Theatre In School

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Introduction
Back-story of this post
The Possible Roles
What a professional can bring to the table
The business behind it
Why hasn’t it happened yet?
References/Links

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Introduction

This rather lengthy blog is aimed at exploring the possibility and benefits of a programme which places theatre professionals or training theatre professionals into schools to assist with school shows/productions in some way. As far as I am aware there is no programme running in Scotland which places any theatre professionals into a school to support a school production, and to the best of my knowledge no programme supporting technical theatre at all, although it is perfectly possible I have overlooked companies and I am sure there are many successful freelance technicians who have returned to a school to assist with a show.

I would like to distinguish that this blog is exploring visiting theatre professionals supporting an “in house” school production, rather than touring a production to various schools or coming into the school and directing a set piece of theatre/running a workshop. There are some organisations which exist such as the Schools Theatre Support Group[1] which provide advice and support, but as far as I know no group has pursued the avenue explored in this post.

No doubt the length and depth of this blog shows that I have a passion and interest in this on some level and I am currently considering this as an option for my research project. Therefore I welcome and encourage your feedback as comments, emails or face-to-face.

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Back-story of this post

At the start of the year I (unsuccessfully) attempted to have a discussion with a few peers about the pros and cons of returning to school to assist with a theatre production. Days later, while discussing work placements, our programme leader used the example of returning to school as a bad idea for a work placement. Of course I never planned to return to school for my work placement, but was merely trying to point out that there were certain beneficial factors and appeals to returning to a school (or amateur theatre).

In addition to the advantages for the school (explored in What a professional can bring to the table), a professional can no doubt gain experience in different areas by working with a school. I would imagine that working with young people in a school would place a professional in a very different scenario that usual, and hopefully they may learn something and develop new ways of thinking. For a studying professional, or newer professional to the industry, it would give them a chance to experience being a “creative” as well as a “techie” (if that is what interests them), and hopefully a few people who have worked in theatre all their lives may consider spending a short time working in this environment for a change and also to “give something back”.

I guess I showed an interest in this idea because while I would never think of becoming a teacher, there is also something which appeals to me about imparting knowledge on other people and seeing them grow because of your doing.

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The Possible Roles

Since it is an educational establishment I imagine the first role to be a “Theatrical Tutor”, mentoring pupils (and staff if required) through the process of putting on a show. This would be quite a flexible role and would also involve a bit of “Creative Director” work, inputting suggestions into all aspects of the production when required to help produce the best product and solve any potential problems.

If a single visiting professional was to visit, the process would have to be far more thorough since everyone would require classes first ensuring they are to a suitable standard in their specialism, otherwise the production process would go very slow with one person trying to talk everyone through it as it happens. An option would be to take in a team of professionals to support LX, SM and TSM, still allowing the school to take the reigns. This would of course incur more costs, but would make the process faster and probably smoother and safer.

A final option is to expand this one step further (and I realise we are turning into Hairspray the School Musical), and take in an even wider range of professionals to support directing, designing, musical directing, choreography and other areas still allowing the school to lead the way with professionals working alongside them. Again the costs go up, but I am certain that somewhere there will be funds available for a project like this. I imagine someone who has worked in technical theatre for many years may have plenty ideas to share on directing, lighting design etc. having seen it done many times before, but most of them can not compare to a professional director/lighting designer etc.

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What a professional can bring to the table

In my opinion, a professional can bring four main factors to the table for the school, the theatre industry and the world.

• Professionalism
• Awareness of Theatre
• Education
• Development

Professionalism
Let’s start with the simple and obvious. Some school put on fantastic productions every year, but I am also confident in saying that many scrape by and put on a mediocre performance for many different reasons; be it lack of time, knowledge, money or motivation. Having an industry professional onboard would undoubtably help a school produce a more professional show, in turn (hopefully) generating positive feedback, improving the school’s reputation (within the arts and drama sector anyway, plus in the local community and with parents and pupils), giving the pupils and staff a greater sense of achievement and turning over more money which can be invested in future shows or put back into the school.

