Technical Crew for upcoming Complete Works of Jane Austen show at the ADC Theatre

We are looking for the following roles: Technical Director  to oversee all the technical aspects of the production and be in charge of the get-in and get-out Chief Electrician  to ensure all lanterns are set up on stage during the get-in, according to the Lighting Designer ’s plans Stage Manager  Someone with experience to co-ordinate backstage. DSM  to attend the last few rehearsals and give cues on the SM  desk during the show. ASM  in charge of organizing, checking and arranging the props during the run. Lighting Designer  ideally someone with experience of the ADC lighting board that we can work with to create several different scenes and effects using lighting. Lighting Operator this could be the same person as the lighting designer  or could be someone else with experience, or someone who is looking to get more experience. Sound Effects Designer ideally someone with experience who can put together the music and sound effects that we will need throughout the show. Sound Operator this could be the same person as the sound designer , or someone with experience, or someone wanting to get more experience. There are going to be bursts of music for very short scene changes, sound effects during scenes and background music in some parts of the show. Projections/Video Designer someone who is confident with design to produce a variety of backdrops to project for the show onto the white cyclorama, from country houses and living rooms, to dragons (just go with it) and potentially some comedy ‘mock-Regency' style still adverts to display during the interval, the type you used to get at the cinema (and still do at the Picturehouse!). Projection Operator (possibly done as part of lighting operation?) This may be a separate job or one done as part of operating the lighting. Counterweights crew to bring house tabs up and down, and there might be a few items that fly in and out during the show eg chandelier. Get-in and Get-out crew both those with experience and those who want to get more experience to help move the furniture into place and out again, rig lights, house tabs and cyclorama, flats, and help decorate the theatre. You wouldn’t need to be available during the week for this.

We are looking for people to join our production team for our upcoming show in July 2025 at the ADC Theatre.

Show: The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged, the final celebratory show of the Jane Austen Season happening this Spring and Summer across the ADC Theatre and Corpus Playroom.

Company: Epilogue Productions. Producer: Patrick Nielsen. Some of you will know me as the current Operations Manager at the ADC Theatre, some of you from when I ran the Cambridge Murder Mystery Company, and others from various Cambridge productions over the years as producer, director and actor.

Dates: Thu 17th – Sat 19th July at 19.45 at the ADC Theatre. No Saturday matinee, but if the shows start to sell out, there is a chance we might add an extra show on the evening of Wednesday 16th July.

We are at the initial stages of putting everything together so we wanted to put the message out as soon as possible so we can assemble a great team. It’s going to be a really fun show to be part of, so if you are available and want to join us, the crew we are looking to recruit are:

Technical Director  to oversee all the technical aspects of the production and be in charge of the get-in and get-out

Chief Electrician  to ensure all lanterns are set up on stage during the get-in, according to the Lighting Designer ’s plans

Stage Manager  Someone with experience to co-ordinate backstage.

DSM  to attend the last few rehearsals and give cues on the SM  desk during the show.

ASM  in charge of organizing, checking and arranging the props during the run.

Lighting Designer  ideally someone with experience of the ADC lighting board that we can work with to
create several different scenes and effects using lighting.

Lighting Operator this could be the same person as the lighting designer  or could be someone else with experience, or someone who is looking to get more experience.

Sound Effects Designer ideally someone with experience who can put together the music and sound effects that we will need throughout the show.

Sound Operator this could be the same person as the sound designer , or someone with experience, or someone wanting to get more experience. There are going to be bursts of music for very short scene changes, sound effects during scenes and background music in some parts of the show.

Projections/Video Designer someone who is confident with design to produce a variety of backdrops to project for the show onto the white cyclorama, from country houses and living rooms, to dragons (just go with it) and potentially some comedy ‘mock-Regency' style still adverts to display during the interval, the type you used to get at the cinema (and still do at the Picturehouse!).

Projection Operator (possibly done as part of lighting operation?) This may be a separate job or one done as part of operating the lighting.

Counterweights crew to bring house tabs up and down, and there might be a few items that fly in and out during the show eg chandelier.

Get-in and Get-out crew both those with experience and those who want to get more experience to help move the furniture into place and out again, rig lights, house tabs and cyclorama, flats, and help decorate the theatre. You wouldn’t need to be available during the week for this.

Crew dates:
Sunday 13th July Get-in and Tech if time. No set build needed.
Monday 14th July eve: Dress 1/Tech.
Wednesday 16th eve: Dress 2/possibly First Night.
Thursday 17th-Saturday 19th July: Eve performances.
Saturday 19th: Get-out. Mostly moving furniture down into the furniture store at the theatre and taking down the lights.
If you think this is a show that you would like to be part of and would like to join us in one of the roles, or if you’re interested in finding out more about the roles we’re looking to fill and whether they’re right for you, please get in touch with me at patrick@adctheatre.com and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Alternatively, come and see me at the theatre. I’m in most days 11-6, and some evenings, so if you happen to be passing and I’m in, great, but it’s probably a good idea to check and arrange a time beforehand if possible.

If you think the show sounds interesting, but you’re not quite ready to take on one of the roles yourself yet, we are very happy to make it a learning opportunity and it may be possible to shadow someone else doing the role. This will allow you to follow them through the production process to see what’s typically involved and ask questions all along the way. Get in touch with me and let me know you’re interested.

I realise there is A LOT of information in this message, so I've saved extra information about the production below for those potentially interested who might want to read on:
Show details: In this fast-paced romp, three actors take on all of Austen’s beloved heroines, friends and love interests. But when one of the actors doesn’t turn up because he has been recruited by the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival (in our version), the two remaining Austen-loving actresses must teach a hastily-arranged understudy about her work and convert him to being a fan. It is a really fun show.
We plan to make it a really celebratory week at the theatre and will decorate the theatre foyer and bar and also potentially have a mini Regency Ball on the Friday and/or Saturday night after the show in the Larkum Studio Assembly Rooms (tbc), with possibly live music in the bar and the Larkum from a string quartet (also tbc).

The show will not be over-complicated, and has a cast of just 3, but we want to make it as impactful as possible as a fabulous end to our Jane Austen season, one that everyone can be really proud of.
Timings: It is a short fast-moving show. We plan to have an interval, so it will be approx:
Act 1: 45 mins. 20 minute interval for the audience to sample a variety of Austen-inspired gin cocktails served in the bar. Act 2: 45 mins.
The set will be just one setting of furniture with possibly a chandelier that can come in and out from the flies, a chaise, writing desk, chairs, plant stands on either side of the forestage, hat stands and boxes of hats/bonnets and props that we will use in a variety of ways, using creative lighting to make different scenes as we travel through the novels. All set/props will be moved by the actors during the show. We plan to have the red house tabs in at the start and come back in at the end to give the right feel to the evening, with Austen inspired music before the show, and we plan to have the white cyclorama as our backdrop during the show, which will have changing projections on it throughout the show, possibly including video, depicting the different scenes we are in, including a large dragon for the Dungeons and Dragons Northanger Abbey section (this is not a standard re-telling of Austen) when we also may use the smoke machine.

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Contact Patrick Nielsen patrick@adctheatre.com before 20th Apr 2025 00:00 for more details.