THE Royal Shakespeare Company hopes to avert a strike that could hit productions in the North-East.

Backstage technicians have voted to take action in protest at job losses that could result from a "restructuring" of the famous company.

Any action could disrupt the current summer festival in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The company is due to begin its 25th annual season in Newcastle, in November, performing plays including Hamlet, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar, at the Theatre Royal and Newcastle Playhouse.

The technicians' union, Bectu, says it will reveal the strike dates next week unless managers agree to talks.

The union's assistant general secretary, Gerry Morrissey, said the 90 per cent backing for strikes by members at Stratford-upon-Avon was an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the management.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Shakespeare Company said the company was planning changes to make it more flexible and hoped to keep redundancies to a minimum.

"We are having a meeting with Bectu on Tuesday," she said.

"There is some time to go before we go to Newcastle and we hope it will be sorted out by then.

"Fingers crossed, it won't be affected."