Awareness of Theatre
In my opinion it is vital for anyone working in theatre to promote an awareness of their work. It is important that technical theatre (as well as all other roles in theatre) are considered a possible route for study or employment with good prospects and a range of jobs to suit all, but also considered a serious job which requires trained professionals. Too often I have seen the technical aspects dismissed as not important until the last second and shows crewed (or run!) by people with no experience or knowledge of what they are doing. Working with an industry professional would hopefully raise the profile of theatre within the school and for the pupils, and ensure they are taught the safe and correct ways of working.

Education
While all the four areas overlap, education and development go hand-in-hand. Education is two-part, firstly focusing on teaching both staff and students the safe and appropriate ways to get a show from script to stage. Education also involves taking information taught across the curriculum and introducing them in a real, practical environment. Depending on your role, theatre clearly links with Drama, Music, Design and Technology (including Woodwork & Metalwork), Art and Design, Business Studies (including Finance, Administration and Business Management), Maths, Science (mainly Physics), Computing, Home Economics and English. Biased as I am, this is why I think theatre is so perfect for schools! My opinion is that by implementing the theory you learn in a classroom you are more likely to understand and remember it, I know I do.

“Theater brings a certain humanity to an otherwise sterile public school curriculum.”[2]

Presuming a production is large enough, it will engage all these different department, dispelling the opinion that “theatre is only for pansies”. Soon it will become clear that the neds who bully anyone smaller than them and the goths who can be caught smoking round the back of the school between classes have a role to play in a theatrical production too. (Aren’t I painting a lovely picture!)

Development
Finally, and in my opinion the most important, theatre allows people to develop. Theatre requires teamwork. Hopefully staff and students working together on a production, in slightly different roles than in the classroom, will help build a healthy working relationship and trust between them and may even help in discipline and work levels when they return to the classroom. It helps teaches time management, promote creativity and encourages people to be dedicated to a cause they care about. Within my very limited knowledge of research within schools, it has been proven (and is quite obvious) that pupils often respond better to learning and interacting in an environment different from the classroom and will work harder for something which is important to them. Figures in America show that 15 to 16 year-olds with a low involvement in the Arts had a drop out rate of 4.8% as apposed to 1.4% for those with a high Arts involvement.[3]

Getting hands-on in any project, including working on a theatrical production, can help develop personal and social skills. Since theatre covers such a broad spectrum of skills and is not just focused on academics like school, or athletics like sports, it would give a chance for pupils of all abilities and interests to contribute equally to the process and may help increase pupils confidence.

“A production brings many different types of students together. Unlike sports that can limit the participants by ability.”[4]

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The business behind it

I will not bore you by pretending to know anything about the financial or business market within the school or theatre industries, but I know that hundreds of millions of pounds are awarded each year in grants and funding for the arts and probably just as much is awarded to schools (outside their budget) for extra-curricular activities.

The only way I see this idea being remotely feasible is to find a funder or group of funders who will pay for the cost of full-time staff to manage the project and either full-time or freelance staff to go into schools. I imagine this would have to be free or heavily subsidised before any schools would take an interest, but perhaps further investigation is required into the pots of money available to a school in this situation. Perhaps the school can get a grant and then part-pay the group.

I predict that it would be near impossible to function as an independent group (even as a charity funded by corporate sponsors), but would be much easier if it was affiliated with the government/local council and groups such as Scottish Arts Council[5]. The reason for this is simple, since I think schools may be very reluctant to accept working with a company without an absolute assurance that they are safe, correctly trained and have passed all the necessary criteria set out by Government and local Councils.

The benefits of hiring freelance staff are clear since you only need to hire them when there is work and they should be reliable, up to date, industry practitioners since they only have a short-term contract. Hiring a full-time member of staff means cheaper per-annum (depending on workload of course) and less legal stuff/paperwork, but you would need to justify the workload and you run the risk of them becoming out-of-touch with the industry. It has been suggested to me that this idea might be of interest to theatre companies (especially those who provide Theatre in Education) who are in between seasons, meaning they can perform their season during a busy time of the year and then support the company in the quieter months by following the above structure.

While I like this whole idea, I worry that few professionals would be interested since even I admit I would not want to do this as a full-time job! After having a quick think about it, I think it would be fun and rewarding, but I don’t think I would want this on my shoulders my whole life! I would certainly take an interest if I was invited as one of the freelancers, but not as part of the team who run and manage it.

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Why hasn’t it happened yet?

