h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One of the best places to see Shakespear in London is at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. You can take a picnic to eat on the lawns outside the theatre which is disguised by trees and bushes. Often the action takes place amongst the audience. Even if it rains it is a good experience check it out in the summer months.

That's a good experience in the rain unless you're an electrician (lights & Sound), when you decide if you're going to take your life in your hands to do the next follow-spot cue!!

Hmm good point!! Never have been that much on the technical side of the theatre though.

I'm a stage manager and lighting designer from Toronto, Canada. I toured a show to London two summers ago - we played for just under a week at the Oval House theatre, in (what I think would be called) south London. And then two days in Oxford the week after. All in all, I had a great time, and the people I worked with were fantastic - but what I wonder about is how Stage managers are used there. From the people I spoke to, it sounded like four or five people doing the job that I do myself here. I'm responsible for being on book, calling all of the sound, light, and set/rigging cues, tracking props and set pieces, organizing the rehearsal schedule - sometimes even running either the sound or lighting board. I might be confused over what I'd heard from the techies I worked with... am I just messed up here, or am I thinking correctly?

- rook -

It does depend at what level of theatre you work at in the UK.

I work as an electrician / Lighting Designer in Repertory theatre where there are a TEAM of three or four stage management, but only ONE stage manager. The others are either deputies or assistants.

Going down the scale into fringe theater or small scale touring then yes there is often only one person doing those jobs. It's a question of scale really.

I stage managed two shows at Oval House six years ago and called the show, operated lights & sound and sourced & maintained the props as well. Working in a bigger theatre, that would not be possible, so the team help the stage manager do it, with one 'deputising' in the rehearsal room and one or two others 'assisting' them.

Yeah, we have assistant stage managers - they're usually the ones backstage while the SM is in the booth. If it's an Equity show (Equity's our union - kind of like Actra... I don't know what the British equivalent would be) there could be an apprentice stage manager, who does some of the smaller jobs.
What's the small theatre scene like over there? I would have liked to get a better idea the last time I was there, but I wasn't able to ever really leave the theatre I was working in in time to catch any other shows. All I got to do was a couple of art galleries and people watch in Covent Gardens.