I Was a Westend Stage Manager - Ask Me Anything

[TheatreJunkie84]

Title says it all really!

Did the rounds of a few big Westend musicals as well as working for the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House for a time. Worked with some big names too....gave it all up a couple years ago to start my family.

Anyone wants to know the ins and outs of working in theatre....ask me anything!

Before I go....just remembered a fabulous video showing what a DSM does. DSM is on the right, the lighting operator bottom left and what's going on onstage is top right. Note how the DSM gets his 'go' out just in enough time for the operator to press the button for the lights to change on the beat of the music.

It's a skill which takes a while to master...which I guess is why I like doing it so much!

OP - Sarah Lamb! I saw her in Alice and was completely overwhelmed!

This is really interesting!
So it seems like the other crew, for example lighting crew, don't have very much autonomy in some ways, just follow exactly what the DSM says!

Sorry another from me- which show have you worked on would you say has the most work to go into it to get it perfect? I would assume a big dance one?

Another from me too! What is your favourite (and least favourite) show that you have worked on/seen?

Is there ever a sense of competition between the cast or main leads which leads to a bad atmosphere?

How often do understudies become genuine stars? We saw the understudy in One Man Two Guvs and I can't imagine anyone being more brilliant than him. I totally fell for the bit [won't spoil it] that usually I'd spot as staged, because he was so amazing. Don't even know his name. And in Book of Mormon, I read the two leads were originally understudies. Again, I can't imagine anyone performing better than they did and I so want to hear they all went on to get lead roles. Do you know some deserved success stories?

Oh and give us a couple of cryptic clues about the vile national treasure.

@5LeafClover the production manager is basically in charge of eeeeeeeeeverything when it comes to physical running of the show. During rehearsals he will be checking up on the set build, running production meetings, liasing between theatre staff and production staff, hiring the show crew and generally keeping everything trucking along. It's a hard job at times, you have to keep a lot of balls in the air.

For me....I'm fairly outgoing which I think helped with putting myself forward and making conversation with people. You should never turn down cast and crew drinks and always remember talk to everyone. I was also kinda good at my job, which helped

@RomaineCalm I've been incredibly lucky to have had very good experiences with working with children, but then I have only ever done panto, and generally the kids are too excited to be on stage to risk messing around.

Unfortunately I've never been a company manger on a show with kids, so genuinely have no idea how much they're paid!

If the highlights and low points are directly referring to working with kids....the high points are the looks on their faces when they see the set for the first time...low points are definitely dealing with red faces and tears when some-one falls over on stage in front of a sold out audience. It's never nice even as an adult, and I really feel for them!

Personally for my own children, I'd love them to experience it as kids and maybe be in a few pantos, but it'll be a serious conversation if they come out and say they want to be an actor.

@scrappydappydoo the understudy is always a member of the cast, so generally if the main actor isn't there at beginners and we've had no word from them, the understudy is told to get ready and the swing will take the place of the understudy. Swings are theatre gods basically....they know every single track, piece of choreography and spoken line of the ensemble, and can take the place of anyone who goes off. They're usually long tuning members of the show and are constantly revising backstage!

I've done a fair amount of shows with complicated scenery and changes....opera tends to be the most complicated with regards to props, though that's just from personal experience! The 39 Steps was by far the most fun for costume quick changes!!! Well over 100 by the end of the show. By the end of tech week you've usually got your groove on and don't even need your notes. It's like learning choreography!

Worst audience behaviour was doing a studio show and an audience member walked on to the stage at the interval, grabbed a plant and proceeded to walk out the door. We chased after him only for him to respond with 'but I like it and I want it. You can buy another one'. He tried it again at the end of the show but lucky my ASM caught him before he even grabbed the plant. Cheeky fecker.

@aliolilover for me personally it was Lion King. So much can go wrong on that show if you're not paying attention, so when you first start you only have a matter of days to learn your track by heart, as you then need to be learning all the contingency plans so you know what to do should anything go wrong. It's a very big show with lots of moving parts, and with the added bonus of kids backstage it can be a bit of a melting pot!

Lucky everyone on that show knows their shit and things rarely if ever go really wrong. I do remember leaving my flashlight on during a blackout on my first night though...I was onstage moving scenery with this beaming light on my belt loop

@Secondchild2019 favourite show was easily The 39 Steps, least favourite was probably any of the smaller studio plays. They don't pay well for a huge amount of responsibility and producers will definitely take the piss with payment terms and their expectations of you.

I've never really seen first hand any sort of competition between leads and ensemble. At the end of the day it's not the leads fault they were cast, and people tend to be respectful of that. Though of course every understudy is waiting for the lead to go off ill....that's only natural

If you're interested in seeing a show backstage, the Royal Opera House has a multicamera broadcast of one act of Die Valkure on their website www.roh.org.uk/interactives/opera-machine
You can watch any one of lots of cameras, listen to the DSM, and even watch the score pages turning with the cues.
When it first came out I started sending out to non- theatre friends and family, to show them what I do!

^^ 'you' in my post being other MNers, not the OP, who obviously knows how it works

@milliefiori ohhhh that happens all the time! It makes sense if you think about it. Especially when it comes to the difficult roles. An understudy will already have a years experience in the role so would find it relatively easy to merely step up.

There was a great story a couple years ago on Mamma Mia. The lead went off with an injured ankle after the opening scene and the understudy was unavailable (not sure why....). Lucky down the road on 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane there was an actress who had previously played the role....she just popped down the road and was on stage within 18 minutes of the incident!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44494641

Who is your favourite female golfer?

This thread has had be belting out circle of life all morning.

The DSM sounds by far the most interesting role.

What pubs would you usually frequent after shows?

OP how do you find audiences behave at the theatre?

@CherryCheezcake oooooooh that's far more interesting! Actually never seen that before. nice to see a fellow DSM! Jump in if you have any more interesting answers than I do

@Funghi not sure if I should say, people on here could end up stalking their favourite casts
lol.

I will say I used to go to The Nell (opposite Drury Lane Theatre) quite a lot, also sometimes the Salisbury and Mr Foggs Tavern.

Honestly...it's generally whatever pub is closest vicinity to the theatre you're working at!

@AutumnRose1 luckiky I've found the Westend musical audiences to be fairly considerate!

Think worst one was a couple in the front row brought in a full Burger King feast, complete with supersize drink, fries and side orders. They had it all on the floor in front of them and just started tucking in once curtain was up. DSM clocked it on the conductor monitor and swiftly informed the duty manager....who sent a FOH member of staff out the request they put it away and finish eating at the interval. They huffed and puffed but I like to think all those around them were grateful for the intervention!

Thanks OP

I’m surprised food like that is allowed, or is it a case of catching people as they go in?

I had two cast come off stage after the opening scene of a play and tell me there were people eating in the front row. Not so unusual, I said. No, they had plates and knives and forks

Have you ever had to ask for Mr Sands?

@AutumnRose1 food outside of sweet packets and ice cream definitely isn't allowed - they smuggled it in their rucksack!