This section is asking far more questions than it is answering, and if you think you can answer any of these questions please give me some feedback! Assuming that my original statement is true (claiming that this avenue is not currently being pursued) then I have to ask why. I don’t think it is a ridiculous suggestion and many other people must have thought of it first. What has stopped this becoming integrated into many schools? (Or is it already in place and my researching is just crap?) I know that theatre in education is very underfunded, so is there just not the money? Maybe there is not the time in the school curriculum. Maybe the schools are not interested in this ideas, or perhaps there is no one in the theatre industry who wants to implement it.

Any input into this blog is much appreciated.

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References/Links

[1] – Schools Theatre Support Group – http://www.stsg.org.uk/

[2], [4] – Opinions on the Importance of Theatre in Public Schools courtesy of Helium – http://www.helium.com/knowledge/68794-the-importance-of-theater-in-public-schools

[3] – Benefits of Theatre Education Part 2 by David Stevens – http://www.tetatx.com/theatrenotes/Oct2007/theatre-education.php

[5] – Scottish Arts Council – http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/

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A little bit of responsibility

The past week and a half has been really good. On Wednesday afternoon the first year crew joined us. They seem like good guys and I am looking forward to working with them more in the future. During my first session working with them I found myself in a difficult position. I was sent to the grid to drop some rigging points and we quickly realised it wasn’t that easy! I am not worried about “impressing the first years”, but it is always nice to make a good first impression and at least appear competent at your job. I think all three of us coped well in our deputy roles, but I don’t think I was the only person to feel like this over the past week or so.

Even though I have only been a deputy for a few days, I found it pretty difficult. I found being a first year relatively easy because, while demeaning and irritating at points, there was always someone watching over you and if you didn’t know the answer it wasn’t your problem since you were “only a first year” (excuse the expression). Much of the work I have done outside the Academy has either been the same “dogsbody crew” or alternatively working on very small scale where I was the only person, or one of few people, in the technical/production team. While this comes with it’s own challenges, I find this relatively easy too since all the information is in your head and you have less people to consult.

I have found being a deputy a challenge since I feel I can’t run to Calum with every problem, but also feel I am not in a position to make decisions either!

Again, it has been a great week (and a bit), even though it came with it’s highs and lows. At points I felt I struggled to keep peoples attention. I know jobs like footing a tallie are crap jobs, but they need done. I felt I struggled to explain to people that they needed to stay at the bottom of the tallie to be able to foot it, and even though they aren’t doing anything at that exact moment, sometimes it is just useful to have someone near by because you know you will need assistance soon.

One of the highs was definitely flying the dragon (even though I stood and watched because the were over crewed). I felt that the schedule was hinged around this dragon (and performer flying) and it was really exciting to see it go into place. Below are a selection of photos and videos, mostly taken by myself, some stolen.

Now I transfer to Scottish Opera to start working on War and Peace. I am dubious about going into a production as large as War and Peace and while there may be hiccups along the way, I hope it all turns out well! I think I will miss Panto since, in my opinion, it is the most enjoyable production at the Academy by far. I guess I need to get organised and get a ticket booked so I can see our work in action.

Panto Fit-Up

A short blog for you this week! I have really enjoyed this week. When I look back it doesn’t seem like we achieved much, but then again things like lifting the dragon truss took a lot of preparation and I think we did pretty well considering that this week was quite relaxed. Below you can see some pictures of the truss on the ground before it was lifted, and I might post some pictures of it in the air with all the pulleys attached soon. Yet again, these photos have been flipped. Does WordPress not do portrait photo galleries?

Again, I find myself short of things to reflect on. This week was successful, enjoyable and productive and I learnt new “TSM” things, but I don’t know if there was much “personal development” going on. Maybe it is time to examine how I reflect again?

On this note, I have decided that perhaps I could include more media in my blogs to aid with documentation as well as reflection, so hopefully you will see more photos and videos in the near future, but for the moment here is us doing a quick (and highly professional!) test on the smoke contraption for the dragon.

The Seagull

I realise I have been lacking in blogs recently. It wasn’t that I was lacking time, but rather that the Seagull was very “regular” and I struggled to find anything to blog about. It was very classical, and maybe not quite my thing, but still good fun to work on. As always I learned new things as I went, but found that the show was quite technically bare. Nothing went wrong, in fact I think everything went really well, but I don’t know if I came across many notable points for reflection.

