If you’re practical, creative, calm under pressure, resourceful, technically minded and good with people AND love the idea of working in theatre with its long hours and six-day weeks…stage management or technical theatre training could be for you!

Stage Management

The Stage Manager is the essential link between all members of the theatre company, and has to be a great communicator, diplomat and organiser. Their role is to manage rehearsals, actors, directors, designers, props and costume fittings, as well as managing the performances on stage and liaising with the box office and front of house staff.

Some people who train and work as stage managers choose to stay in stage management all their working lives. Others move into administration, producing or directing. Many cross from theatre to television, to trade shows or to the music industry. The skills needed are similar whatever the area of work. The high level of practical experience and responsibility experienced by stage management graduates from drama schools is well known within the industry and on leaving you will find yourself fully equipped to seek employment in whichever area of the industry interests you most.

Technical Theatre courses on the other hand provide preparation for a wide variety of jobs, from sound, light and electrics to props, scenic construction and wardrobe. NCDT accredited courses will pass on the theory, practical knowledge and hands-on experience you need to achieve a career in entertainment industry.

Lighting and Stage Electrics

Training in stage electrics leads to a wide variety of job opportunities in different media - follow-spotting the lead in a West End musical, firing the pyrotechnics in a rock concert, operating the computerised lighting board for a piece of modern dance, rigging the lighting for a conference or ice-show, designing the lighting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream or a new TV sitcom, or co-ordinating the equipment and technical crew for a multi-national trade launch.

The work is a challenging combination of technical knowledge and artistic creativity, offering great job satisfaction and the chance to make a very real contribution to theatre and television. Drama school courses start from the basics of stage electrics and lighting design, such as rigging a lantern, and work towards familiarising you with the latest in moving light technology. Students learn about the process of lighting design, how to produce a cue synopsis and lighting plan for a show. Many schools now use computer-based equipment and the emphasis in both lighting and electrics is on digital formats.

Sound

Graduates in sound can expect to find employment in theatre, radio and television.  The training will equip them with the necessary skills to create and replay sound effects using a variety of analogue and digital recording and playback equipment.  Students will also be taught the basics of rigging, electrical theory and practice, and the theory, practice and history of theatre sound. Sound design is a growth area in theatre and students will have opportunities to learn and practice the art and process of sound design. They’ll discover how to create a sound plot and cue synopsis for a show, working with state-of-the-art equipment.

Scenic Artist

The life of a scenic artist or design assistant can involve anything from reproducing the Mona Lisa’s hands twenty feet high in every detail, to making giant inflatables for a rock concert, to making a spectacular backcloth for a dance performance.  Employment will mainly be freelance, although some theatres, TV companies and scenic workshops employ full-time scenic artists. A course in scenic design teaches techniques such as marbling, ragging, wood-graining and texturing, as well as teaching organisation of materials, budget and time management.

Prop Maker

Prop making requires skills and background knowledge in research, sculpting, casting, moulding and period reproduction, which when combined with creativity and initiative will enable students to tackle the reproduction of anything from a Grecian statue to the Crown Jewels. Prop-making courses provide a comprehensive training in the use of a multitude of materials and techniques, such as fibreglassing, casting, modelling, upholstery and furniture making.   Drama school courses equip the student not only for a career in theatre but also in film, television and video.

Scenic Construction

Scenic construction graduates make sets for stage, video and television productions and can find themselves running their own scenic construction workshops. Training in this area involves working with stage machinery, from basic hemp flying and counterweight flying to construction techniques for a variety of media. Graduates will have the ability to work skillfully with wood and metal, overcoming challenges to realise the designer’s plans safely and accurately.

Costome Production

As the wardrobe is a central department for all productions, whether in theatre, film or television, skilled wardrobe personnel are always in demand. Costume production requires skills in design interpretation, research, cutting and making. Managerial ability is often required. Training in this area will involve tailoring, fabric dying, millinery, hairstyles and wigs. Working in costume often involves long hours, attention to detail, a lot of variety and liaising closely with actors and directors.