Behind Stage Door: Tech Rehearsals

Getting an entire show on stage in just a week is no easy feat! From lighting to sound to set to costume, there is a lot that needs to come together but never underestimate how amazing the team are at the Lyceum! But the end of tech rehearsals is not the end of the hard work.

Tech rehearsals are all about the stage and tech teams. The actors have had their rehearsals, they know what they are doing, they just have got to transfer it to a new space but for the rest of the team this is their rehearsal, and they only have a week to learn it. Macbeth (an undoing) is a complicated but visually stunning show, there are a lot of moving parts and bits to get right.

Tech is a slow process, there is a lot to do so it’s important there is one voice that manages it all. For this production that is Claire the stage manager. It is her job to make sure that tech is running to time, that everyone has what they need, they are where they need to be, and any questions are answered. It is also about Zinnie realising her vision for the play, she can finally see the actors on stage with lighting, set, sound and costume – this is an exciting week for her (and for everyone watching).

Tech and dress rehearsals are a great time for the director to see how a performance runs, it helps identify any moments that need changing, cutting or speeding up. If you see a preview of a show, it probably won’t be the same as the one on press night. But that is the exciting thing about theatre, it is ever-changing and no matter which night you see it, every member of the audience will take something different away.

I will never get over what tech does to a show, how it transforms scenes and moments that have been built in the rehearsal room, what it does – the atmosphere it creates. Macbeth (an undoing) is truly a beautiful show and all of the designers have done an absolutely incredible job.

Come see for yourself!