Francis John Stevenson, a freelance production technician, technical stage manager and lighting designer, says:

Hi Tom

You are doing the right thing. Hang out in your local theatre, join a local drama group, get as much varie...

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Francis John Stevenson, a freelance production technician, technical stage manager and lighting designer, says:

Hi Tom

You are doing the right thing. Hang out in your local theatre, join a local drama group, get as much variety of experience as you can.

There are some excellent youth theatre organisations (National Youth Theatre, National Youth Music Theatre for example) that run large scale summer workshops and productions, some of which they take to other venues like the Edinburgh Festival etc.

You are almost certainly too late for this year, although it might be worth checking, as these are incredibly popular and for some people, life changing.

I’m glad to see you haven’t decided to specialise just yet. Learn as much as you can about all of the different disciplines, you never know when they might be needed.

I was interviewed for a job once when the interviewer kept using technical terms I didn’t recognise. When I asked him what he meant, he said; ‘Ah, these are all parts of an industrial sewing machine, we put them into the interview questions to weed out the bull-sh*tters (Sorry!).’

Never be afraid to ask a question–but make sure you listen to the answer to.

Certainly apply to more theatres, but get what you can from your local one first before you move on and look out for other local groups.

As for getting into the industry, I would recommend going to drama school. It might not be the best way, but it’ll be the quickest and most of the industry is recruited that way now.

All the best

FSJ

Mic Pool, director of creative technology, West Yorkshire Playhouse, and a sound and video designer, says:

Dear Tom

Thanks for contacting getintotheatre.org

One of the problems that theatres are having with arranging work experie...

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Mic Pool, director of creative technology, West Yorkshire Playhouse, and a sound and video designer, says:

Dear Tom

Thanks for contacting getintotheatre.org

One of the problems that theatres are having with arranging work experience for young people is their responsibilities under the health and safety at work legislation and all the insurance implications arising from this.

It is therefore very difficult for large theatres to offer work experience to anyone under the age of 18. This is mainly because their staff are very stretched and it is difficult for them to demonstrate to insurers that they can adequately supervise young people in what is potentially quite a hazardous workplace.

The alternatives are well resourced and equipped amateur companies and youth theatres. I don’t know much about the Shrewsbury Youth Theatre but they are probably worth checking out.

The National Youth Theatre would be an excellent way of gaining experience, but unfortunately you have to be 16 on the date of your interview to get in. I would really put getting in for the 2011 season as one of your top priorities.

I would continue getting what experience you can in order that when you are 16 you can really demonstrate a real commitment and enthusiasm for technical theatre, which will ensure you will be able to take advantage of the far greater range of opportunities that will then be available.

What you can do at your age is develop all the supporting skills that will enable you to be an outstanding technician in later life. Knowledge of music, history and literature, appreciation of painting and sculpture, understanding play texts are all skills you can develop now which will be useful for lighting sound and set design work later.

Carpentry and other design and technology skills will all be useful to you and finding the means of developing these skills now, outside of a theatrical environment, means you will very quickly be able to apply them to your technical theatre work when it becomes easier for you to get direct experience in theatre in a few years time.

Finally go and see as many shows as possible.