Brighton cabaret performers claim they are owed thousands.

Cabaret artists are requesting thousands of pounds in “unpaid wages”.

Alex Proud, 56, was the owner of Haus of Cabaret on St George’s Road, Brighton, which has since been taken over by new firm Madam Lola’s, which is set to launch at the end of this month.

Haus of Cabaret, which was wound up in March, presented “bottomless drag brunches and electritying cabaret evenings” and promised

provide “bold performances and breath-taking acts”

Workers at the venue, as well as others at other locations in London, are taking action because they believe they have not been paid their wages.

Haus of Cabaret was repossessed in January of this year by landlord 83 St Georges Ltd, a subsidiary of Tokyo Industries.

A spokeswoman for Tokyo Industries stated that this was due to unpaid rent. “There are only so many chances you can give one person,” he said.

Mr. Proud stated that “a number of tribunal claims have been made against the business” and that he “strongly refutes any allegations of deliberate wrongdoing”

Brighton and Hove City Council’s commercial standards department has received complaints about the venue and is conducting preliminary investigations.

Workers and performers seeking “unpaid” pay and fees.

Alex Proud is listed as a director of many active companies on Companies House, including West End Galleries Limited, Proud Camden Limited, City Galleries Limited, Proud Brighton Galleries Limited, and Proud Cabaret and Supper Club Limited.

He is also listed as the director of several more firms that have subsequently been dissolved or liquidated.

Between 2018 and 2026, employment tribunals were held against some of these organisations, with claimants receiving a total of £37,000 in compensation for concerns such as underpaid wages, improper deductions from earnings, and outstanding vacation pay.

In January 2026, Employment Judge Nash ordered West End Galleries to pay Jocelyn Bester £4,636.82 in unauthorised deductions from salary and vacation entitlement after the respondent failed to provide a valid response on time.

In the same month, West End Galleries was ordered to pay Ms L Kushch £4,108.94 for underpayment of the national minimum wage, failing to pay holiday pay, and money owed to the Department of Work and Pensions for universal credit. This occurred after the responder did not answer to the allegation.

In December 2025, West End Galleries was forced to pay a total of £6,915.53 for four counts of unpaid wages and unauthorised deductions. Three of the instances were upheld because the responder “failed to file an ET3 within the deadline,” while the other was due to a failure to present a meaningful answer on time.

The High Court has ordered the compulsory winding up of West End Galleries, which is currently in liquidation.

One 25-year-old worker, who preferred to remain anonymous, claimed she is in the process of filing a tribunal claim because she believes she is owed approximately £3,000 for work at Brighton’s Haus of Cabaret between December 2024 and December 2025.

She stated, “Not being properly compensated came up almost as soon as I started.”

“I got connected to a Whatsapp group, and almost all of the first messages I received were people asking for money.

“In December we didn’t even have enough staff because around a third of them were on strike.”

 

 

She stated that any payments received were frequently “very late” or “only £100 of what we were owed”.

Equity, a performing arts and entertainment trade union, has been assisting artists seeking unpaid wages.

A spokesperson said: “Equity has supported a number of members, mainly from the middle of 2024, who were owed money from performing at venues in Brighton and London.“Some limited businesses that own these venues went bankrupt, leaving performers unpaid, but we are currently pursuing outstanding fees for members from companies that are still functioning.

“We are collaborating with advocacy group Cabaret Unpaid to raise awareness among performers about potential issues with the Brighton venue, including licensing and health and safety concerns.

A rising group of musicians speaking out.

Cabaret Unpaid identifies itself as “a collective of artists owed wages”.

It was established in March 2025 with the goal of assisting individuals in recouping money owed them.

It estimates that freelance performers are owed approximately £110,000, with further amounts owed to other staff members and suppliers.

The company’s spokesman emphasised the importance of these rewards for performances. “When we started the group, we thought it was only a couple of people. ” Many staff members are around the age of 20.

We feel they are unaware of their rights or are told the company is no longer in business, leading to a dismissive attitude.

The organisation has also created a petition demanding for “100 percent of outstanding wages, fees, and debts owed to performers, workers, technicians, and suppliers”

“, as well as

admission “of the harm caused”

Alexander Edward Wilfred Proud is listed as the director or former director of 15 businesses on businesses House, three of which have been dissolved and three liquidated, while nine are still functioning.

He was appointed director of Proud Galleries Limited in July 2001, and the company was liquidated in March 2010, leaving more than £560,000 in debt, according to a Companies House statement of affairs.

Mr Proud was identified as the director of Proud Publishing Limited in 2005, and the company was placed in liquidation in 2020 with £1.5 million in debt, according to a statement of affairs published in March of that year.

 

The next year, Mr Proud was named director of four companies: Proud Power Limited, Creo Arts Group Limited, City Galleries Limited, and Proud Camden Limited. According to a statement of affairs, Proud Power was dissolved in 2019 with a debt of £1.9 million, while the other three firms continue to operate.

Mr Proud was the director of Proud Cabaret City Limited, which was founded in August 2009 and liquidated in November 2016 with £1.1 million in debt, according to a statement of affairs.

Proud Group Limited was founded in November 2017 and liquidated in January 2025, owing about £2.7 million.

 

West End Galleries, the company that has been the subject of numerous recent employment tribunals for unpaid wages, was liquidated on March 20 this year.

The petition reads, “For years, performers, dancers, circus artists, technicians, and creatives have helped make Proud venues dazzling, profitable, and unforgettable.”

“But behind the scenes, a different story has unfolded: artists, personnel, and suppliers have gone payed – sometimes for months, sometimes completely.

“We are a growing collective of artists speaking out – many of us still owed thousands of pounds across Proud Cabaret, Haus of Cabaret and other venues.”

“We’re not a union. We’re not lawyers. We’re artists. And we are organising.”

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