I don’t think tech week got off to the best start. Monday and Tuesday were LX focus and plot. As TSM crew I found this long and tedious. Perhaps it was because I knew we had a long list of things to do, but we couldn’t do any of them because everything had to be done in silence, in the dark without disturbing anyone. I am happy to sit about and do nothing if there is nothing to do, but otherwise I want to be working away through the list. Anyway, by the time Tuesday afternoon came, I had visited the library and taken out some books to keep me occupied. As the week went on, it got better and better, and we all seemed to agree that Friday afternoon was a fantastic session and we managed to get almost everything in order by then ready for the first dress.

Opening night went really well, but I am also glad we had the dress in the afternoon to make sure we had it all sorted, especially after the changes made. Mostly I am impartial to the changes, but I am disappointed that the Kabukis were cut since we had worked really hard and I thought they looked pretty good.

I think, on the whole, the production was a success, but I found it quite deceiving. When you looked at the design/lighting/tech stuff/general show, it should have been a really straight forward fit-up and show in most aspects, but somehow even near the end of the tech week we were still encountering small problems to overcome and looking back, perhaps there were a few issues which would have been easier to resolve had a different approach been taken. Had it been a longer run I think we should have implemented some more permanent solutions for a few of the more time consuming tasks such as the velcro on the trellises which kept ripping off.

I really enjoyed working Automation and Flies since I felt more involved in the process. I know every job is important, but sometimes when I am the person on the deck tidying-up, coiling rope or holding a bit of wood while someone else drills a hole in it, I feel like a bit of a spare part. I tried to lend a hand with the tedious tasks where I could, but it was nice to get a change in responsibilities and I think it has helped me appreciate one of the most important and dangerous things about working off the deck (but especially on the fly floor) which is communication. While the show was simple, during the fit-up and strike I seemed to have a list of requests which people were adding to by the minute. They were manageable, but I often found myself having four conversations at once and trying to make it very clear which bar was going in, which one was going out and which one had now been clipped while also trying to keep tabs on the weight and positions of bars and lines. All this is made more difficult by other people working around you, chatting and calling to each other across the stage, grid or auditorium.

For anyone who has missed it, here are a few links related to The Seagull:

STV Part 1

STV Part 2

STV Part 3

The Seagull review by The Herald

Video of the Kabukis

All in all, The Seagull went well and I was happy with the work I did, but doubt it will make it into my five favourite shows. Next up is Panto which I am really looking forward to. I just have a good feeling that we will all be suitably challenged by the show, and with it being bigger and more complex I am sure there will be more chances for us to take different responsibilities onboard. It’s too early to tell for sure, but I think it might be a good choice for Scott and I to leave after fit-up and begin to work on War and Peace since it sounds like it will be a huge production, gives the first year crew more opportunities and responsibilities on Panto and also means we get the experience of doing two challenging fit-ups without having to endure all the performances of Panto!

Fit-Up

This is a relatively short blog since I seem rather stuck for anything to reflect about this week. While I have enjoyed myself since I have returned to the Academy, I have really relaxed into this week and enjoyed myself more. We are now on the stage and it is such a relief to be able to work in your own space and finish a job without needing to negotiate tools and move from space to space several times. All things considered I have really enjoyed this production so far since it has been challenging, but also a good way to ease us back into the Academy.

Below is a very short video of a trial kabuki. We had a bit of a struggle getting the trellises and kabuki masking up and working, but I think we are almost there. There were points during the steeldecking and kabukis which reminded my of the “three holes” incident. (clicky) I was reminded of this because I felt, on a few occasions, there were too many measurements being thrown about and too many people trying to put forward their solutions rather than stopping, talking it through and taking action. This said, I thought Kirsty did a good job at taking all the points and ideas and forming a plan from them. I think the kabuki works well and will look very effective when all six go, but I will let you decide.

Finally, this week the TSM crew worked out a freak coincidence (or perhaps it was fate?) and following in the footsteps of Stage Management, I now proudly launch the TSM logo:

Pre-Prep and Pyro

For most of this week I have been working with Kirsty, Thomas and Scott doing some pre-prep for The Seagull. We have got a head start which is good, but I felt we struggled along the way because of the same issues I mentioned in my last blog, these being borrowing tools and the lack of space. On Friday it got so bad we were painting kabukis hung from stings tied to the backs of chairs in the corner of the Chandler! In spite of this, I think we worked well with the time and resources given. Hopefully it will be easier as of Monday since we then have access to the venue.

