Get involved

Rugby Theatre is a working society with more than 500 active members. The membership is arranged into Groups with one Group responsible for each aspect of the Theatre's activities. Groups welcome new members, either from other areas of the Society or from outside.

About the groups

Please click this link for the details of who to contact for each group.
Alternatively please contact us.

 

Show Directors

It is here that the idea for a particular show starts - an idea, a concept, an enthusiasm to present a particular show.

Qualified members of this group either put forward a play they would like to direct or accept a play that Planning Committee would like to see performed. Once the show has been passed for production by Planning the director holds open auditions and assembles the cast. Rehearsals start about three months before the production is due to open. From here on the work with the cast and back-stage groups build to a successful opening night.

Drama and Music

It is always difficult to differentiate between these two groups.

Drama Group represents those actors and actresses who appear on stage in plays. Music Group represents those who take part in musicals or who are members of the singing group Rugby Theatre Singers.

Many people take part in both Groups (some plays are plays with music, and musicals have acting roles).

Whatever your interest, if you wish to appear on stage then it is one or both of these Groups that are for you.

As a member of a cast it is necessary for you to learn your lines, to attend rehearsals and take direction from the show's director. It may also be necessary for you to rehearse songs or dance routines for musicals or pantomimes and you may have to be measured for costumes or wigs. And above all, do make sure that your holidays away do not clash with the production, or the week before, when the cast are on the stage for photos, entry and exit rehearsals, and the dress rehearsals!

Scenic Design and Construction

Whether it is a "black tat" set or a spectacular multi-set show, the production needs scenery and someone has to design and build it. It is the task of the Scenic Designer to supply some of that magic that transports the audience from a theatre in Henry Street to some far away time or place.

After reading the script and discussing ideas with the Show Director, the Scenic Designer presents his, or her, ideas - often with a scale model - to the PPU (Pre-Production Unit). Once an agreement has been reached with all parties, the task of building and painting the set begins. This is usually carried out by the Scenic Designer and a small group of scenic builders - flats or backcloths have to be selected from stock and painted, and special scenery may need to be constructed.

Have you got the skills we need? Are you looking for a new hobby? Our Scenic Department is looking for people to train as Scenic Designers and people to join our Set Building Team. So, if you are interested in set design and would like to attend a course run by our own Set Designers, or, if you can wield a paintbrush, knock in a nail, use a saw...etc...etc...we'd love you to join our Scenic Design Team. If you have time - day or evening - and enthusiasm, we'd like to hear from you.

Stage Management

The set then moves into the Theatre and between them, the Stage Manager, Scenic Designer and Crews turn an empty stage into a suitable location for the show - a hut in the jungle, a Victorian house interior, the decks of a ship, even Aladdin's Cave or a castle in the clouds. During the run of the show the Stage Manager is responsible for all the back stage areas and for ensuring the smooth running of the show. In addition, a Cue Board Operator provides a central point of contact giving cues to all staging areas and a Crew is required to shift scenery during the show.

...The final night, ...the Cast has removed their make-up and costumes but the Stage Management Group has one final task - in under 2 hours the Crew will remove what took 2 weeks to erect, and the stage will be left empty for the next show...

Lighting and Special Effects

The audience is in, the doors are shut, the house lights go down and ..... - well, nothing without stage lighting. It is Lighting who are responsible for completing the illusion started by the Scenic Designer. It is said that if you give an actor a single spot-light centre stage they will stand in the black hole to one side. I'm not sure if this is true but it is the responsibility of the Lighting Designer to ensure that there are no unintended black holes. More than that - to ensure that the Cast and Set are shown to best advantage. The lighting has to reinforce the location - the steaming hot jungle (remember the hut?), the gaslights in the Victorian interior or the castle in the clouds.

The group is also responsible for all special effects - live bangs, flashes, stage smoke and all manner of electronic gadgetry.

Sound

The visuals are there but to complete the illusion what is missing? It is of course the "sound". Imagine the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' shower scene without the jarring musical underscore. It is usually more subtle; a backwash of spring birdsong, or crickets in a jungle, or urban traffic noise, or romantic music is very effective, for drawing the audience into the action. Some 'spot' sound effects are created live on stage and reliably cued by the cast i.e. telephones, door bells, and the like. Others are pre-recorded and cued into the action by the sound engineer. They could be as obvious, such as the sounds of explosions and sirens during a close bombing raid, or as commonplace as a refrigerator hum.

Big musicals, 'Oklahoma', 'West Side Story', 'The Full Monty' ..... these need a BIG sound. Performers are fitted with discrete microphones to achieve a strong vocal above the music. Microphones are strategically placed to enhance quieter orchestral instruments, and modern guitars and keyboards are directly injected into the sound system. From the auditorium position the sound designer has fingertip control of all these elements. A good pair of ears is essential for this level of artistic responsibility.

Currently the RT sound group is strongly supported, but has room for newcomers. The diverse theatre programme consistently brings fresh challenges, and new people provide the refreshing variety of solutions.

Properties

The set may be designed, installed and perfectly lit but without suitable "dressing" its effect can be ruined. The Props person (not forgetting the Crew again) must acquire suitable furniture, pictures, other items of set dressing and any personal props to reinforce the effect that the Show Director is trying to achieve. The task involves discussions with the Show Director and Scenic Designer.

