by Priscilla

Aug.19, 2011, under Blog

At the moment I’m currently running the deck plot, which deals with the automation aspects at stage level. So I walk around stage left and stage right watching all the automation pieces come in and watching the bus move, whilst making sure we’re not going to hit anything, catch any pieces of moving set and that no one is in the way. I also assist with the performer flying hook ups with the Divas. It is pretty high up there in the flys, so you have to have a head for heights, although I avoid looking over the side as much as I can.

There is a lot of running around in my plot. I have to run from stage left to stage right each time there is an automation move and then I have to run up and down three flights of stairs to hook up the Divas. The Divas always take the lifts, partly because of their costumes, but I don’t because I don’t want to get stuck in it. Running up three flights of stairs ten times a show keeps you fit.

The bus is definitely the most complicated part of the automation in Priscilla. The other aspects, like the flyins and the revolve you will find in other shows, but the bus can be very challenging.

Nick Szewciw

This is the first show I’ve worked on in the West End. The West End never used to appeal to me. I did four years of touring before hand. I started with the Imperial Ice Stars as a swing tech building ice shows into small theatres. I worked on Footloose and then did a nine month tour with Holiday On Ice as an ice technician. After that I came home and a job opened up at Priscilla, which has been great. It’s been nice to unpack my bag! It sometimes seems to be not what you know, but who you know, but if you are looking for a career in theatre I would recommend studying at a college like RADA, LIPA, Mountview etc. You can always work while you are studying, but it will give you a good basis if you don’t have any contacts.

When the bus works well and there are no problems it is great. There are two macros in the show, which is where the bus moves upstage and revolves at the same time. You don’t stop a macro. You can stop a rotate or a move upstage or downstage, but a macro is a pre-programmed move and if you stop it, it means a show stop to reset. Therefore you only stop it if the bus is going to fall off the front of the stage. Go West and MacArthur Park are the two numbers with macro moves, which are very tense moments for us in automation.

My favourite parts of Priscilla are the songs that involve everyone onstage, because they have so much energy. Everyone knows all the songs so well that the crew are tapping their feet in the wings. It is a great show to work on, because all the cast and crew are so lovely.