International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women in Backstage/Technical Theatre Roles
To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, we’re shining the spotlight on women working in backstage & technical roles in theatre. Arts organisations have been warning for a while, and particularly since the pandemic that the theatre industry is suffering from a chronic shortage of workers in digital and technical roles. So, while on tour with our new show Kin in Newcastle, we spoke to our Company Stage Managers Alyssa Watts and Leah Butterworth, our Sound Operator Sharon Tsang and our Lighting Associate Lucy Adams and asked them each a series of questions about their roles, what they love about working in theatre and what advice they’d give to someone starting out. Read their answers below!
Alyssa Watts
Who you are and what do you do?
My name is Alyssa, and I am Company Stage Manager for Gecko, and a freelance stage manager.
Where/what did you study?
I studied a drama degree at Loughborough University.
How long have you been working in the industry?
Twenty years!
How long have you been working with Gecko?
Since 2017, when I joined for two weeks to cover CSM on the Wedding at HOME, Manchester.
What do you do outside of working with Gecko?
Work wise I work on lots of different projects, including festivals, pantomimes, rural touring, dance and circus. Outside of work I watch horror movies and escape into the countryside as much as possible!
What's your favourite thing about working in theatre?
The people. Even on a tricky show, working long hours or up against a tight deadline, if you’re working with a team you love, it’ll make it all worth it!
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
Get as much work experience as possible. Write to everyone and ask if you can shadow roles, volunteer, anything you can. This will hopefully quite often translate quickly into casual work, and the more people you meet and talk to, the more you’ll find out about the industry and all the different opportunities there might be.
Leah Butterworth
Who you are and what do you do?
Hi, I'm Leah Alice Butterworth, and I am also Company Stage Manager for Gecko.
Where/what did you study?
I studied physical theatre at St Mary's University in South London under Kasia Zaremba-Byrne, who is an absolute gem.
How long have you been working in the industry?
I finished Uni at 21, went into the classic jobs to make money straight after, then fortunately I got freelance work at the Coronet in Notting Hill and have worked in theatre ever since. I’m 26 now so I’ve been working in the industry for five years.
How long have you been working with Gecko?
For about a year now, my first show was The Wedding.
What do you do outside of working with Gecko?
I am full time Company Manager at the Lovely Punchdrunk and then I freelance for Gecko, The Pappys Show and Dead Rabbits.
What's your favourite thing about working in theatre?
The people! I think you are never short of people that will give you love, energy and time. Every job will bring another seven or twenty into your life.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
I would say that the biggest piece of advice I would give is that rejection is nothing and it is just a sign of the time, place and energy that you're in. Keep pushing because it's going to happen one day. If you keep pushing and you keep going for it, you are going to achieve it. Take rejection as it comes, have a little cry, have a little scream, get over it and apply for the next one.
Sharon Tsang
Who you are and what do you do?
I’m Sharon and I'm the Sound Operator at Gecko. I operate the radio mics and QLab in The Wedding and Kin.
Where/what did you study?
I graduated from The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, majoring in Sound Design.
How long have you been working in the industry?
I’ve worked for over 5 years in the industry.
How long have you been working with Gecko?
I have been working for Gecko for one and a half years.
What do you do outside of working with Gecko?
Apart from my work with Gecko, I also do sound design, music mixing, and mastering. I love being in nature, hiking and camping as it helps me relieve stress. Seeing the amazing beauty of nature is very therapeutic for me.
What's your favourite thing about working in theatre?
I believe the best part of working in theatre is co-operating with all parties involved in a production. Operating a show always makes me feel like I am part of the performance, and the entire team is breathing together as one. It's amazing to see everyone working so hard together to create something great while the audience receives the message and thoughts conveyed through the performance.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
I think it’s very important to be open to change and willing to take on different roles and tasks when you’re starting out in the industry. The theatre industry can be unpredictable and it takes time to explore what you would like to do the most, and what sorts of companies you would like to work with. Also, constantly trying new things can help you stand out.
Lucy Adams
Who you are and what do you do?
Hello, I'm Lucy, I'm a lighting designer, lighting technician, sometimes a stage manager… and with Gecko I’m their Lighting Associate.
Where/what did you study?
I went to UEA in Norwich and I did Drama and English, so I don't have any official technical training. In my second year I went up to Edinburgh with my Uni show and then also another show that my friend put me onto. There I met somebody who worked as a technician in London so I emailed him until he gave me a contact at a venue and then I emailed them until they would let me work for them. So then I started working at Camden People’s Theatre when I was 21.
How long have you been working in the industry?
I did my first Edinburgh in 2014, graduated in 2015 and have been working in the industry ever since!
How long have you been working with Gecko?
I started with Gecko in June last year working on the current show Kin as their Lighting Associate.
What do you do outside of working with Gecko?
I do a lot of technical work, so I work at the National Theatre and Kiln Theatre, I’m an Associate Artist with This Egg, and I’ve worked previously with Breach, Sam Ward, and I’ve done a lot of work with Paula Varjack.
What's your favourite thing about working in theatre?
I was going to say the people too, but more specifically it’s working with people (especially within companies like Gecko), who are very kind, open and honest. I feel like in theatre we have more advanced conversations around things like mental health awareness, gender, representation of different under-represented communities etc. It feels like it's part of our conversations in a way that in other industries it's definitely not, so it feels like an open and welcoming environment to be in.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
Take every opportunity that you possibly can and don't try and focus yourself in on one thing too soon. So when I started, I was just a general technician and I knew a bit of sound and a bit of lighting and a bit of stage management and all of those things, and for the first four years of my career, I did everything. So, when working on small shows I would make the QLab, I would be the stage manager, I'd design the show and I'd be the one doing the production managing. And because I did that, I had a better knowledge of everything that's going on and it gave me more sympathy for the other departments. I think if you hone yourself in on one thing too quickly, you don't understand necessarily what needs to go in from everyone to make the thing happen. So, the more you know, the more employable you are.
And also, be nice to people. What we do is quite hard – it's long hours and can be quite relentless, so all you have to do is be nice to the people you work with and you’ll have a much better time. People will respect you more if you're open and calm and easy to work with.
Find out more about International Women’s Day HERE