We also spent Wednesday and Thursday working on the 3rd years Pyro show. I really enjoyed it and it has certainly been the best day of the year so far. It was nice to see all the 2nd years working together in one team again. I appreciate they had other commitments, but since all the 2nd years gave their time, it was a shame we didn’t see more of the 3rd years supporting their own Pyro show. I was up on the fly floor (which I was happy to do), but it meant I was one of the few people who didn’t get to lend a hand with setting up the Pyros. All in all the day was a success and I am already looking forward to our show next year.

On Friday lunchtime I went to Jamie’s “Travel Club” again. I went once last year and then couldn’t manage back since I was at SYT. If you want to find out more about the last time I went, look here.

I arrived late because I had to go buy lunch first which threw me a bit and made me feel a bit awkward at first. The session was all about being centred (which is when you are totally happy and confident in yourself) and I found that the questions at the base of the session were really useful. The questions were exploring various things including what makes you anxious, why and how you can change this. I still think that most people from the course would walk away with something useful if they try these sessions, but also think perhaps the sessions would benefit a larger number of people if they were more focused on the base questions. This is because (purely in my opinion) I think many people might discard the classes if they get too “airy-fairy”. I did find the session useful, but the weekend is too short and I have had no time to think about the notes I made. Perhaps I will expand on what I found out during the session in the future when I have more time to consider it.

Think that is all for now!

Workshop

I have spent most of this week in Workshop with Zander. One of the first things we were asked was “Who is actually interested in workshop?” and I felt quite awkward being the only one who hesitated (as far as I could see). I have no dislike for workshop; the reason I hesitated was that it is not where my natural skills lie, in fact I would go further and say that at points I really struggle. I know at times it is essential to have basic workshop skills as a TSM, and I tried my hardest all week and feel I am improving, but I would also like to point out that TSM also covers many other areas and a lack of workshop skills doesn’t necessarily mean you will make a bad TSM.

We started by learning some of the power tools, then spent the later part of the time doing work with hand-tools. On Wednesday we were set the challenge of rigging a door frame and hanging a door in it, sinking in the hinges so it would work properly. It was good fun and I thought our group worked well as a team, although perhaps I could have got a bit more involved. Even though we were (very) slow to get started, once we decided our strategy, we implemented it quickly and got our door up and running in a short space of time. It took a bit of persuasion to fit the frame, but we got there in the end. I was really proud of my group and thought we did a really good job… until Zander asked to take off the door, turn it around and re-hinge it so other people in the group could try it.  The frame was squint so we had to plane off a lot of the door to make it fit in the first place, leaving the door pretty squint too, so needless to say when we turned it around, it wouldn’t fit in the frame anymore!

Here are a few photos of our second attempt at hanging the door. Not as good as the first door, but it still worked. The photos are sideways and I don’t know why. They show up as portrait on my computer!

I found the basic training really useful and hopefully it will give me a bit more confidence in my workshop skills.

We spent Thursday afternoon and Friday with Kirsty getting prepped from The Seagull. I am looking forward the show, but not sure if I am looking forward to the fit-up since it will be the first time I need to prove myself as a TSM and our prep time has also been cut dramatically by other classes happening in the Ath, leaving us at a bit of a loose end for a few days.

I have also found what may turn out to be a real stumbling block. Workshop and props no longer lend any hand-tools, which is completely understandable due to them always going missing, but could cause quite a problem for other departments. Yesterday we were asked to drill a few holes in the trellises for Seagull. This became a larger job that required when we had to negotiate hard to borrow a suitable drill, use random right-angles since we couldn’t borrow a combination square and then had to go to crockets to buy our own file (by our own, I mean TSM’s not our own personal one). I agree we should all have tools which we will use all the time, but it would be absurd to assume that everyone can buy an entire set of hand tools on the off chance they might require them one day.

