Our stage managers are our most experienced volunteers and have all been working with us for several years.  It is a big responsibility as they are responsible for the safety of everybody and everything behind the curtain as well as running the show.

Stage managers always need an effective crew to assist them, and being willing to work with them on a variety of tasks is how you can progress to eventually becoming a stage manager yourself.

Flying is the term used to describe bringing scenery onto the stage from where it is suspended out of sight high up in the building. It is a very skilled job using our bespoke system involving ropes and pulleys – you need to be quite strong and must be an adult. Many of our volunteers love flying and you do need to be trained by one of our stage managers before you can be allocated to do this at shows.

There are other backstage roles which volunteers get involved with.  A good place to start is helping with get-ins and get-outs.  These refer to the setting up of a show before it starts and then dismantling it after the last performance. This is a really good way of learning how a show is put together.

We also sometimes need people to operate sound or lighting during productions. You would normally start doing this in conjunction with an experienced volunteer to learn whether it is something you have an aptitude for. 

Our follow spot operators use lights to highlight individuals on the stage from their position in the theatre roof space.  The lights are used to create dramatic effects on the stage and you follow the instructions of a stage manager via headphones. You are high up in the building so must be comfortable with that, however follow spotting is a very good place for a new volunteer to start.  You will work with one or two experienced volunteers who will help you develop confidence using the lights.