The stage crew fully deserve their bow…

So we decided to sit down with Judith, the Company Stage Manager of Noises Off to find out a bit more about her and the team behind the scenes that get their moment in the spotlight, deservedly so!

How long have you been a Company Stage Manager?

I’ve been a Stage Manager for around 9 years now- I’ve held various roles in stage management during that time from Assistant Stage Manager (mostly focused on props and helping backstage) to Company Stage Manager (with more overall responsibility for the show running smoothly). I got into theatre as a confidence boosting thing when I was at high school, with a wonderful free youth theatre run by the National Museums Liverpool- it meant that we got to go “behind the scenes” of all the exhibits and of course be at the museum during night too which was pretty cool! I then moved into more of a backstage role when I joined Cardiff University’s amdram company “Act One” when I was a student there, and before long I realised I was putting as much effort into the shows we were putting on as to my actual degree, so I decided to go on to study for an MA in Stage and Event Management at RWCMD.

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

My favourite thing about being a Company Stage Manager is the sense of pride and achievement you feel when a show goes smoothly. Actually, even when there are minor bumps along the way, as long as everyone remains safe and alright and the audience still has an enjoyable experience, it’s satisfying to know it’s a job well done! The hardest thing is keeping on top of everything, even things that maybe aren’t strictly my department but could impact the show. As a stage manager, you do have to be a bit of a jack of all trades!

If you could do any other role in theatre or any other job, what would it be and why?

During the pandemic lockdowns I was extremely lucky to get work with a theatre company creating online theatre shows. All of a sudden I had a mini studio set up in my living room, with three different computers, six screens and a very long ethernet cable to keep the show on the road! Whilst the world video editing was entirely new to me, and it was a real case of learning on the job as we went along, I have to say I really enjoyed my short stint live video mixing, so if I was ever to change careers I think I would look for something in that field

How is Noises Off different to other shows? What’s the easiest/hardest thing?

A few things make Noises Off very different from other shows I’ve worked on. Firstly there’s quite a fine balance between mishaps which have been deliberately choreographed and written into the show, and that tipping over into things genuinely going wrong, so it’s hard to ever fully relax into the running of the show, as you have to be constantly aware of any small changes and how they might impact the show.

Our ASM Crystal came up with a perfect description of this show “Happy Chaotic!”

Secondly it’s very rare for the stage management and backstage crew to be as visible as they are in this show- firstly through the characters of Poppy and Tim (though they aren’t necessarily the best examples!) and then through the scene changes themselves. It was quite daunting doing the scene change between Acts 2 and 3 for the first time as we felt very aware of the entire audience sat in complete silence, just watching us! It is nice though, knowing that we’re sharing a glimpse of backstage life with the audience and they definitely show a lot of appreciation for it!

Its also always an extra challenge taking a show on tour. It’s been interesting to see how different audiences react to the comedy in the play. This production was my first time taking a show abroad, and it was great to see how much the Luxembourgish audience enjoyed it, as I wasn’t fully sure beforehand if all the humour would translate!

Do you have a favourite show (it doesn’t have to be Noises Off) and why?

A show that’s really stuck with me was “Kursk” which I saw many many years ago when I was a teenager. It was the first time I ever saw an “immersive” type show (the set recreated the interior of a submarine and the audience were asked to stand within parts of the set itself) and I found the whole experience completely fascinating. I’m also a big fan of the “Play That Goes Wrong”, which is of course very similar to Noises Off, partly because it reminds me quite vividly of a show I worked on with an am dram company which very much went wrong even though it wasn’t supposed to!

What’s your favourite show snack and why?

I have quite a sweet tooth, so generally a piece of chocolate before or after the show is my go to! As “Press Night” presents for our opening night at Ipswich myself, the Deputy Stage Manager, the Production Manager and one of the actors all independently sourced some chocolate sardines! They’ve turned our to be the perfect size for a little pre-show pick me up!