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 A VIEW FROM BACKSTAGE
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When you come to our pantomime and see all our acting members walking,
singing and dancing around the stage, you may not be aware of that there is other
pantomime world that exists in the darkness, shadows and mists of backstage.
(By the way clicking on any photo will give
you a bigger version! Oh yes it will !)
(Also apologies for any shots a bit blurred....its was
s bit dark back there!!!) |
Backstage is where magic is put to work to ensure that: mists are
generated; flashes flash; wands and buckets are made ready for action; the
building or rooms or forests
that you see, appear and disappear; light is coloured; costumes are fluffed up
and fastened; makeup helps peoples faces become evil or good and all those on stage always
get to look their very best.
All this work starts long before you can come and see us. Even before the
acting members are busy rehearsing their lines, a few important people start to
organise and order the costumes, the sets, the electrical items, programmes and
all those others bits and pieces needed to make the whole event come alive in
front of your eyes.
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Then at the appointed time, usually a cold and damp Sunday morning
in January, the
backstage teams start to arrive to unload the lorries and move the production
into the theatre.
They remove the orchestra pit covers and start to lay the
floor..... |
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LX start to hang and focus lights...... |
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and the floor continues to get laid...... |
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The correct bars and tracks get installed from which will hang the cloths, which act as the
backdrop to the scenes, and all that before having a break of a
welcoming cup of tea or coffee!! |
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.....and the floor is almost
done. |
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Then it's back to building sets, threading sash cord through tracks, hanging
the cloths,
hanging more lamps, sorting out the piles of costumes and the
props. |
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During this period LX are checking their cues and the lighting
of the scenes is being
checked and adjusted, sounds are heard for the first time and the radio and
fixed mics are being adjusted. |
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Then we get to the technical rehearsal, where the Black Gang have to identify the bits of
scenery and the flats, place them on the stage then move them and move them again, then when
the producer is happy, the important process of marking the corners with
coloured tape starts. This is important, as we use these tape markers to
accurately place the scenes in the right place in all the changes. Then on to the next scene and the next. Perhaps bits won't fit
and they head for the "dead" pile.
On another evening, a dress rehearsal is held and the whole show is run
through and scene changes are tested and we find out how much time we have to do scene
changes. Phrases are heard like "we'll never get that done in that time" and "didn't know about that" and "which bit do we need now" and "what colour
tape are we putting this on" and so it goes on and on......till we get to the end.
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Another dress rehearsal and something's a miss..... |
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......or the elastic is missing, back to the wardrobe! |
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Everything gets tested.....its snowing in the theatre |
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We've made it to the end of the dress rehearsal,
tomorrow's first night. |
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On the First Night the music starts, everyone's nervous, but
it goes well with the audience are
laughing at the jokes, and clapping the chorus and dancers and in time with the
music. We get to
the end with no major problems and having reset the stage, we retire to the
Brewhouse bar and a well earned drink by Garry the stage manager. Thanks Garry!
Then we do a bit of chatting about how to improve the odd change and the older
members discuss how this show stands against shows of years past.
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A couple more days and it's running like clock work. Those tight changes have
vanished and we have time to joke and have a bit of fun with the cast and others
backstage. Not that the audience will know.
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Here is a collection of other pictures from the backstage
world....
Strange customs and traditions start to take over the run. Our first matinee
and doughnuts appear in the "Green Room" for the black gang, good selection this
year with different fillings! Every matinee and more doughnuts arrive.
Needed to keep the team happy. The Black Gang Curry night list goes up and
names soon appear. On the curry night, after the show those going, are off to the Indian
restaurant.
All too soon we reach the end of the run and it's time to take it all apart,
lift the floor, take down the lights, put all the scenery on the back of the
lorries. We take it all out in two and half hours, remarkable! Then it's another
choice, off to bed or on to the after show party.
So that's another year gone. Are you interested in joining us? Not everyone
wants to enjoy the lights and the action on stage, some of us like to hide in
the shadows and are happy to just hear the audience enjoy the show. You do!
Are you over 16? You are, then send us your details and we'll ensure you can help us with the next show
and may get to enjoy one of those doughnuts.
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