My Exe Men Exe-Perience
As a developing theatre person in the South West, finding opportunities for learning and development are very hard to come by, especially for things like Stage Management which doesn’t always fall under ‘Artist Development’ or outreach programmes.
My journey to gaining this experience had sometimes taken me far out of the South West, to Bristol or Birmingham, seeking shadowing opportunities and growing contacts.
You need experience to get jobs that would give you the experience and chance to learn what you need. With so many people seeking work and others needing to hire workers, but seemingly no one wanting to spend their time on training, someone needs to be able to take that first step to bridge the gap, and I’m very grateful to Exeter Northcott Theatre for taking that step and offering me this opportunity.
I’d made contact with The Northcott previously when seeking advice about Stage Management work and Stage Management placements, I knew they were serious about sticking to their ethos of developing arts and artists in the South West and being a regional producing theatre.
My placement with the Exeter Northcott taught me so much and gave me the experience of stage management and technical theatre that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere.
Lucy Kitcher
Placement Offer
I was thrilled to be invited to chat with the producers, Cait and Sam, about a placement on Exe Men and offered the opportunity to gain experience as a Placement Assistant Stage Manager (ASM). The structure of the placement was that I would attend three days a week for the three-week rehearsal period, then be present full time for the week of technical rehearsals and two weeks of performances with a budget for travel, accommodation, and other expenses.
This placement gave me the chance to work on a professional production alongside professional cast and crew, and I was able to experience the full breadth of what a production like this entails.
It began with a Production Meeting before rehearsals, where I was amazed by the sheer number of people involved, the scale of the show, and the level of detail already achieved. It really clued me in on the processes that bring a production to life long before rehearsals even begin. I found it fascinating to listen in, soak up the atmosphere and the information, and find my bearings within the production. As my confidence grew over the placement, I noticed my frantically scribbled notes of everything said were narrowed down to focus on Stage Management-specific notes.
With so many people seeking work and others needing to hire workers, but seemingly no one wanting to spend their time on training, someone needs to be able to take that first step to bridge the gap, and I’m very grateful to Exeter Northcott Theatre for taking that step and offering me this opportunity.
Lucy Kitcher
Rehearsals
Over the three weeks, I was in the rehearsal rooms, took part in the read-through and saw the development of the play. I worked closely with the Company Stage Manager (CSM) to source rehearsal and show props, mark up the rehearsal space for flying set pieces, and arrange the rehearsal space to best support the cast and crew. I also helped develop the paperwork for the show. Through discussions with the CSM, I gained a clearer understanding of the role of the ASM on this production and how it can vary across different productions and theatres. I personally experienced a learning curve in navigating theatre digs and managing my time and resources effectively to work on Exe Men. On days when I wasn’t in rehearsals, I kept up to date with the show’s progress by reviewing rehearsal notes.
Spending this time in rehearsals really helped me find my feet in the role of ASM — how to conduct myself in the rehearsal room, the scope of ASM duties and how to interact with other departments such as props, technical and costume. What I found most valuable was the practical experience of simply being in the room and learning the shape and rhythms of a production as well as how Stage Management act within it — how the role evolves through production meetings, the type of paperwork produced, and the processes of prop buying and sourcing.
What I found most valuable was the practical experience of simply being in the room and learning the shape and rhythms of a production as well as how Stage Management act within it – how the role evolves through production meetings, the type of paperwork produced, and the processes of prop buying and sourcing.
Lucy Kitcher
Technical Rehearsals
During technical rehearsals, I saw the shape of the show really coming together with the addition of stage, set, and technical elements. This was the time to develop the track for the stage right wing and work through the practicalities of the show — how to manage scene transitions, organise wing space with a large community ensemble and furniture, coordinate cast quick changes and prop management. I got to experience the progress of technical sessions with the professional cast and how the community ensemble was integrated into this.
I received a great deal of personal and professional support from Exeter Northcott Theatre during tech week, which I really valued. The framework of the placement allowed me to remain involved when I couldn’t be physically present and step back into the role when I could. Exe Men has had an incredibly friendly team throughout and that’s part of what made this such a great experience. It felt quite overwhelming at times, but it was also wonderful to witness the progress made during the tech week and the depth of emotional investment the play evoked in me.
I received a great deal of personal and professional support from Exeter Northcott Theatre during tech week, which I really valued.
Lucy Kitcher
Performance Weeks
It was during performance weeks I really began to feel ownership of my role in the show and definitely grew in confidence. Initially I struggled to step into the ASM track and felt I was making a lot of mistakes, but these nerves ebbed away as the performances went on. The early mistakes helped me focus on my responsibilities until I felt secure and confident in my role.
Experiencing the excitement of opening night and press night was invaluable, as was the time in-between, when the show is in a kind of ‘previews’ stage before being fully locked in. This was new to me as my previous experience in community theatre had not involved this level of designer/creative input. Although I have nearly always been involved in theatre productions as a hobby, being part of a professional production was eye-opening — the tweaks made to the show during ‘previews’, the stamina and dedication needed for the performance weeks, and how these affect your life outside of theatre.
Performances were also a lot of fun — the energy from the cast and ensemble, the reaction from the audience and the buzz of live theatre can’t be replicated anywhere else. During this time, I was able to speak to the CSM about potential future paths, theatres and experience to pursue, and received useful feedback on my performance as ASM on this production.
It was during performance weeks I really began to feel ownership of my role in the show and definitely grew in confidence.
Lucy Kitcher
Reflections
My placement with the Exeter Northcott taught me so much and gave me the experience of stage management and technical theatre that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere. I was able to be deeply involved in all stages of the production – from meetings, to sourcing props and being part of the performances themselves. This experience gave me a much better understanding of how all the different elements of a production come together and gave me the chance to work closely with great talents — from directors to designers, technicians, actors, creatives and theatre staff, who make the production come to life.
I didn’t study at drama school and have been seeking experience and learning opportunities in stage management through a variety of avenues. This placement at Exeter Northcott Theatre was a brilliant all-round experience to consolidate the knowledge I already had, allowed me to learn a great deal more, and most of all, gave me the confidence to go forward in finding my place in professional technical theatre.
Written by Lucy Kitcher, Stage Manager Placement for Exe Men
This placement at Exeter Northcott Theatre was a brilliant all-round experience to consolidate the knowledge I already had, allowed me to learn a great deal more, and most of all, gave me the confidence to go forward in finding my place in professional technical theatre.
Lucy Kitcher
We were delighted to support Lucy Kitcher through our Elevate: Production programme, where she joined Exe Men as Assistant Stage Manager at Exeter Northcott Theatre. If you’re interested in developing your career in theatre, you can find out more about artist development opportunities by joining our Elevate programme.
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