Production Diaries (7-9) for "Richard II"

Simon Ash, our Senior Production Manager for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, describes the last week of technical work before Richard II opens. 

'Are we going to be ready to get the actors on stage on Monday evening at 6 o'clock?' he asks.  ['And we were.  Just.']  His explanation of the process of bringing the show to stage makes clear it's not an easy question to answer. 

Simon and the team have been planning this work for at least three months. In the week before the show opens, six departments - 40 to 50 people - will be working in the forestage, auditorium and backstage of the the theatre for 12 hours a day. Transport, facilities, equipment and scenery all come together.

Simon Ash must indeed be a General Manager sort, who makes sure that several, different roles and responsibilities work in concert with another and they have the resources, capabilities and motivation they need to deliver on schedule.

 

Hear the music of the court of Richard II as imagined by Bruce O'Neil, our Head of Music, and Paul Englishby, composer. They've created the musical landscape for this production and share a few of its 'divine and angelic' musical moments. 

We always have musicians playing live in the theatre for our performances because as Bruce says, 'It really gives you a special atmosphere that you can't reproduce in any other way.'

I love music, and I know it can cinch the entire ambiance of a play.  I enjoy hearing Paul Englishby work at both the divine, angelic music and the heavy, military sound.  From the bit we hear in this video, it resonates well the theme and progression of Richard II.

Richard II has now opened in Stratford-upon-Avon to positive audience reactions and reviews. In this diary we go behind the scene in the lead-up to a preview show. 

Keith Osborn, who plays Sir Stephen Scroop, meets us at the stage door and takes us into the dressing rooms for pre-show preparations. 

James Kitto, the duty manager, greets us front of house as the team prepare to welcome the public. 

The doors open and theatre-goers arrive. Backstage, Klare Roger from the stage management team begins the count down to curtain up with a thirty minute call.

I really appreciate these behind-the-scenes, especially seeing what actors do to make their final preparations for the show.  I took a drama class in Dubai, and as we prepared to deliver our monologue to an audience, one by one, I needed quiet and space.  I managed to eke out space, but a friend who was to follow me was a bit too chatty.  So I had to walk away from her.