Stage Crew, during the production of Anastasia, 13 February 2024. ©RGS Newcastle
Stage Crew
Behind the Scenes: RGS Stage Crew
By Ben Squire, Performing Arts Centre Technical Manager
Our school is lucky to have some truly fantastic performing arts facilities, and the Miller Theatre is an incredible space for all our school performances. However, it isn’t the buildings that make those performances special, it’s the students and staff. We have very talented young people at our school who take to the stage at any opportunity, but there are some equally gifted students working away in the background, the Stage Crew. The Stage Crew plays an essential, if often unseen, role in bringing performances to life and giving those on stage the best platform to shine.
RGS students have always taken great pride and enjoyment in their backstage duties but the building of the PAC in 2006 marked a shift in how the Stage Crew operated. Mr Warne, the then Technical Manager, introduced a more formal structure as the stage crew moved from the old theatre (half of which is now the Studio Theatre!) into the newly built Miller Theatre. Students took on real responsibility and were given training to develop technical skills in lighting, sound, set building and stage management. The crew at the time welcomed the new structure and took pride in their new space, now a professional venue, even going on to provide technical support for external theatre companies and groups that hired the Miller Theatre. That said, I remember them telling me that they missed having their own little crew office in the old theatre where they once strung up hammocks using old theatre drapes!
Stage Crew, during the production of Anastasia, 13 February 2024. ©RGS Newcastle
There have been many amazing performances and so many positive memories created. At the last count, since 2007, there have been twenty-one musicals, forty-five plays, ten Shakespeare productions, four pantomimes, nine student directed performances, not forgetting two drama festivals, one of which spread across multiple venues throughout the school!
It is hard to single out any one production, but from a standout point of view the production of Les Misérables in 2012 had everything imaginable - a working revolving stage, a climbable moving barricade, a steel deck built bridge, the lot!
But it isn’t just large-scale events in which the stage crew shines. From the smallest studio piece to the biggest musical, stage crew students step up behind the scenes to make them happen. It also doesn’t stop at drama in the theatre, the crew supports orchestral concerts, music gigs, dance showcases and even philanthropy dinners! Whatever the event, there are usually stage crew members making sure it all runs smoothly!
Over the past 18 years, I’ve seen crew members grow in confidence, learn to stay calm under pressure and support each other during weekend rehearsals and performances. The camaraderie is undoubtedly one of the greatest assets in stage crew. Year group divides go out the window and the support for each other is always there. Some Stage Crew members go on to work professionally in technical theatre, live events and audio-visual – as a school it is something we are very proud of. Others carry the skills and memories with them into university, amateur productions, or into other unrelated careers entirely. What matters is the confidence, teamwork and pride they take with them and the strong sense of community they have helped to build here at school, passing the Stage Crew baton onwards.
Stage Crew, during the production of Anastasia, 13 February 2024. ©RGS Newcastle
Stage Crew, during the production of Anastasia, 13 February 2024. ©RGS Newcastle
Old Novo Andrew Murtagh (ON 2011-18) writes about the impact of attending Stage Crew on his life and later career:
"I wouldn't be in my career without Stage Crew. Having access to in-house specialists in my chosen field meant I was supported by people who really knew the industry. I was able to build real skills, grow in confidence, and take clear steps toward my chosen career; going straight from school into higher education and exciting opportunities beyond."
As we celebrate 500 years of school history, it feels right to shine the spotlight on those who are more used to working in the dark. They may not take a bow, but their impact is felt in every cue, every show and every student who finds their place in RGS's Stage Crew.