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West end show


Beacon

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HI, just a quick question. Im doing a business studies project to start a mock company, my choice is a theatrical company. I have cast information, but I need to know the amount of crew that are needed for a Big westend show, and a rough estimate of what they get paid. I know the obvous ones like stage manager, lighting desk opperator etc I was just woundering if anyone can help and list them all down.

 

Many thanks!

j

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I will start you off;

 

Production Manager

PA to Production Manager

Artistic Director

PA to Artistic Director

Director

Assistant Director

Technical Manager

PA to TM

Stage Manager

Resident Stage Manager

Deputy Stage Manager

3x Assistant Stage Managers

Designer

Props Master

Costume Designer

x15-30 Dressers

Lighting Designer

Chief LX

Deputy LX

Lighting Op.

Sound Designer

Sound Op.

Pyrotechnician

Front of House Manager

20x Ushers

Stage Door man

Adminsitrator

Accounts Dept.

 

Lots and Lots more as well

 

Sam

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Before we go overboard with listing of job titles, chaps, let's establish exactly what Beacon means by "crew" ...

 

Are we talking solely about technical staff to run the show (stage management, LX, sound, stage staff, wardrobe/wigs)? Or are you including the creative staff and others who are only involved up until the first night (designers, production LX, production chippies, etc.)? Are you including production company staff who, generally, work for the producers and are involved with the company as a whole, rather than the show in particular (marketing, finance, etc.)? What about staff who work for the venue rather than the production (box office, catering, FOH, etc.)? Are you including the acting company, or the orchestra?

 

Given the original wording of your question (i.e. "crew") I'd suspect that you'd only be looking for the first of the many options above. If that's not the case, please do clarify exactly which aspects of the staffing of a production/venue you're interested in, and our answers can be tailored more towards what you're looking for, rather than just being a huge list of job titles.

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Both would be usefull, but it would be easy if it was indercated what jobs are while the show runs and ones pre opening night.

So just to confirm - you're only looking for jobs/positions which are directly related to the technical/backstage production, and you're not interested in 'back room' (e.g. office) staff, FOH staff, acting company or musicians?

 

Breaking it down by department ....

 

Stage Management

Company manager

Stage manager

DSM

ASM x 2 or 3

 

Stage staff

Technical stage manager

Automation operator

Flyman (possibly several)

Stage crew or Wingmen (probably several, unless there's lots of automation)

 

Electrics

Chief LX

Deupty Chief

Chargehand

A couple of electrics daymen who do the maintenance

Lime ops (at least a couple, possibly more)

Stage electricians (possibly two or three)

 

Sound

No.1 sound (usually mixes the show)

No.2 sound

No.3 sound

 

Costume

Wardrobe master/mistress

Wig master/mistress

Dressers x several

 

Production period only

Production manager

Lighting, set and costume designers

Production electricians

Lighting programmer

Production chippies

Production sound

 

Have I missed anyone out? (I've deliberately not included a technical manager - gruops of West End theatres - e.g. the RUG venues along Shaftesbury Avenue - often have one tech manager covering several venues, so they're not really attached to one show in particular.)

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Don't forget that some of the above will work for the theatre and others will work for the production company. Even the smallest theatres have, at the very least, a Resident Stage Manager and Chief LX. Most have more.

 

Also, the sound crew may work for the sound hire company (e.g. Autograph) rather than either of the above.

 

Also, extra help for get-in and get-out may come from crewing companies.

 

It all gets very involved!

 

P.S. The eaiest way to find out who works on the show and for whom they work is to get a few programmes for West End Shows and look at the lists at the back. Getting anyone to tell you how much they earn could be a lot harder!

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Have I missed anyone out?

Sound Designer anyone????

Also, the sound crew may work for the sound hire company (e.g. Autograph) rather than either of the above.

Most of the time the sound crew on a show are not provided by the rental company, the sound designer will want to pick the crew that are going to run the show once he leaves, rather than have some one they don't know.

 

Peter

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Just realised, no-one's yet addressed the portion of your question relating to rates of pay. Maybe your best bet would be to seek out a copy of the BECTU/SOLT agreement, which should give you some idea of the agreed minimum rates for the common performance staff grades. There doesn't appear to be a link to it on the BECTU website (all that you can get to from there is the BECTU/TMA agreement, which covers theatres outside of London), but I guess if you call them they might be able to send you a copy.
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Also, the sound crew may work for the sound hire company (e.g. Autograph) rather than either of the above.

Most of the time the sound crew on a show are not provided by the rental company, the sound designer will want to pick the crew that are going to run the show once he leaves, rather than have some one they don't know.

 

Peter

In my defence:

 

a) I said "may" not "will"

 

b) If the sound designer works for, or runs, a rental company (e.g. Andrew Bruce & Autograph) then chances are he's going to pick his own engineers for the show.

 

I accept that often they're not related, but I just wanted to point out how many other comanies may be involved. :D

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If it's any help the running staff of Starlight Express was as follows:

 

Stage Management

 

Company Manager

Stage Manager

DSM X 2

ASM X 3 (Including Skate Technician)

 

Stage Crew

 

Master Carpenter

Deputy Master Carpenter

Bridge Operator

(All three responsible for Automation)

Show Crew X 5

 

Electrics

 

Chief LX

Deputy Chief LX

Chargehand LX

Dayman LX

Follow Spots X 6

Stage LX

 

Sound

 

Head of Sound

Deputy

Dayman

 

Wardrobe

 

Wardrobe Mistress

Wigs master

Deputy Wardrobe Mistress X 2

Deputy Wigs Mistress

Wardrobe Assistants X 3

Dressers X 10

 

Lift Operator!

 

Also 4 building staff who took care of building maintenance and electrics.

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Not a west end show, but the Birmingham Royal Ballet production of The Nutcracker has a crew of 50 including 13 flymen (Not a recent pantomime as stated in the latest issue of sightline - I was on the same tour of the Birmingham Hippodrome)

 

Regards

 

Ellis

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