Middletown

Middletown
Summary
Dates 29th October - 1st November 2019
Performance Course Acting
Location The New Athenaeum
Creative Team
Director Matthew Lenton
Designer Julia Quante
Sound Designer Meirian Hall-Jones
Lighting Designer Peter Goddard
Voice Support Jean Sangster
Production Team
Production Manager Colin Bell
Stage Manager Nele Hähnsen
Deputy Stage Manager Madeline Hanton
Assistant Stage Manager Nina Madriz
Assistant Stage Manager Zsanka Bollok
Stage Supervisor Malcolm Stephen
Deputy Stage Supervisor Darren Wilson
Lighting Programmer and Operator Joshua Brown
Production Electrician Andrew Lynch
Lighting crew Louisa Craig
Lighting crew Ryan Worrell
Lighting crew Mark Sillett
Production Sound Engineer and Sound Operator Conor Brown
Lead Propmaker Islay Gray
Senior Propmaker Anne Joyaux
Senior Propmaker Neve Pearce
Assistant Propmaker Eilish Adair
Assistant Propmaker Sarah Adijia
Assistant Propmaker Nicky Bailey
Assistant Propmaker Amy Lisa Brocklehurst
Assistant Propmaker Keith Brown
Assistant Propmaker Rachael Murray
Scenic Artist Finn Newton
Scenic Artist Rebekka Richter
Scenic Artist Becci Shepherd
Scenic Artist Lilli-Ella Rowe

Summary

A play about a town, the world, & life

Cast

John Dodge - Sam Stopford and Angus Taylor

Mary Swanson - Alana Jackson and McCallister Selva

Male Doctor/Ground Control - Jamie Burch

Cop - Keiran Duncan

Librarian - Eimear Fearon

Female Doctor/Tour Guide - Lesley Lemon

Mechanic - Calvin Noble

Public Speaker/Male tourist/Greg/Janitor - Jack McCreadie

Female tourist/Landscaper/Attendant - Margaux Mustos

Sound

Mic Placement

2 DPA microphones were used to mic up different of furniture such as tables. This was interesting as these table sat behind perplex glass, which caused some issues when EQing as it was reflective behind the glass, however this created a nice effect once reverb was applied. The audience were able to hear small sounds such as clicking of a pen or movement of a tea-cup across the table.

2 DPA microphones were also put into the underneath of the truss bridge. This allowed us to amplify conversation from behind the glass as well as more intimate sounds such as foot steps.

We hid a small speaker underneath the sink, which was used a couple time during the show for sink gargling noises.

This is an image of our ground control headset that was lined with a DPA. We were able to effect the raw vocal with a mixture of 2 different Distortions, vocoder, reverb to create a crackly ground control voice.

Technical Stage Department

Truss Bridge

The biggest element of the show for the technical stage department was the 2.8M high truss bridge. The bridge was constructed using 95% of the RCS truss stock.

The top section of the bridge was constructed at ground level, raised using 4 load guard chain motors, the leg sections were then connected and the bridge was landed. Workshop attached the top deck before the bridge was put on legs to make the construction process easier and safer by keeping all work at ground level. They constructed the deck by using some 18mm ply and some timber bracing that spanned the width of the truss. This was attached to the truss using doughty half couplers. Once the bridge was clad it was covered in astro turf. The get offs were constructed using the buttress towers and a combination of treads, these were ratchet strapped to the truss bridge.

One problem that we encountered was that due to the length of the bridge and the fact there was no support in the middle it caused the bridge to bounce when walked on. To prevent this workshop constructed some supports that were screwed into the floor and attached to the truss using doughty half couplers.

Truss used.

3m x 8.

2m x 6.

1m x 5.

0.5m x 4.

0.25m x4 (hired from blacklight).

Base plate x 4.

Box (3 way corner) x 4.

Box (t piece) x 2.

Truss supports (built by workshop) x 4.

Sliding Perspex Panels

As part of the design there was 2 sliding and 3 fixed perspex panels that were attached to the underside of the truss bridge. The 2 sliding panels were on uni strut and special carriers were ordered to fit this. The panels had a strip of wood screwed to them and then the carriers were bolted to the wood. We discovered that the carriers were quite noisy because it was metal carriers running along a metal track. The panels were controlled using 2 individual lines, one running off each side.

Trap

During the interval the trap lid was unscrewed and removed to reveal soil, an additional bag of soil was then added and spread out, at the end of every show the additional soil had to be removed and the trap lid screwed down again.

Fly Plot

Stage Management

Props

Most of the props could be borrowed from RCS’s own props store (and scene dock and production offices) or with the help of Scottish Opera or NTS. The most difficult and expensive prop to source were the two hospital beds, they were borrowed from “starsnurses”, a company specialising in hiring out medical equipment. The other expenses were based around food and consumables. Apart from paper props, there were no other makes.

Risk Assessments

The highest risk were the performers up on the platform. This was thoroughly risk assessed and the relevant cast members received an induction before performing on the platform. Other risks assessed were slips, trips, falls, theatrical firearms, glassware, food and liquid, theatrical choking and cast in the auditorium.

Other paperwork