Thread by @agirlinthedark

So I have 5 shows left of cueing ‘Curious Incident’. But the rest of the company have 6. This is because I don’t work on Fridays. At the time of the job offer I suggested to the guys at the National Theatre that maybe once the show was up, I had every Friday off.

This meant that an ASM/book cover (of which I have two) would cue the show on a Friday and a dep (who also happens to be a parent) got a regular gig and would come in and cover the ASM plot.

It was quite nerve wracking suggesting this to NTP as it could easily have been turned down or they could have offered the gig to someone who wouldn’t make those kind of requests. But they were so open to it and supportive and we worked out together a realistic timescale etc.

I’m not saying it was just a walk in the park as it wasn’t. NTP had to be totally sure that both ASM’s would be capable of cueing the show, plus I had to start teaching the first ASM while we were in previews which was tiring during an already full on tech period.

I was also very lucky that my entire sm team were so supportive in making it work. I had to ask a lot of people. But my two ASM’s @ghillmassage and @TomJackFisher are solid as fucking rock.

What it also meant is, that when I got sepsis quite early on in the run, both ASM’s were completely ready to go. Plus we already had a fully trained up dep.

I know this is really standard practise for musicals, but it still really shocks me just how little west end plays are prepared for these kind of situations. Even on short runs there is still a chance you could lose a team member due to any type of emergency.

But what has most benefitted me as a parent is getting that extra bedtime. That extra day with my kid where I’m not constantly clock watching and can go to bed myself at 9pm should I want to. 8 shows a week is a big ask of people.

And the point I would also like to make is that I don’t think the privilege of one extra night off should always be restricted to parents. Everyone has lives, families, loved ones, other interests.... and sometimes it’s impossible to just catch up with all of them on a Sunday.

There has been so many stories recently of burn outs and exhaustion and stress. And sometimes these could maybe be avoided with a bit of extra down time.

The system that was put in place for me wasn’t groundbreaking. Nor was it very complex. The dep is an extra expense but I also got that deducted from my wage so it doesn’t cost mega bucks to enforce. Just the teaching at the beginning.

I guess the problem we face is all getting up the courage to ask for these things. I have a fab relationship with NTP but it still took a deep breath to write that e mail. In such a competitive market it sometimes feels so necessary to swear complete and utter devotion to a show.

I would love to see more producers show willing, not just to parents, but to ALL theatrical practitioners, to get decent structures in place which not only cover illness but time off to have a life. Onstage or off.

We all love theatre. How great would it be to maybe see some?

But obviously asking for that stuff is hard and takes guts. But it would be really awesome if maybe more producers said ‘hey I can’t make any promises. But sure, ask me.’

#askme

It’s also no secret that I’m shortly taking a side step from stage management. Mostly because I’m ready for something new. But also because I don’t feel confident that I will find other producers as accommodating of a 5-day-a-week set up for a dsm.