Work Experience

This was the second time that I have had the privilege of shadowing the Lighting Designer Howard Hudson as well as the Programmer Tom Mulliner on a new production. However, since the initial awkwardness of not knowing anyone was gone this time around it was a lot easier to ask questions about the things they were doing and deciding. During Howard took the time to have a chat about not only the show but the industry in general discussing possible career role options for someone with my interests and what these roles require, this was a great help to someone like me as it opened up a few more options of roles that I was never aware of. As I joined them for the last few days of technical rehearsals I also had the chance to watch the first dress run, but before this I spent some time shadowing Tom as he went through all of the cues in the show a final time just to double checked the tracking as well as other things. 

Through a contact in the touring company I was offered the chance to shadow the DSM for a performance. Whilst the role of DSM is not one I can see myself doing in the future, not because I don't like it but rather that they're roles that I just simply prefer, it was still a great way to gain more experience on a large scale touring show. Listening in to how a show is called professionally is still something that I find extremely impressive. I learnt just how much is actually going on during a show and how everyone needs to work so closely and precisely to make it all possible. 

Personally, I think trying to gain experience of any sort across different roles makes you a better team worker as it gives you some level of understanding as to what everyone is doing.

Using multiple contacts working on this production I managed to arrange a two-day placement towards the end of the tour. As opportunities this is one I was very much enjoyed, as I didn't just learnt things about the different roles but also about the touring life, as the placement was in Stoke I had to travel each day which gave me a little taste of what the touring life would be like. Whilst I can see that it can be difficult at times this new experience hasn't put me off wanting to do this in the future. 

On day one having been introduced to everyone I was with the LX2 Anna on the stage LX track, this was a great way to get involved and actually help with little tasks to help me show run smoothly. It showed me just what working on the lighting team on a production like this is like and the sorts of tasks you are expected to complete. One main task that we did was the full rig check before the first performance of the day we then repeated the process before the evening show when I was with the LX3 Josh on the desk track. Much like my other opportunities the desk plot was how I expected it to be but was still I great way to compare the little differences between different shows and venues. 

Moving on to day two the focus was more on the stage management team working on the production. I was with the ASM Book Cover Heather for this performance learning all about the different roles across the team. As with any shows little issues occur before the show and this was no different but it gave me the chance to see how everyone works together to resolve it and make sure if possible the show can run on time. Whilst shadowing Heather and listening in to the show call I could piece everything together and think about it from her side but also from the desk plot that I was on the day before. 

Being backstage gave me the chance to have a chat with lots of people, including crew members such as the Tech Swing Mya would was always happy to explain things and give advice about their own journey but also cast members such as Jay McGuiness and Liam Morris who were always talking with anyone working on the show. This just highlighted to how close the company is when on tour there is no divide between cast and crew but rather everyone is friends with everyone both in and out of the theatre.

Getting opportunity to get backstage on a Cameron MacIntosh and Disney production offered a great chance to learn from some of the best there is, I always hear so much about these companies and how they operate. I joined the company for a double show day during which I shadowed the Stage Manager, Tom McLean-Smith, for both of the performance. Much like my other placements this was a great way to gain experience of how the backstage areas operate on a show of this scale, Tom was a great help guiding me through everything and explaining things as we went along. I learnt a lot during this opportunity about the role of Stage Manager, this is one that interests me going forward in my career, just how they do everything but nothing at the same time. Tom was overseeing everything but only got involved if it was essential, he trusted the team around him to get the job done. 

During the technical rehearsal process I shadowed the Lighting Designer Howard Hudson as well as the Programmer Tom Mulliner. Whilst to this point I had done some work experience with large scale productions this opportunity was slightly different as it gave me the chance to see how much work goes into putting a show off this scale together before the audience ever enters the theatre. The balance between speed and quality of work was something that I was surprised by during this opportunity, programming is something that I enjoy doing but seeing the speed that Tom works at was impressive to say the least. Growing up watching shows and imagining yourself working on them in some capacity is something that I have done for a while but you only ever think about the show days, this opportunity showed me just how much work everyone in the company does before a show day is enter thought about.

After watching the show from the audience, through a contact I made in the touring company, I was invited to come for a backstage tour and a quick chat about the industry. This was a great chance to see all the secrets behind the show, as well as this is was also an opportunity to meet some new people and have a chat about their routes into the industry and get their advice.

During this backstage tour I not only learnt a lot about how the show was put together and how some of these techniques are used on other shows across the industry but also that everyone gets into their roles differently. There isn't one fixed way of getting onto a touring production, you have to just keep trying and take setbacks in your stride.

Through industry contacts that I had been asking for advice, I was offered the chance to join the team on the Book of Mormon UK Tour from a double show day. For the matinee performance I shadowed one of the ASM's, this showed me just how much of a well choreographed machine these productions are with the amount of people working in the wings at one time. It also gave me first hand experience of how difficult this role is on productions of this scale when you are first beginning  but also how fun it can be. During the evening performance I shadowed the LX1 who was on the desk plot, this was a chance to see things from another point of view. Whilst I was not as involved in the production for this show it was still a chance to see what this part of the job is like from the pre-show routines to the triggering of each cue. 

This was the first time that I had seen the backstage of a large scale touring production and that in itself was worth it. Just seeing the scale and the buzz between everyone confirmed for me that this is something I hope to be doing in the future.