Technical stage manager

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

Salary: £710 per week

Hours: An average of 46 hours per week, normally worked over 6 days with one day off per week. This agreement will entail Sunday working and Sunday travel.

Work alongside industry professionals, manage sound & lighting, and make theatre accessible to schools across the UK in this exciting role.

We are looking for a Technical 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 artform 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 an advocate for the National Theatre’s objectives of creating an open, diverse and inclusive working environment.
• Liaising with the Producer, Production Manager, Stage Management, contractors, and all technical & workshop heads of departments to support all stage and technical elements of the production.
• Managing all the technical elements of the production when on tour and in the rehearsal room, liaising with the Producer, Company Stage Manager (CSM), Production Manager, and creative team throughout the process.
• Reviewing recce information for each venue in advance and working with the Producing team to identify and mitigate challenges in advance of each venue.
• Supporting the Company Stage Manager in planning movements of van (containing all set, props and costumes).
• Leading on the unloading of the van, the get-in and fit-up of the set, LX and sound rig at the school venue each day with the Technicians and Assistant Stage Manager (ASM).
• Setting up and operating the technical equipment, including operating the sound and/or lighting plots for each performance with support from the two technicians (Lighting and Sound bias) and wider stage management team as required.
• Ensure all work carried out on school sites follows the highest Health & Safety standards and adheres to the mitigation elements of the relevant risk assessments.
• With the CSM, Technicians and ASM, being responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the set, props and technical equipment on tour.
• Alongside the CSM, overseeing the get-out at the end of each performance.
• Sharing the driving of the van with the stage management team as required between venues. Not all members of the SM team will need to undertake driving responsibilities so this duty may not be relevant to this post. 
• Carrying out basic day-to-day maintenance of technical equipment whilst on tour. 
• 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.
• Ensuring you follow all the guidance in all relevant NT Safeguarding policies.
• Any other duties as reasonably required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Experience of touring theatre in a similar role.
• Have a demonstrable record in the delivery of professional productions at the highest artistic and technical level.
• Dedicated and committed with excellent focus and organisational skills, with the ability to demonstrate the application of excellent project management skills.
• Very strong all-round technical background with particular knowledge of sound and lighting.
• Awareness of current Health & Safety legislation including LOLER, risk assessment and working at height.
• Interest and knowledge in sustainability and awareness of the Theatre Green Book.
• 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
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• A calm and practical approach to technical troubleshooting.
• Knowledge and experience of, or a strong interest in, touring productions to schools.
• We are interested in hearing from applicants based outside of London and there will be a relocation fee allocated for rehearsals in London.

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.