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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2017 13:07:04 GMT
Is it really?! Jeez, the Fortune Theatre must be tiny!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2017 14:09:35 GMT
What's the difference between a producer and an executive producer?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2017 14:51:33 GMT
What's the difference between a producer and an executive producer? I think a producer puts money into a show, an executive producer does that and also sits in rehearsals when they choose and has a say in what goes on the actual stage or what is going on backstage? Is that about right?
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Post by mistressjojo on Apr 26, 2017 14:51:34 GMT
What's the difference between a producer and an executive producer? An Executive Producer is responsible for getting the project going. They are usually the one getting the financial backers on board, development and marketing of the final product. The producer works under the EP to create the performance once it's been given the go ahead. They look after the physical production side of things - casting, lighting etc as well as budgeting the available finance.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2017 15:26:10 GMT
I once heard that you could fit the entirety of the Fortune Theatre, foyer, box office, toilets, auditorium, stage etc, just on the stage of the Dominion. Does anyone know if that's actually true? I don't know, you could certainly work out the perimeter measurements of the Fortune easily enough if you had a decent map, then it would simply be a matter of finding out the area of the Dominion stage. Up-and-down would be a little harder, but you could certainly do the side-to-side and front-to-back. But how do you propose to get the entirety of the Fortune Theatre into the Dominion? Would you knock a massive hole in the back wall of the Dominion and then drag the entirety of the Fortune through it on to the stage? Or would you painstakingly demolish the Fortune, carefully labeling the fragments, and then take them into the Dominion by the usual stage access and rebuild the Fortune on the Dominion's stage? Neither method would be free of potential pitfalls. And how do you propose to support the weight of the entirety of the Fortune Theatre on the Dominion's stage? I doubt that it is feasible. Better to leave the Fortune Theatre where it is, I feel. I was thinking that we build an exact replica of the Fortune, but one that can easily be disassembled / flat-packed like an Ikea / Meccano hybrid, so a stage that folds in on itself, an auditorium that can be compressed to the size of Cameron Mackintosh's wallet, things like that, and then assemble it onstage at the Dominion. Maybe if we do it between matinee and evening shows at An American in Paris we could get the cast to help out? My mate Dave knows someone with a removal lorry so it shouldn't be a problem. If it works we could take it on tour, I know shows like Once used to say let you buy a drink onstage, but how many people can honestly say that they made their West End debut by expelling a hangover piss next to a popcorn machine?
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 26, 2017 19:12:02 GMT
Yes, a book called "The Original British Theatre Directory" from Richmond House Publishing has that data for the entire country. Used to be in a book published annually until 2009, but now online and subscription only. Don't know if the info is available anywhere else. Anyway, the Criterion has a proscenium opening of 7.62m, height 3.81m, depth of sightlines 6.63m. Theatre Royal Drury Lame: 12.95m, 7.92m, 24.69m. So roughly 4 times. So the Theatre Royal Drury Lane's stage width is less than double that of the Criterion? Assuming proscenium opening = stage width. That surprises me; it feels more than that.
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Post by peggs on Apr 27, 2017 22:11:08 GMT
Theatremonkey is there anything you don't know about theatres, you're a veritable mine of informtion.
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Post by sherriebythesea on Apr 28, 2017 6:12:01 GMT
When on theatre site it states "Running time 2 hrs 32 min + 20 min interval" does this mean the total time, including interval is 2 hrs 32 min or you add the interval time and it's 2 hr 52 min?
Thank you
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Post by mistressjojo on Apr 28, 2017 6:20:20 GMT
When on theatre site it states "Running time 2 hrs 32 min + 20 min interval" does this mean the total time, including interval is 2 hrs 32 min or you add the interval time and it's 2 hr 52 min? Thank you If it says ' +20 min interval' you need to add this into the total time, so it will be 2 h 52 m. Otherwise it usually will say 'including 20 min interval".
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2017 7:56:28 GMT
How did actors do musicals before microphones in BIG places like Drury Lane? When u go places tiny like Southwark they are mic'd so how the hell did they cope back then?
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Post by Honoured Guest on Apr 28, 2017 8:20:06 GMT
How did actors do musicals before microphones in BIG places like Drury Lane? When u go places tiny like Southwark they are mic'd so how the hell did they cope back then? One factor is that the style of music changes as the available technology changes.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Apr 28, 2017 8:24:32 GMT
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Post by kathryn on Apr 28, 2017 9:55:15 GMT
How did actors do musicals before microphones in BIG places like Drury Lane? When u go places tiny like Southwark they are mic'd so how the hell did they cope back then? Isn't it partly because of the amplified music that actors need to be mic'd? Otherwise they can't mix the levels. Projection is great, of course - and is still taught, I am sure.