The set will use items from stock, it may involve visits to local shops or auction rooms to borrow or buy and may require a visit to specialist hire companies, surfing the internet or searching through ebay for that very special item.

The props will be arranged, rearranged and rearranged again before the opening night. It may even be necessary to rearrange them several times during the interval - but there again, that is part of what being a Props person is all about.

Make-Up

Q. What do you get if you shine a green light onto a red face?

A. A black face.

No, its not a joke (you guessed that!) but it is the sort of thing that Make-up Artists need to know about.

There is a certain coloured gel that Lighting use (No 36 Surprise Pink) that has a warm, reddish colour about it at low lighting levels and a cold, blueish colour at high levels - Make-up need to know about that as well.

From the Ghost of Christmas Past to a Japanese soldier (the jungle again). With a wig, without a wig, an instant beard or moustache, an entire mask over the face - these are all things that the Group have to produce nightly. They have to be specialists in the art of disguise, and if a character's appearance changes during the show (to simulate ageing or illness for example) then this has to be carried out during the evening.

Wardrobe

So the set is ready and dressed by props, but the actors are not - and they cannot appear on stage naked (ah, yes - The Full Monty!). The inevitable reading of script and discussions with the Show Director over, the Wardrobe Department have to provide the appropriate costumes for the production.

Back in our jungle, our Victorian interior or Aladdin's cave the costumes have to be just right (and have to fit). The cast have to be measured, some costumes may have to be made, some may be hired and they all have to be in the Theatre during the dress rehearsal week.

When the show is running the cast may need assistance putting their costumes on - there may be a quick change between scenes at the side of the stage during a black-out. Running repairs have to be carried out during the run of a show and at the end the Wardrobe person (and the Crew) have to return all the costumes to their proper places.

Promotions

No publicity, no audience! Well, that would be the result so it is essential that our Live and Film events are publicised well in advance. Posters, adverts, show programmes, press releases and photographs all have to be organised to a strict deadline. Telephone calls to and from the local press have to be dealt with and members have to be persuaded to personally promote a particular show (by word of mouth) and distribute or put up posters.

There are other activities which take place to promote the Theatre's name. Past activities include Carnival Floats, entry in the local Raft Race, involvement in local Radio etc. Any suitable activities are discussed at the Group's meetings and members are urged to approach the Group with any suggestions for general promotions. 

Box Office

The Box Office staff are helpful and courteous and and encourage people to see our shows.
The Box Office opens every weekday evening from 7 pm to 8 pm, every Saturday morning from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and during the week of a live show from 12 noon to 2 pm and 30 minutes before each live show or film.

When the Box Office is closed, messages are left on the Box Office Voice Mail. The Box Office staff listen to the messages, and call back to take bookings, or pass on the message elsewhere in the Theatre. The booking system is operated by calling up information on a flat screen monitor and then using a rollerball and numerical keypad to make the bookings. There is also a machine for taking the money from credit cards. Before anyone operates the system, they attend a thorough training course. People who are good at dealing with other people, over the telephone, and face to face, will be most welcome.

Front-of-House

Three quarters of an hour to curtain up and the job of the House Staff starts. Safety checks of the building are carried out, the sweet kiosk must be made ready and the programmes must be on hand. Each person is assigned to their functions for the night and the audience can be admitted and ushered to their seats. These functions are carried out by the House Staff who are supervised by the House and Theatre Managers. Ice creams are sold in the interval and at the end of the evening everything needs to be tidied away.

Catering

"Coffee for 30 and 50 pints of bitter please".

It happens but not quite like that. In the half hour before the show, during the 15 minute interval and after the show until closing time the Catering Group have to serve the audience with their drinks. Before the interval, the tables need to be set out and cleared, the kettles put on to boil and the pre-ordered interval drinks need to be poured. At the one minute bar bell a wave of thirsty customers descend on you. The next 15 minutes may be busy but things calm down once the second half of the show starts and there is time to clear up and prepare for the after-show onslaught.

Maintenance

This group deals with the buildings, fittings, and fixtures of the Theatre.

The buildings have been around for a long time and with so much use things become worn, loose, broken or blocked. They need repairing, refurbishing, replacing, redecorating, or just improving. The Maintenance Group has essential, varied and interesting work to do, and comes directly under the control and guidance of the Buildings Director.

Rugby Theatre Singers

Rugby Theatre Music Group was a group of singers, who used to meet regularly to rehearse together with the aim of providing the Theatre with a strong chorus for its big musical shows. Times changed. Our future programme became more varied and the number of musicals decreased to around 3 per year, some only requiring a small chorus, leaving many Music Group members unable to take part.

Rugby Theatre Singers were formed in 1976 from out of the Music Group, to keep people singing and to give everyone a chance to perform again. This is a mixed choir of maximum 40 voices. Some members still take part in musical productions, but the prime function of the group is to give concerts around the area and to generally promote the name and the work of the Theatre.

They have a very wide repertoire ranging from classical to modern songs. In addition to their annual concert in the Theatre, they regularly perform at a variety of functions and venues in the region. They have also given concerts in Holland and Germany.

To maintain a balance of voices within the Group, the number is kept between 36 and 40 people, and auditions for new places are held annually in February. Anyone wishing to join should write to the Musical Group Leader at Rugby Theatre, Henry Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2QA.

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Links

The following organisations have theatrical associations which may be of interest to you:

UK Theatre Web
AMDRAM
National Association of Youth Theatres
National Youth Music Theatre