People involved with the event told the ECHO they are owed thousands in unpaid wages as the company said it has had to liquidate
People involved with the event told the ECHO they are owed thousands in unpaid wages as the company said it has had to liquidate
Actors claim they are owed thousands of pounds in unpaid wages after appearing in a Christmas show in Liverpool city centre last year. ‘Christmas-shire’, a theatrical yurt-based production by a company called Sneaky Experience, ran between November 23 and December 22, 2024 on ACC Liverpool’s grounds on the Kings Dock in Liverpool city centre.
Almost four months after the production ended, those involved claim they are still owed thousands for their work, with various invoices still unpaid. Additionally, ACC Liverpool, which was not involved in the production beyond renting the space to the organisers, also claim it has also not yet been paid by Sneaky Experience for that rental agreement.
Performing arts union Equity has also expressed its concern about the situation, calling on its members who have worked for Sneaky Experience to contact their union as soon as possible. It said: “We have been contacted by a number of members, who are together owed over £27,000 following work completed for Sneaky Experience.”
Sneaky Experience is run by Julia Benfield, who has been a director at three dissolved companies, according to Companies House. Those companies were Sneaky Experience Limited, which was dissolved in 2019, another, Sneaky Experience Ltd, dissolved in 2015, and Logical Training Solutions Limited, dissolved in the same year.
At the same time as the Liverpool event, the company also ran a show called The Spirit of Christmas in London. Websites associated with the events are no longer accessible.
In a statement sent to the ECHO, Ms Benfield said her business suffered a loss of revenue due to weather conditions during the events and “there is no more money left” to cover costs, having lost other commissions. She said she is “deeply heartbroken” by the situation and has has tried to pay wages but there was no alternative to liquidate the business.
At the Liverpool production, which saw guests offered an immersive festive experience, Graham Elwell, 54, from Ellesmere Port, played Father Christmas. He claims he is owed close to £3,000 in unpaid wages.
About the show, he said: “It was a lovely idea, to create this real Christmas show, like it was a real thing – an immersive experience. It wasn’t like your department store grotto. You’re really here, you’re brought in to see Father Christmas, with nice ideas and production.
“It was meant to be running through November, December. There was bad weather and storms which meant the cover days were taken out.”
Those involved in the production who spoke to the ECHO claimed they were told by Ms Benfield that issues with payment arose from cancelled performances due to Storm Darragh in December.
Graham is currently acting in the ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ stage tour but needs his wages from ‘Christmas-shire’. He added: “It’s crushing. I had a tough year last year and I was lucky to get this job.
“I was staying with my mum in Liverpool but I was living on borrowed money because I wasn’t getting paid up front. We were waiting to be paid in January, you’re borrowing money to get by and then you don’t get paid when we should. I’m so lucky I’ve got the ‘Blackstuff’ job, because I don’t know where I would’ve been without it.”
‘I wouldn’t want this to happen to any young Scouser’
Shea McGinn, 22, from Huyton, was also an actor in the show. It was his first job after graduating from drama school and he has since moved to London, but he thought the production was the perfect way to work over Christmas.
He told the ECHO: “It was a dream job. It was a job in Liverpool, it was at home, it meant I was home over Christmas, being paid, seeing my family, performing in front of a home crowd.”
However Shea claims his experience went “sour” after he claims was not paid his third invoice. He claims he is owed around £2,000 in wages from that invoice, having earlier chased Ms Benfield for his second invoice after a delay in payment.
He explained: “Because I’ve moved to London, I’m paying my rent, it’s been quite expensive. I was trying to let her know my situation and spoke to her on a human level, it was affecting my financial situation.
“I didn’t want to give up my house. I’m trying to chase my dream and don’t want to have to move out of London.
“She apologised and paid my second invoice. She should have paid everyone the first and then the second. It was my first job out of drama school. It was quite a learning experience anyway, so for it all going as sour as it has is sad.
He added: “£2,000 is a lot of money, especially when I’m paying London rent. I don’t want anyone to be in the same situation as I was. It was my first job in the industry – I wouldn’t want this to happen to any young Scouser.”
The ECHO understands that others involved in the production have not been paid their full wages.
A spokesperson from ACC Liverpool said: “We are very sorry to hear that some of the people involved in the Journey to Christmas-shire event have not yet been paid. This is a private matter between the organiser and their team and does not involve ACC Liverpool, however we hope that the parties are able to reach an amicable resolution as quickly as possible.
“For the avoidance of doubt, ACC Liverpool has no current engagement with the organiser and has not yet received payment for their recent hire of the space at King’s Dock.”
In a statement on its website, Equity said: “Equity has tried on numerous occasions to contact Sneaky Experience. Our letters seeking payment for members have gone unanswered. We have now launched legal claims for our members who are owed thousands of pounds, and we are also seeking holiday pay that they are due as workers.”
Ms Benfield’s statement, sent to the ECHO, said: “Sneaky Experience has been a labour of love for the past 15 years. My husband and I, supported by an incredible network of suppliers, creatives, and freelancers, have dedicated ourselves to delivering unforgettable events. Every experience we created was built on the expertise and hard work of our team, and we are immensely grateful for everyone involved.
“This past Christmas was set to be our most successful yet, with some of the best feedback we’ve ever received from families and venue partners. Unfortunately, the storms brought winds of up to 70mph, forcing us to cancel performances in London and Liverpool. This decision, though necessary due to the weather conditions, resulted in days of lost revenue, significant refunds, and an unavoidable financial impact that was devastating for a small business with considerable overheads.
“Despite these setbacks, there was still a potential path forward. We had secured commissions from commercial clients, with profits from these projects earmarked to pay actors and suppliers.
“We were transparent with our teams about the financial strain and asked for their patience while we worked to settle debts over the coming weeks and months.”
Ms Benfield claimed that she lost further commissions after clients became aware of potential financial issues. She said this “forced” the company into liquidation.
She added: “Since Christmas, we have exhausted every option to find a solution. Every available penny was put toward customer refunds, paying actors, and covering supplier costs. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have now reached a point where there is no more money left.”
Ms Benfield continued: “Every financial decision was made with the goal of ensuring the long-term success of the business and honouring our commitments.
“Every penny earned went directly into running the business and paying those who contributed to making our events happen. There was never any personal financial gain, just an ongoing effort to keep the business afloat and ensure everyone who worked with us was paid.
“This is not the first time we’ve faced challenges beyond our control. We rebuilt the business after a client’s liquidation left us in financial difficulty and started again after the pandemic forced us to close. Each time, we made sure to pay those we owed. But now, there is no way forward. The funds are exhausted.
“To be clear, there is no benefit to us in liquidating. This is not a decision we made; it is the result of circumstances completely beyond our control. The financial loss is immense, both professionally and personally. This marks the end of Sneaky Experience, with no possibility of rebuilding.
“We are deeply heartbroken by the impact this has had on our team. We did everything possible to avoid it, and it is devastating to know that so many people have been affected.”