Amici is an integrated dance company who had their 35th anniversary in 2015. The show was a political story written, acted and danced by the disabled and non disable performers.

The company of around 40 members are residents at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith and get to perform in the cavernous main house stage. My roles included set and prop making, stage painting, crowd control, queuing performers through various means and general stage management support.

I have so much love for this company, the minute you walk in the rehearsal room there are cuddles galore and every moment is serious fun. I can’t wait to do more shows.

During this tour with Ockham’ Razor my skill level boomed, being my first large scale touring job where I pushed myself into the Technical Management role. With a truck loaded with truss, a variety of newly invented aerial equipment and a live harpist, this show involved a very technical 4 day get in. Guided by the exceptional Phil Supple with his beautiful lighting design, he really taught me the finer details where it concerns rigging and focusing lights and relighting a show. Produced by Turtle Key Arts (who I work with consistently on a number of projects) Ockham’s have an excellent team behind them, lead by Alison King who generously handed on her classical training tips tome throughout this mammoth tour.

Photo Credit: Nic Mackey

This venue was a new venture in 2013 for Shambala Festival and also for Sideways, together we created The Play House. We managed it like a fringe venue with quick changeovers between shows. I was in charge of hiring technicians, stage managers and equipment, and managing the packed programme needed for running the tent. I liaised with artists and companies tending to their requirements and worked through their technical rehearsals keeping to our tight schedule, all while being in a field without easy access to any extra resources. Being a huge success, the venue took place again in 2014 and looks to continue on.

Scheduling was key here as the show was being rehearsed and performed in a building that was still functioning in its everyday role: an arts and community centre. We had to work around other bookings and groups, and while taking 60 young people through the building, keep disruption to a minimum. The route we took had to be checked and published; to the council for a TENs license for using the park, and to the teachers in care of the young people. Great skills in diplomacy and communication were necessary as we negotiated our use of the space and creation of the work with office neighbours, the building managers, council workers and teachers and carers.

Testimonial
Sophie is a joy to work with and is always the first person we call when we need a production or stage manager. Her positive and creative approach makes her excellent at leading and uniting a team. Highly recommended!

We took this newly formed piece and another the company usually perform outdoors, to a theatre in France and showed a double bill. I astounded myself with my ability to act out and use sign language for instructions to the local crew during focusing my re-light in the venue, as my French is… well… limited.

With the show having performed its UK premier at the Mime festival, London, there will be extensive touring throughout 2015 and onwards.

Photo credit – Gigi Gianella

This extract from NUWAL shows a perspex tower with a Chinese pole on the outside leading to the top. As a stand alone piece it runs for approximately 12 minutes at outdoor festivals and can be repeated up to 3 times a day.

We have taken it to a light festival in the north of England in November; Yes, we did it and yes, it was cold and wet! A basketball court in spring in Belgium, and then in the courtyard of the new town hall at a summer festival in Holland.

All venues had their particular challenges; the close environments of listed/new buildings, uneven surfaces, being outdoors (whether it be summer, spring or winter), the tower and pole itself remaining dry and dust free, but all difficulties were overcome and the shows were great successes.

Turtle Key brought me into this project at the last minute, I’d been very busy on several of their other projects and I could only give this one a small amount of time. It was one of those intense quick shots; learn the show, re-light it, tech it, and then its all over.

I was able to study the dancers in rehearsals alongside a cue sheet and lighting plan for a few days and then we put it all together. Jobs a good un’.

Photo credit – Nic Mackey