Seeing the space for the first time!

As part of the health and safety team for our show, I went along with two other actors to the Blue Elephant Theatre to do a recce of the space and ask some questions about the space and any information about props, set and costume we had to find out about. It was also nice to get to know the area around the theatre as well, and to practise and time the route we go on. We went from Dartford to Abbey Wood, then onto Liverpool Street to get the Northern line to Oval, where we walked about 15 minutes to get to the theatre and during our journey, I found a simpler route with less changes but it takes more time travelling as our original route is. We got to the theatre from Dartford station in just over an hour, and even though there are a lot of changes and it seems to be more expensive, I think we should stick to this route but keep researching for something that takes roughly the same time and is cheaper for everyone if possible.

Doing a recce of the space was not only helpful for us to assess any risks inside the theatre but also to become more familiar with the space, and we realised once we walked into the auditorium that the space was much longer in width than the measurements we were previously given, but I soon realised that it would be safer rehearsing in a space that is smaller than the actual space as it will be easier to adapt that way, rather than rehearse with a bigger space and feel more cramped and unprepared when we get to the theatre. It was good to see the theatre with our own eyes so we know what ideas for sets, costumes and props are feasible. We know now that we are unable to stick anything to the wall or curtains but can hang things from the rig as an alternative which gives us something to work with when making our backboard and adding final touches to the set, and they have plenty of varied types of chairs that we tested using some of the blocking that would perfectly slot into our performance.

This trip was also very useful for helping me to develop the programme for our piece. Guilleme, who is in charge of the theatre, gave me a useful template from a previous production as I’ve been struggling over the past few weeks to make it look as professional as possible and showcase our show in the best light. I want our programme to look basic but sleek, as well as containing all the important information and anything we want to include in case we invite any agents. I was quite nervous about putting this together at first but I know now that I have the right resources and I can communicate any ideas or help needed to the rest of the company and get their input when needed. Designing posters and flyers has always been something I’m interested in but I’ve never had the opportunity to showcase my skills before, so I want to prove that I have skills and things I’m passionate about outside of performing.

I was very happy that we got the opportunity to see the space before we begin tech and we’ve now answered lots of important questions and pieces of set or props that we may need to find alternatives for, but I felt that we didn’t spend enough time in the theatre as we should have and I believe we should have written out a list of questions that we wanted to ask and made sure we knew what we had to ask before heading to the theatre. If I get the opportunity to go on a recce for another project, I am more understanding of what information I need to find out when seeing a venue and what a member of the health and safety team needs to look for on these trips. However, I am very happy we got to see and learn more about the space before we perform there and I think it’s a wonderful, intimate venue and perfect for our piece!