For the show to be a success, all departments had to work together and effective communication was vital. I think over all We Will Rock You was successful because of a number of contributing factors.
One thing that was good was the fact that the Front of House team remained very professional and kept everything moving /flowing smoothly outside the auditorium. They had as system of who did what (2 people selling programs, 2 people on the door greeting guests and checking tickets.) The jobs were shared out equally. They also played rock music to create a rock concert theme. Tickets were worn as wrist bands to also promote the concert theme. Any problems that arose would be dealt with by Paul, the Front of House Manager, if not a memeber of staff would be involved. However this rarely happened and everything was kept under control. One problem however was the way in which tickets were handled. The maximum number of seats was 120, but more than 120 tickets were printed, leading to confusion for the FOH team. It was also hard for the team to indentify which tickets were valid and those that were not (it was hard to distinguish the correct date/day.) Next time there could be a different coloured ticket for each night. I think it was good of the FOH team to ensure there were no empty seats by asking people to fill in from the middle, I would definitely use this again next time.
The intervals were 15 minutes long and the audience had the option to go to the Wicked Cafe for refreshments. Those who bought programs were entitled to a free drink which in my opinion was a fair deal. The drinks on offer were red and white wine, orange juice, black current juice and water. The vending machines were also available to buy snacks, lucozades or water. The team had to label the drinks because people mixed up red wine with the juice, which was a simple and easy way to avoid confusion. But I think next time there should be more cups because the FOH team ran out and had to keep refilling drinks. This was not a big problem because they had a system that worked well. However it would be easier and quicker if there were more cups.
Meanwhile in the auditorium, the production team communicated via headsets with mics. The DSM, Lighting Operator and Sound Operator had to speak quietly down the mics because audience members were no more than 2 metres away. We did not want to be a distraction. The DSM had infront of him a script with his cues written inside it. When a cue was close, he would instruct the relevant person (light or sound op) to stand by, at some points it was both together which was more effective than having to cue ourselves because it ensured that the timing was correct. The DSM also communicated with backstage, people such as the SM, who could run favours and make sure everything /everyone was in the right place. Likewise if there was a problem backstage, the crew members could inform the DSM if his assistance was required. Luckily there were no major issues backstage during the night time performances. The DSM asked the SM to control the amount of smoke coming from the smoke machine on a few occasions.
The stage crew were responsible for setting up the props in time for them to go on stage. For example the beds used for a specific scene in the hospital, the rock and scene with the bike. They were also on hand to help performers change, in some scenes there were fast costume changes that had to be done and a stage crew member would help as much as they could. Stage crew were also on hand to help the SM whenever he needed them.
Each team/role had a check list to complete before the shows. This worked well because it gave each member some responsibility. It was important because we needed to make sure that everything was working properly and in the right place.
In the rehearsals, the process could potentially have been quicker. Some things, such as plotting did take time to complete and it could not be helped. However a problem did occur for the DSM and Lighting operator when the equipment tripped out due to too many lights being paired into one dimmer. Next time they must be equally distributed in order to save time.
A reason why we were so rushed on the day of the first performance was because the rehearsal process had been delayed the week before. On the Friday, we did not finish the first dress rehearsal by 4pm. Therefore the cast went home because it was the end of the college day. This meant we had to continue into Monday's dress rehearsal. Next time performers could stay behind until the rehearsal is complete in order to stick to the timetable. They should also be in full costume for technical rehearsals next time because it would help the DSM and the lighting operator (e.g.no jewellery as it reflects off the light.)
One thing that could have been improved was the communication between performers and crew. This was because performers were staying in the wings, not their dressing rooms when they were not needed on stage for a long time. Next time there could be a runner who calls the peformers when they are needed. Another way to improve is to have a speaker in the changing rooms and the SM /DSM can call the performers themselves. However if there were to be a technical fault it would be a big problem as performers wouldnt know when to make their way to the auditorium, resulting in them being late or not being there at all.
Over all in conclusion I think We Will Rock You was successful. We received great feedback from the audience and it was by far the most technical show Priestley College have ever done, and it worked. The performers and production team should be proud of themselves; the hard worked payed off.
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