We’ve been involved with the summer shows for Happy Faces at Llandudno Town Hall for the last four years, but this year is the first time that I took a camera backstage with me. I thought it might be interesting to give you a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes.
I was the Stage Manager for the Thursday show this year, Those Were The Days, which meant that I was in charge of setting the stage and scenery, having all the props ready at the right time for each performer, and generally trying to make sure that everything backstage went as smoothly as possible.
This is what the stage looked like on a Wednesday for Seaside Special. The backdrop had to be taken down and replaced with the station backdrop, then various pieces of camouflage put up, and sandbags laid along the front of the stage. We also had an old-fashioned radio and a lamp in front of the stage for one of the scenes.
During the show, the majority of the props were kept in a little alcove just beside the stage, so they could easily be taken on and off stage. I made this fake bomb months ago; it got a little battered by the end of the season, but considering it’s only a football covered in papier-mâché, I think it survived quite well!
This the little dressing room that Jay and I used during the summer.
As you can see from the notes on my copy of the running order, things got very busy during the show, which made it really important to make sure everything was in the right place at the right time. The notes in red are Jay’s costume changes, reminding me to get the right costume ready for him; and the notes in green are details of which props were needed for each scene, when to turn the smoke machine on etc.
Despite being so busy, I did manage to get some pictures of Jay when he was on stage.
Part Two is coming soon, with pictures of Jay’s different costumes, including one rather special outfit…
