“It would be an eye opener for patrons to see the activity that goes on backstage during a show,” said Les Misérables director Gayle Cameron.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“Stage managers, the props manager and a dozen helpers labour away in the dark to ensure hundreds of items arrive on stage or into actors hands at the right time.
“Kylie Cleaver, the stage manager, has to ‘call’ over 500 cues.
“These are the directions to the lighting, sound, flies and projection technicians who combine to produce the effects that give the audience an immersive, seamless experience.”
With a large cast of 44, there are nearly 2000 individual pieces of costuming.
“The wardrobe co-ordinator Lea Young and her large band of helpers amazingly source or make all these pieces. What a feat!”
About 100 people have worked behind the scenes for many months to bring the musical spectacular to the Manning Entertainment Centre.
“I’m very happy and proud of the production teams that have worked so hard to bring my vision to the stage,” said Gayle.
“The technical side of the production has been challenging but fun.
“David Denning and his band of workers from Old Bar Men’s Shed have made a splendid set and ‘flies’.
“The sound and lighting plots are very complicated, under the management of Nathaniel Keegan and Sam Webber.”
Gayle said the use of fog for effects always has its challenges.
“The air conditioning system at the MEC plays havoc with the operation and route of the fog, which is being pumped out by two new state of the art fog machines.”
Les Misérables is on at the Manning Entertainment Centre until November 18. Tickets from www.themec.com.au, phone 6592 5466, or at the Customer Service Desk at Stockland Forster.