This week we are also working on the third year’s pyro show. I am looking forward to it since it is sure to be fun and last year’s one looked really great. However, I am not so delighted with the way the third years approached us for our help. I think most of us are happy to help, but it is not a requirement of the course and we should have been asked rather than told. I appreciate they may be working to a tight schedule and may be getting a bit stressed about it, but that is no excuse for a lack of manners. Regardless, I look forward to the week and will update you once it’s over.

I’m Back

As I entered second year at the Academy I did it with some uncertainty. Firstly, I spent most of my summer working in theatre (as did many other people) and on returning to the Academy I felt like I had not had a break! I was also slightly cautious about having to take some responsibility. I try not to dodge responsibility, but first year flew past so quickly and I found myself questioning if I actually leant enough to answer any questions from this year first year!

Since this week has been fresher’s week I have tried to take myself back to being a fresher and remind myself of what I felt. I remember I was so glad that many of the second years reached out to us in the first few weeks and really supported us so I have tried to be around and get chatting with the new first years. The next time we really had proper contact with second and third years was Panto and I remember getting annoyed since by this time we had been given classes in all areas, but were still being treated like idiots for the first while. I will try to keep this with me for Panto and hand out responsibility (where appropriate) and try to explain tasks clearly without making assumptions and also without appearing condescending (this could be challenging!)

After the “official” stuff was done, we started our year back with a “Quiz of the Year”. I found the name misleading since it was more a quiz of miscellaneous stuff we may have or may not have learnt through our own reading in the past year, rather than stuff from classes. One area I felt I really failed on (and I don’t know if any of us did particularly well) was the “social” side of theatre like: who is…; who is artistic director of…; who won the award for…;. Apart from that I was pleased with the amount I remembered or knew, and those areas above can be easily brushed up on by reading current publications, which I will endeavour to do.

This lead onto a conversation about making contacts in the industry. This is an area I really struggle in because I value all my friendships and relationships as something special to me which have grown over time based on a genuine like for each other and I often feel that making contacts is like artificially creating that relationship or treating that person as a business transaction. You put something in to get something you want back out. Regardless of how you dress it up as “selling yourself”, “making contacts” or “making friends with the right people” I don’t really feel comfortable doing this since I find it it feels very selfish and immoral. I know this will impact on my career in this industry, and perhaps I need to consider ways to address this. Finally, if you don’t big yourself up you don’t look like as much of a prat when you get it wrong, because boy would I feel stupid if that happened!

My goal this year it to address one of the assessment criteria which is “demonstrate a clear understanding of techniques” (or words to that effect, I can’t be bothered finding the paperwork). I am unsure if I did this last year and here is my excuse: While I am happy to pull my weight when required, if a volunteer is asked to do a task I feel I have a sound understanding of I have no huge desire to be at the front of the queue since it doesn’t bother me one way or another. I normally let another individual take on the job if they seem enthusiastic to do it. (Note: at the same time, I am always happy to help and try not to look lazy; I just won’t be bothered if someone else gets there first.) The times I do really want to do a task is when it is something I am unsure of and I feel it would be appropriate and safe to try. In conclusion, over the past year I felt many of the times I did tasks I required assistance since they were ones which challenged me.

This week I have been trying to take an equal and active role in the classes; asking question, asking to take on small and larger tasks and having the confidence to offer my solutions. All in all I am pleased to say I have completed many of the tasks fully and successfully on my own and many of my solutions were possible, some even picking up on areas others in the group didn’t meaning overall this has been a success so far and I feel I have proved my overall competency to myself (and perhaps to my peers) for what feels like the first time. I hope this continues throughout the year.

Update

I realise it has been ages since I have blogged, so I thought I should get back into it. I haven’t been able to blog because I have been kept pretty busy and then moved to Glasgow without any internet! I have found many drafts which I had started over summer, so I have trashed some of them, and compiled a few here. I will follow this up soon (hopefully) with a more up-to-date blog.

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Songs For A New World

“…It’s about one moment. That moment before it all becomes clear…” “…and just when you’re on the verge of success, the sky starts to change, and the wind starts to blow, and you’re suddenly a stranger…” “…then the earthquake hits, and the bank closes in, then you realise you didn’t know anything. Nobody told you the best way to steer when the wind starts to blow…”

Songs For A New World is best described as song cycle which tells the stories of 12 people as they reach important decisions and crisis points in their lives in many different ways. Some are looking back at decisions that made in the past; some are looking forward are fear what comes next; some regret that things they did for the best which backfired and cause them to loose what is most important to them, leaving them empty.

