About Me
I first really got involved backstage in the year before starting GCSEs (when I was 14 for the non-English out there). The school I went to had a big production every year (in the first term) this was performed by people from the last years of GCSEs and A-Levels (16/18) and several smaller plays; first year of A-Levels and first year of GCSEs. Though 'back-stagers' would always come from every year - most people think it's no fun! There was also an after school activity on Tuesday afternoons for set/prop making.
In my first year I did the activity and was backstage in every play (cans (intercom) for the biggy (Cabaret that year) and stage hand for the others, I sadly forget what they were.
Having enjoyed this and done some acting previously I decided to take a GCSE in drama. I never was, and still aren't, any good at improvisation so I had the chance to do stage management instead. I stage managed the biggy that year (Into The Woods) and was 'looked after' by the head of drama (an ex-pro. stage manager himself). To say there weren't any problems would be a lie, but I loved it and any show needing a stage manager after that was stage-managed by me.
That year I was asked to do the lighting for the Talent Show, my first time doing lighting, needless to say it was rubbish. But the following year, having done a post-mortem of the show, it was some what better.
In the first year of my A-Levels the A-Level theatre studies people were doing a scaled down version of The Scottish Play (Macbeth), for which I was on Sound, Stage Management and Lighting - some of those set's of ques were fun! Sadly I was not able to do A-Level Theater Studies as it clashed with Physics which I some what needed to do, I am doing a degree in engineering after all.
The last play I stage managed at school was Children Of Eden, not a bad musical and it was fun to do. Yes we had quite a few problems but the audience didn't notice any of them - including when a piece of the set nearly collapsed and needed securing. Now at university I am about to start on my next play with one of the societies here.
I then started at uni and joined Centre Stage. I have done the lighting for a performance of The Crucible (The first play to be performed in a Scottish Cathedral (or church), and stage managed a performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Following which I stage managed a production of End Game for the Samual Beckett society.
Following my time at uni I deceided to return and train as a teacher (Physics) and took on the task of designing the lighting for Grease at one of the schools I had a placement in.
Things I've Done | Things I Want Todo |
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My Credits
This table has been done from memory so may contain some omissions and other errors.
Date | Production | Position | Venue | Company |
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Mar 2008 | School Talent Show | Responsible Teacher | Hazlehead Academy | |
Nov 2007 | Tommy | Sound | Hazlehead Academy | Channel 5 |
Jun 2007 | Grease | Lighting Design, Follow spot operator & ASM | Beach Ballroom (Aberdeen) | Oldmachar Academy |
May 2002 | End Game | SM(from the dress) & Stage Consultant | Aberdeen Arts Centre | AU Samuel Beckett Society |
May 2001 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | SM & FOH | Aberdeen University | AU Centre Stage |
Mar 2001 | The Crucible | Lighting | St. Machar Cathedral (Old Aberdeen) | AU Centre Stage |
Dec 1998 | School Talent Show | TM | The Under | Ardingly College |
Nov 1998 | Children of Eden | SM | The Under | Ardingly College |
? | The Visit | SM | The Under | Ardingly College |
? | Macbeth (Reduced) | Lighting & Sound | The Under | Ardingly College |
Dec 1997 | School Talent Show | Lighting | The Under | Ardingly College |
Nov 1997 | Camino Real | SM | The Under | Ardingly College |
? | The Tempest (?) | SM | The Under | Ardingly College |
Dec 1996 | School Talent Show | Lighting | The Under | Ardingly College |
Nov 1996 | Into The Woods | SM (1st Time) | The Under | Ardingly College |
Nov 1995 | Cabaret | Stage Crew | The Under | Ardingly College |
? | Taming of the Russian Bear | Lighting Operator | The Barn | Great Walstead School |