Assistant stage manager

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 16th October 2024 at 12pm

Salary: £620 per week

Hours: An average of 46 hours per week, normally worked over 6 days with one day off per week

Be part of the team delivering high-quality theatre to schools nationwide!

We are looking for an Assistant Stage Manager to join the National Theatre Learning and National Partnerships Team on an 18 Week Fixed Term Contract.

Touring to schools is a key component of the National Theatre Learning programme.  The NT firmly believes that all young people should have access to high-quality live theatre and this programme enables them to see it in their school.

Following successful schools’ tours of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Jekyll & Hyde, and Shut Up, I’m Dreaming, the NT is excited to be touring a new production of The LeftBehinds, a new play co-created by Bristol playwright Ross Willis and director Ned Bennett.

This 80-minute production has been specially commissioned for the National Theatre’s secondary schools tour and features a cast of 8 performers.

Developed in consultation with teachers and young people, the secondary tour takes high-quality theatre into priority schools to remove barriers to the art form and promote drama in the school. The production will visit schools in Doncaster, Leicester, North Devon, Outer East London and South Essex, Peterborough, Rochdale, Salford, Stoke, Sunderland, Wakefield, Wigan and Wolverhampton.

There will be a stage management team of five, made up of one Company Stage Manager, one Technical Stage Manager, two Technicians, and one Assistant Stage Manager. This team is supported on an ad hoc basis by local crew should a venue present exceptional technical challenges.

Responsibilities

• Being a model and advocate in the National Theatre’s objectives of creating an open, diverse and inclusive working environment.
• Being present throughout the rehearsal period, supporting the Company Stage Manager (CSM) in compiling the calling book including taking blocking, rehearsal notes, setting lists and running lists.
• Liaising with the CSM, Technical Stage Manager (TSM), Production Manager, and Costume and Props Supervisors regarding furniture, prop and costume requirements in rehearsals.
• Ensuring that all relevant paperwork and documentation is undertaken, and that prompt books, files and plots are correctly written up, amended, and distributed as required.
• Supporting the CSM and TSM in planning van movements (containing all set, props and costumes).
• Where possible, sharing the driving of the vans with the stage management team as required between venues. Not all members of the stage management team will need to undertake driving responsibilities so this duty may not be relevant to this post.
• Supporting the CSM and TSM in the unloading of the van, the get-in, fit-up of set, props and costumes at the school venue each day.
• Supporting the CSM and TSM with the get-out at the end of each performance.
• Sharing responsibility for the book cover with the other ASM.
• Carrying out basic day-to-day maintenance of props and costumes whilst on tour, including the regular laundering of costumes.
• Attending a first aid training course, depending on the number of first aiders on tour.
• Being an active member of the touring team, working to support and assist all stage management staff and company members, providing support and assistance to the end of the get-out in each venue.
• Any other duties as reasonably required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Experience of touring theatre in a similar role.
• Awareness of current Health & Safety legislation including LOLER, risk assessment and working at height.
• Flexible with the ability to work well with others.
• Proactive in problem-solving and finding solutions.  
• Demonstrable experience of working in a team, with the ability to communicate effectively and clearly verbally and in written form.
• A calm and practical approach to technical troubleshooting.
• Knowledge and experience of, or a strong interest in, touring productions to schools.
• Good all-round technical knowledge.
• We are interested in hearing from applicants based outside of London and there will be a relocation fee allocated for rehearsals in London.

If that sounds like you, this may be the role for you!

We support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for our vacancies.

The employer reserves the right to close the listing and stop accepting applications sooner than the original deadline. Therefore we strongly recommend applying at the earliest opportunity.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.