I really, really enjoyed working on this production and I became very attached to the show and the team. I am delighted with the way the show went since it was my first time cueing a “real” musical and was worried about timings, but all went well.

As I worked on the musical I got a real buzz since it was like we found our own little gem. It is a great show, though little heard of in the UK and virtually unknown in Aberdeen. It is one of those musicals which gets better and better and the meaning gets deeper and deeper the more you listen to it, so the group may have converted me and perhaps every show doesn’t need a definite plot-line! What it lacked in plot was definitely made up for in meaning and I found it a very fulfilling show to work on.

Technically, it was not a very complicated show since it was a cycle of songs, but I found it very demanding since you had to make the stories from these songs come alive through technical aspects. This also applies to the performers and direction since they had to make the stories make sense purely through their expressions and movements. Songs For A New World was further challenging for the performers since someone could see the show or listen to the soundtrack and not appreciate the symbolism and meaning behind it, so they had the extra challenge of portraying this too. Read the essay below for more info on what I mean (if you feel up for it!).

The show got fantastic reviews and I am proud to be part of. Everyone involved in the show including performers (who also did direction, admin, publicity and choreography), band and most of the crew, were between 16 and 25 and some of them paid for the expenses from their student loans in a hope it made money to cover their costs. All profits went to Teenage Cancer Trust.

All in all, a fantastic show and fantastic experience.

My description at the top of the page must make the show sound very depressing, but I found it very motivational since all the stories had one thing in common; no one gave up. They found the power within them to overcome whatever happened in their lives. The final song gives the audience hope and finishes the performance:

“…Hear my song, it’ll help you believe in tomorrow.
Hear my song, it’ll show you the way you can shine.
Hear my song, it was made for the times where you don’t know where to go…”
“…Listen to the song that I sing, and trust me, you’ll be fine…”

Click this link to listen to the soundtrack on Spotify

Read an essay on SFANW explaining the meaning behind it

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Drawing Blood

In 2006 I worked on the first rehearsed reading of Drawing Blood at His Majesty’s Theatre. Now this summer we secured funding to take Drawing Blood to the Fringe for one performance. It was decided this would be treated as a second rehearsed reading since it was only one performance and our funding may not have supported a full production. The writer was also the director, and as I understood the function of the performance at the Fringe was to raise the profile of the play slightly, allow funders to see the play but most importantly allow the writer to see her play on stage and gain feedback from it so she can adapt it if required.

Drawing Blood is a biographical play set in around 1900 telling the story of James McBey, one of the world’s most famous artists and etchers, who was born in Buchan near Aberdeen. It follows his home and work life as he tries to pursue his dream of being an artist, resulting in numerous fights with his ill mother who wants him to stay working as a clerk at a local bank.

I found I was in strange position during my time with Drawing Blood. Since it was a small production there were few props, scenery was non-existant and lighting and sound was minimal which I mostly operated myself.

This often left me confused as what to do. Of course I gained experience from Drawing Blood and, like all productions, I learned a few new things, but at many points it felt like I was going through the motions to fill in time rather than because it was really required.

Drawing Blood has now secured a second performance in Aberdeen (on 2nd October I think) which unfortunately I can’t mange (due to being in Glasgow) since I think it might have benefited me more that the fringe since there is talk of having more scenery, props, lighting and sound since facilities are better and, with an Aberdeen-based cast, it is easier to plan all these aspects.

Little Shop Of Horrors and A Chorus Line

Last week I was working followspot for Little Shop of Horrors by Castlegate Theatre School and I am pleased to report that everything went well for the run. A couple of hiccups with the largest of the four plants, but I’ll come back to that. I really enjoyed working Little Shop of Horrors, and it seems a far more enjoyable and well-put-together show than Castlegate’s last show Dream Date. I feel this is probably due to two main reasons:

1. I feel that “Little Shop of Horrors” has better material (such as script, music and plot line) to work with, so the final product will appear better no matter how good the cast are.
2. “Little Shop of Horrors” is presented by the older of the two groups, meaning (generally) they have more experience, are more mature and are able to connect with a script on a deeper level.