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Apr 28, 2017 13:36:52 GMT
How did actors do musicals before microphones in BIG places like Drury Lane? Also, the acoustics in theatres are far better than we know. If you go into an empty West End theatre, in many of the oldest, you can whisper on one side of the theatre and be heard perfectly on the other - or indeed stand on the stage and speak and be heard at the back of the balcony. They built them using a technique now lost, and it worked. This is true! My local Wetherspoons is a converted former theatre, and there are certain tables where you can hear every word of conversations people are having right on the other side of the pub!
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 28, 2017 17:03:15 GMT
Wonder if it should read 21.95, now you mention, Dawnstar, but that is what they printed! The Palladium is 14, though, so 12 could be right. So the Criterion could be wrong. I might see if any of the FOH staff know when I'm next there. Failing that, I could try taking a foot ruler & see if I could measure the stage in the interval ;-)
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Post by TallPaul on May 1, 2017 10:20:50 GMT
Wonder if it should read 21.95, now you mention, Dawnstar, but that is what they printed! The Palladium is 14, though, so 12 could be right. So the Criterion could be wrong. I might see if any of the FOH staff know when I'm next there. Failing that, I could try taking a foot ruler & see if I could measure the stage in the interval ;-) Straight from the horses mouth. The Criterion has a proscenium opening of 7.707 metres. www.criterion-theatre.co.uk/venue/technical-overview
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Post by Tibidabo on May 1, 2017 10:28:01 GMT
In recent days we've had reports of both Alfie Boe and Sheena Easton having to be replaced by their understudies mid-show.
Does anyone know how this works with the costumes? Would an understudy have their own set or would they have to undress the star mid-hurl?
I know with teams of children they are chosen partly for size so they can share the costumes. Surely an understudy can't be picked just because they are the same size as the star can they?
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on May 1, 2017 10:51:04 GMT
How did actors do musicals before microphones in BIG places like Drury Lane? Training. In the old days, projection was an art-form and watchword, as there were no mics to fall back on. Also, the acoustics in theatres are far better than we know. If you go into an empty West End theatre, in many of the oldest, you can whisper on one side of the theatre and be heard perfectly on the other - or indeed stand on the stage and speak and be heard at the back of the balcony. They built them using a technique now lost, and it worked. I'd probably add that audiences were quieter and more respectful too, which helped... Another answer is that audiences listened differently. They actually didn't hear as much because the singers were not above the music but were often buried. It's similar to the way that the lack of light in the Sam Wanamaker (candles only) makes the audience perceive the light differently and adjust to what is there. A show like South Pacific, back in 1949, had Rodgers and Hammerstein add floor mikes because the audience couldn't hear the dialogue properly on the upper levels. Floor mikes were first used in the thirties and, by the fifties, body mikes were prevalent. Wireless mikes came in the early sixties and even performers like Merman were miked (one bootleg of her in Dolly has her mike cut out). Rock musicals, with their need for volume and their use of accepted rock stylings started to make what had previously been invisible, more visible. As is often the case, the idea that there was a golden age when people were superior to all this modern stuff is incorrect.
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Post by jgblunners on May 1, 2017 12:50:48 GMT
In recent days we've had reports of both Alfie Boe and Sheena Easton having to be replaced by their understudies mid-show. Does anyone know how this works with the costumes? Would an understudy have their own set or would they have to undress the star mid-hurl? I know with teams of children they are chosen partly for size so they can share the costumes. Surely an understudy can't be picked just because they are the same size as the star can they? As far as I'm aware, understudies always have their own costumes, although there may be certain pieces that can be shared because of what they are (e.g. Christine's rip-off skirt in Phantom).
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Post by samuelwhiskers on May 1, 2017 13:16:21 GMT
In recent days we've had reports of both Alfie Boe and Sheena Easton having to be replaced by their understudies mid-show. Does anyone know how this works with the costumes? Would an understudy have their own set or would they have to undress the star mid-hurl? I know with teams of children they are chosen partly for size so they can share the costumes. Surely an understudy can't be picked just because they are the same size as the star can they? In lower budget (ahem) productions actors are sometimes cast for that very reason - sometimes you see casting breakdowns specifying dress size and it usually ends in tears.
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Post by Kim_Bahorel on May 1, 2017 13:39:13 GMT
In recent days we've had reports of both Alfie Boe and Sheena Easton having to be replaced by their understudies mid-show. Does anyone know how this works with the costumes? Would an understudy have their own set or would they have to undress the star mid-hurl? I know with teams of children they are chosen partly for size so they can share the costumes. Surely an understudy can't be picked just because they are the same size as the star can they? In big productions U/S & swings have their own costumes & wigs. Both are tailor made for the performer.
