Company Stage Manager – In the Night Garden Live

Company profile

Minor Entertainment was created in 2009 to create spectacular family theatre events. Over the last eight years our first production, In the Night Garden Live (ItNGL), has toured across the UK in a purpose-built inflatable theatre and has been seen by over 1 million people.

In 2019, we are producing the first ever theatre tour of ItNGL with a brand new show. The tour will visit over 40 venues across the UK throughout 2019 and will be directed by Will Tuckett. The Production Manager is Phil McCandlish.

Role summary

Minor Entertainment is recruiting for an experienced, hard-working and dependable Company Stage Manager with who will look after and manage the touring company, run each fit-up and load-out and advance technical requirements with venues.

The touring company will be a cast of seven including two swings, two merchandise staff plus six touring crew: an LX No.1 who also looks after video, a sound technician who also operates the show (which runs to timecode), a wardrobe manager and two ASMs. The production will tour in a single 40’ trailer.

Schedule

Contract dates would be Sunday 3 February to Monday 28 October 2019. Rehearsals will be in London from 4 February and the production opens at the Lowry in week commencing 25 February. It is likely that there will be a 3-week tour break in March 2019.

The tour will be primarily split weeks, visiting two venues per week with a day for travel / get-in followed by two performance days of up to three shows per day and one day off per week. There are five venues we’ll visit for a full week (The Lowry, Dartford Orchard, Bromley Churchill, Birmingham Rep and Cardiff New). The show will be approximately 55 minutes long without an interval.

Person specification

Essential:

  • You have solid experience as a CSM and of looking after a touring company.
  • You’ll be great with people and can sympathetically but firmly lead your team through a busy touring schedule.
  • You’ll enjoy working with venue teams and you’re someone they’ll enjoy working with, too.
  • You’ll be experienced at running fit-ups and load-outs.
  • You’ll be technically competent and confident in working with the production manager to advance the production’s technical requirements with venues.
  • You’re an excellent problem solver and enjoy a challenge.
  • You have a good sense of humour and you’re happy to muck in to get the job done.
  • You’re good with both spreadsheets and stage plans.
  • You’re skilled with prop maintenance
  • You’re attentive to detail.
  • You care about the audience experience as much as we do.

Ideal:

  • You’ll ideally have worked on some children’s theatre productions.
  • You might have some experience with full skin character costumes and puppets.
  • You’ll have visited a lot of the venues on our tour already.
  • Some experience with animatronics and maintenance would also be useful, but training can be given.

Job description

You will report to the Executive Producer.

Company management:

  1. You’ll manage the touring technical crew, performers and venue technical staff.
  2. You’ll support the touring merchandise team and look after them as part of the touring company.
  3. You’ll manage the onstage and backstage schedule for all performances in each city.
  4. You’ll ensure a supportive environment and provide pastoral care to the touring company.
  5. You’ll hold regular touring company meetings to ensure that there is a structured forum for any issues to be raised.
  6. You’ll manage effectively with tact and sensitivity the interests of the producers and the touring company.
  7. You’ll deal with all issues and requests from the touring company quickly and raise anything significant with the Executive Producer.
  8. You’ll watch the show at least once a week, taking action and liaising with the Associate Director as needed to ensure that standards are kept high.
  9. You’ll ensure that any physical concerns or potential injuries among the cast are monitored and dealt with appropriately, liaising with the company physiotherapist and ensuring that any appropriate treatment is arranged.

Stage management:

  1. You’ll lead the rehearsal room get-in and get-out.
  2. You’ll lead the get-in and get-out at each tour venue, taking charge of and getting involved with the fit-up and load-out.
  3. During the rehearsal period, you’ll manage the daily schedule, the rehearsal room and all performer & crew calls with the director.
  4. You’ll be able to cover your team’s show plots in the event that they’re sick or otherwise unexpectedly absent.
  5. You’ll provide scheduled show cover for the technical team as required.

Technical management:

  1. You’ll work with the production manager to help advance the production’s technical requirements with each venue according to an agreed technical rider, managing the venue technical contra charges with a watchful eye for cost implications.
  2. If running maintenance is required, you’ll make sure it is dealt with appropriately.
  3. You’ll make sure that stocks of consumables are maintained and that reorders are noted in the daily report for the office to process as required.

Administration:

  1. You’ll oversee the creation of the production bible and make sure that it is kept up-to-date including crew and performer show plots.
  2. You will be clear on our health & safety policies and procedures and be able to communicate them well.
  3. You will act as the representative of the producer to the venue whilst at the venue, dealing with any contractual and settlement issues that arise at the venue, informing the Executive Producer as required.
  4. You’ll make sure that there is a clear, written and agreed record of any technical or other contras at the venue.
  5. You will manage a petty cash float for running expenditure and keep an accurate record of all petty cash expenditure (including ensuring VAT receipts are retained), settling periodically with the production office.

Fee and expenses

The salary range for this role is £800-£900 per week depending on experience. 

 When you are on tour you will be paid a touring allowance of £37.14 per night at each tour venue (equivalent to £260 per week). Travel whilst you are on tour will also be either arranged at the producer’s expense or you will be paid the cash equivalent for such standard off-peak rail fares as may be required to fulfil calls for the production. No travel or accommodation expenses are paid when you are required to work in London for rehearsals or in the event that the production sits down in London for a period longer than one week.

Holiday

Holiday will be designated throughout the contract which will always be subject to a minimum of three days for each period designated.

How to apply

Please email a covering letter (no longer than 400 words please) and your CV to itngl.csm@minorentertainment.com with “ItNGL CSM application” in the subject line. Please let us know in your application where you saw the job advertised.

Deadline

Minor Entertainment will be holding interviews at our London office during November. Please apply by 9am on Monday 5 November. If this job is still advertised on our website (www.minorentertainment.com) we are still open to applications.