The company hired a very impressive set (in fact so impressive it didn’t all fit on the stage), but I find a drawback with hired scenery is the fact it has been used before and often isn’t in as good condition as if you had made it yourself. Also, it means you can’t make any modifications to it. The largest of the four plants was… well large, too large, and was operated by a sprung mechanism which unfortunately was broken when we got it, leaving us with the problem of how to operate the plant without damaging it. Needless to say after hours of work, the only way was to attach a piece of rope to it and have two guys pull as hard as they could to open it. It worked, even though it was a bit dodgy.

I must be honest and say I was concerned about ticket sales for this show, since there was less than a month between Dream Date and Little Shop of Horrors. They were performed by the two different age groups, but (to the best of my knowledge) this is the first year the group has split, and I was worried that the second show may suffer since, while close family might come to see both shows, distant family and friends (and general supporters) might only come to see one of them. It turns out my concerns were irrelevant since ticket sales were very good.

Last night I went to go see A Chorus Line which was fantastic. It was very, very well rehearsed and everyone seemed to know what they were doing at all times. While there were a few faces I recognised, and a few people I had worked with before, someone commented that they had not seen the majority of the cast before. I think this is only natural for the style of show since I imagine it is a complex show to rehearse and demands a diverse, triple threat cast (of people who can sing, dance and act). I apologise for tarring everyone with the same brush, but I will make a bold statement and say the majority of people who appear in amateur dramatics in Aberdeen could not dance to a high enough level to perform in A Chorus Line, since it is about a group of professional dancers who are auditioning to be in a chorus line. They may have found casting easiest by looking for dancing ability first.

One of my complaints was the set. The had a simple set consisting of a row of mirrors across the back of the stage to resemble a dance studio. Very appropriate and effective, but a bit of a nuisance whenever a follow-spot is used and half the audience are blinded! Someone I spoke to said it was very static, but unfortunately, that is the show, and there isn’t much anyone can do about that. I think the company actually made a good effort to move away from the static look as far as possible.

The show was enjoyable, but I always get annoyed by shows without a story. Yes, there were all sorts of themes, motifs and little stories, but if someone asked you what the show was about, you would have to say “dancers auditioning to be in a chorus line”, and that would be the best explanation. I have the same problem with Cats and Starlight Express. Both enjoyable shows, but the story is not the main point. Having said this is realise the irony that I am SM for ‘Songs for a New World’ which, in the composer’s words, is best described as “It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.”. Songs for a New World is a cross between a musical and a song cycle, but I still believe it has no story! I will be plugging Songs for a New World much more in the near future!

Back to A Chorus Line. At points I actually believed the show, and it’s not often you hear me say that! When the chorus line were “rehearsing”, I sat there going “they are out of time, they dropped their hat, they were late with that move” and about halfway through realised it was intentional. It was done very realistically, but then again like any performer I am sure the cast had plenty experience in making mistakes, and this helped them make it look real! At another point one of the performers slipped and you could hear everyone onstage and in the audience gasp. It wasn’t until a few seconds later I realised the orchestra all stopped at the same time, and it must be part of the show.

Artistically the whole show was great, but my favourite had to be the last 10 minutes! At the end the cast were on the tab line doing high kicks and as the tabs closed (from the side, not flown), they stopped one by one so the tabs could close, never carrying on and kicking the tabs, and never stopping to early and being stood in the middle of the stage waiting for tabs. After that they took their bows one by one with a pool of light coming up on each performer. I thought i was a very unique ending and slightly different from the same-old.

On a different thought, I have recently began to understand what my drama teacher said to me when I was around 15 or 16. She told me I should think very carefully about leading a life in theatre since it is more than a job, but a lifestyle. She warned me that the anti-social hours often cut you off from you friends and means you are working when everyone else is asleep or out enjoying themselves. I always knew this and have came across this in the past, but have found it difficult this summer when my mates ask if I can go out for a few drinks and I explain that for the next 10 weeks I am either away from home, in rehearsals or working a show almost every evening. I know I have extra time at the end of my holidays to meet up with mates, but it’s not the same. I guess I never had this problem in Glasgow because I was new to the city and the majority of my mates were on the course, but I am sure this is something that people from nearer Glasgow have been struggling with during the past year.