paid and what isn’t. Stop the quiet expectation that performers will absorb the costs.

Blunt truth: If performers are bleeding cash to stay in the game, the pipeline will keep shrinking.

2. Gatekeeping & Selection Practices

What it is: Getting into the room. That’s where resistance hits hard. Audition invites, self-tape quality, knowing the right people. Doors open for some, stay locked for others.

Why it matters: Talent doesn’t count if it’s never seen. When selection is opaque, it reinforces who’s already “in.” Networks replicate themselves. Diversity stays tokenistic.

In practice:

• Run open auditions more often. Not every show, but enough to build a fairer baseline.

• If you’re relying on self-tapes, provide clear technical guides and affordable studio options. Don’t let production value stand in for talent.

• Publish criteria. Let performers know what you’re actually looking for, rather than leaving them to guess.

• Challenge your own network reflexes: who do you always call? Who don’t you?

Blunt truth: “If you’re good enough, you’ll get noticed” is a lie. Systems notice who they’re set up to notice.

3. Identity, Appearance & Structural Exclusion

What it is: Performers told us about being turned away because of their body, their age, their accent, their skin colour, their gender identity, their disability. “Not the right look” comes up again and again.

Why it matters: Exclusion based on identity isn’t just unfair. It’s artistically lazy. Stories flatten when they’re cast from the same mould. Audiences see through it.

In practice:

• Audit your casting breakdowns. Are you defaulting to “slim, white, cisgender, 20s”? Challenge that norm.

• Engage consultants or advisors from the communities you want to represent — and pay them.

• Build flexibility into your vision. If the best singer in the room doesn’t fit the traditional “look,” maybe the look needs to shift.

• Stop calling “diverse” casting a risk. It’s reality.

Blunt truth: If your season line-up could have been staged in 1985 without raising an eyebrow, you’re behind.

4. Organisational & Cultural Climate

What it is: Beyond auditions, performers talked about workplace culture. Harassment. Tokenism. Feeling unsafe. Being “the only one” in the room.

Why it matters: Talent doesn’t thrive in toxic spaces. Unsafe cultures push good people out. They leave scars that follow performers through every audition and contract.

In practice:

• Put codes of conduct front and centre. Enforce them. Don’t just stick them in a policy folder.

• Create clear, independent reporting pathways. If the only person to complain to is the problem person, that’s not a system.

• Prioritise rehearsal room wellbeing as much as production deadlines. It pays back in trust, retention, and quality of performance.

Blunt truth: A show isn’t “successful” if the people in it are traumatised.

5. Personal & Health Factors

What it is: This isn't just another barrier; it's the psychological consequence of all the others. Repeated rejection, injury, burnout, and mental health challenges. Performers told us the hardest resistance came from inside - self-doubt, anxiety, and trauma directly caused by the financial stress, the gatekeeping, and the toxic cultures.

Why it matters: This is the 'trap' in the feedback loop. The burnout and anxiety (Barrier 5) aren't just the end of the story. They become a new barrier in themselves, draining a performer's energy and financial resources, making it even harder to afford classes (Barrier 1) or face auditions (Barrier 2). We lose talent not just to closed doors, but to this crushing, cumulative weight.

In practice:

• Provide access to wellbeing supports — whether through funded counselling, mentorship, or peer support circles.

• Don’t dismiss injury or chronic conditions. Build schedules that allow for recovery. A rested performer is a better performer.

• Foster mentorship structures that combat isolation and remind emerging talent that they belong.

Blunt truth: Mental health isn’t a side issue. It’s the central mechanism that makes temporary barriers become permanent exits.

6. Spatial & Geographic Barriers

What it is: If you’re not in Melbourne, good luck. Rural and interstate performers told us they simply can’t get to classes, auditions, or shows without massive financial and emotional cost.

Why it matters: Geography shouldn’t dictate opportunity. If we only develop city-based talent, we’re missing voices, accents, and perspectives that could enrich the whole industry.

In practice:

• Take auditions on the road. Even once per season makes a difference.

• Invest in hybrid audition formats — livestreams, supported self-tapes, online callbacks.

• Partner with regional training programs to spot and support talent early.

Blunt truth: Saying “we couldn’t find anyone” when you’ve only looked within a 5km radius isn’t good enough.

So, What Now?

The research is clear: resistance in musical theatre isn’t just a series of unlucky breaks. It’s a system of cumulative barriers that actively drains the economic, social, and psychological capital of performers. It’s a feedback loop designed to filter people out. But systems can be changed.

Yes, it takes money. Yes, it takes time. But the payoff is bigger. Fairer pipelines. Stronger shows. Audiences who see themselves reflected. Talent that sticks around.

At Be You, we’re not just pointing out the problems. We’re building programs, networks, and opportunities to break down these barriers. But real change needs companies and decision-makers to move too.

Ask yourself: Where are the invisible walls in your organisation? And what’s one thing you can do this season to start breaking them down?

Because when resistance falls, talent rises. And that’s good for everyone.