Name Rachelle Martyn
Age 16
Hometown Bristol
Where did you do it?
Bristol Hippodrome
How did you make it happen?
We had a period in the school term in which we were allowed to go on placement. I wrote to the Hippodrome asking for work experience and through the school they organised a week for me.
Why did you do it?
I have always been interested in the theatre and wanted to get the experience of working in a ‘real’ professional theatre. I had done many theatre productions, some in the Bristol Hippodrome, but had never had the opportunity to experience the technical side of a theatre and see the workings behind the curtain.
How did you get there?
My parents drove me
How long did it last?
One week in school term time
How old were you when you did it?
15
What did you do?
The placement consisted mainly of the technical aspects of the theatre. The first day I spent up in the flies, being taught the logistics of how moving scenery is controlled using a series of ropes and pulleys in a loft above the stage. I had an opportunity to use these pulleys in a live show and put the theory into practice.
I also spent days with the sound, lighting and spot crews learning about their jobs and seeing how they created the best technical effects for the show.
What did you learn?
I never realised just how important the technical side of the theatre really is and how, without them, a show would simply not run, for it relies on the people you don’t see.
I experienced the theatre from a different point of view and learned that it’s not just the performers who are important, there are many people who don’t get recognition but are just as important.
What was the best thing about it?
I met loads of new people and came away with confidence and a new in-depth knowledge of the theatre and its workings
How would you advise someone else to get themselves some work experience?
Write letters to companies asking for information. If you’re interested, either get involved through school or write a letter to the employer/ manager requesting a placement to suit both you and them.
What would you do differently if you were able to do it again?
I would ask to go side-stage and talk to the stage manager and find out about radio mikes and what happens in the pit (orchestra)
