Follow-spot operator is a common first job in lighting.

The follow-spot is a light which is physically moved by the technician during the production, to follow a performer around the stage. A follow-spot may also have mechanisms to change color, as well as an iris to change the size of the beam of light.

Steve Barnett, now a self-employed lighting designer, said: “All I wanted to be when I grew up was a a follow-spot operator. As a young child I’d been taken to see Peter Pan at the Barbican and I wanted to be Tinkerbell, which was done by a follow-spot”.

Steve went on to achieve his dream working at the National Theatre as designer David Hersey’s assistant on Peter Pan.