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Post by TallPaul on May 1, 2017 19:05:22 GMT
It's not that easy to check, most (if not all) theatres close off online booking a couple of hours in advance and I don't go to theatres that are big enough or shows that are unpopular enough that I can trust any seats that were available in the morning will still be available. Anyway, legally you shouldn't move seats, especially to a different price band, as you're then using something you haven't paid for. I have heard that theatres will sometimes demand a person pay the difference. But morally I don't see why you shouldn't, as you're not taking a seat from a person if it hasn't been sold. Just do it with grace - if you're spotted by theatre staff and asked to return to your seat, do so without arguing, that sort of thing. Asking is a bit of a gamble, as there's a chance they'll say no where you could have otherwise snuck by successfully, but I've seen people complaining about their seats and being moved by the house manager before, so it's up to you if you want to give it a go really. It depends on the theatre. The WMC for example train their users to be uber strict on this, and it's only if given 'permission' by one can you manage it. Other theatres are more relaxed about it in the sense of 'if nobody's sitting in it once the show has started someone may as well' certainly at the Sherman we preferred to move people closer should they want to.
Rule of thumb generally is wait until the interval is polite, if you're going to.
When I recently went to see Travesties at the Apollo, the two old ladies who should have been in the seats next to me moved as soon as I arrived. (Not sure what that says about me.) Then they moved again, into their third set of seats, all before little Tommy Hollander had even set foot on stage. I suspect they were seasoned professionals, who buy the cheapest tickets for any given productions, then move, and move again, until they are front and centre. If I was able to afford top price tickets, I would be absolutely furious if I found myself next to someone who only paid for a restricted view ticket.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 2, 2017 15:56:47 GMT
What do the ushers do while the show is in progress? I only ask because I quite fancy it as a little job in the dim and distant future when I retire, or get sacked from the day job. This is providing ATG can find a tabard big enough of course, or I could run one up myself on the old Singer. Anyway, I'm assuming that they just stand at the back watching the show, that's right, yeah? And eat the unsold ice creams in Act 2?. This is why it's basically my perfect job and why I'm going to be one Seriously though, what sort of duties are performed while the show is underway?
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2017 18:04:37 GMT
What do the ushers do while the show is in progress? I only ask because I quite fancy it as a little job in the dim and distant future when I retire, or get sacked from the day job. This is providing ATG can find a tabard big enough of course, or I could run one up myself on the old Singer. Anyway, I'm assuming that they just stand at the back watching the show, that's right, yeah? And eat the unsold ice creams in Act 2?. This is why it's basically my perfect job and why I'm going to be one Seriously though, what sort of duties are performed while the show is underway? Depends on the theatre, and where you are positioned, and how much of a taskmaster your FOH manager is Some are seated in the auditorium, watching the show (the dream! unless it's week 6 of a 12 week run of Mama Mia) some are positioned outside waiting for latecomers, on standby for emergency etc. Those outside will either be left to sit around until the interval (I've seen NT ushers reading etc) when they are then dispatched to Ice Cream duty etc, or put to work. WMC for example likes to get it's pound of flesh for the 6.50 an hour and will employ ushers not inside to mainly move furniature around the building for seemingly no good reason for the duration. ETA: When I worked at the Sherman in Cardiff we were split between bar and theatre fairly randomly shift to shift. And we did indeed get to eat leftover cake from the bar, and 'gone off' ice creams...could be why profits took a nose dive for a while
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2017 13:35:36 GMT
Well funny enough following my comments about the WMC ushers yesterday they've announced they're recruiting 200 volunteer ushers. That are definatly not replacing their (under) paid existing ones, and is totally about engagement with the arts and not about free labour.
Honestly that theatre is a hard ushering job as they go (1500 half cut hen party attendees for Mama Mia anyone?) not to mention that ushers are there for safety reasons as well as general customer service. I wouldn't have done it again if you paid me...which is ok because now they aren't....
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Post by hal9000 on May 13, 2017 2:15:38 GMT
I assume lead actors/celebrities who star in West End productions have car transfer from the theatre back home written into their contracts. '(Could you imagine Nicole Kidman on a bus or in an Uber?)
What happens if they go out for a late drink after the show? Does the car drop them off at the restaurant and they find there own way back?
What about someone like Jamie Parker who lives outside of London? His battles with trains were tweeted with great sweary rage. Would he be driven to and from Sussex or wherever? I imagine Harry Potter is too big a production to risk Harry being stranded by a strike.
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Post by mistressjojo on May 16, 2017 2:53:37 GMT
I think you'd be surprised at how many lead actors have to shift for themselves. I know of actors using the Tube, trains, buses and even the odd cyclist! Many of our forum members have mentioned meeting the stars of shows they've just seen on the same transport home.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2017 6:51:58 GMT
Alexandra Burke walked to the Adelphi when she did The Bodyguard there. And notably, Helen Mirren took the Underground to get to her theatre for The Audience on Broadway.
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Post by Mr Snow on May 16, 2017 7:41:58 GMT
I believe Placido Domingo walks from the ROH to the Savoy. Street cred!
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Post by kathryn on May 16, 2017 8:12:22 GMT
I think you'd be surprised at how many lead actors have to shift for themselves. I know of actors using the Tube, trains, buses and even the odd cyclist! Many of our forum members have mentioned meeting the stars of shows they've just seen on the same transport home. Rumour has it that Tom Hiddleston tried getting the tube home after Coriolanus but had to give up and get a car because of fans following him. He is regularly spotted on the tube.
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