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Welcome to House Drama!
SUMMARY
Sept-Oct
2012
Sept-Oct
2012
Oct – Dec
2012

Choose play with a 30min running time (cast number up to you)

Cast play


Rehearse play
Optional technical meeting with Mr Wyatt to discuss requirements/ideas early
on. The onus is on you to book this with him.
Create ‘The Book’ for your show, incl cue sheets: lighting cues (FX) and sound
cues (SFX)

Jan – Feb
2012
March
2012
Date TBC
Week of
11th
March

Rehearse play (the theatre becomes heavily booked, so see Mr Wyatt if you
need to book the venue for rehearsal).
45 min Tech Rehearsal 4.00-7.30pm
30 min Dress Rehearsal
Times below allow for ‘get in and out’. On
 Crow 4.15 – 5.00
the performance night you will only have
 Bayley 5.00-5.45
5mins to change over between plays, so be
 Wheatley 6.00-6.45
prepared!!!
 Fairfax 6.45 – 7.30
 Fairfax 4.10- 4.50
 Wheatley 4.55 – 5.35
We strongly suggest that you use the
 Bayley 5.40 – 5.15
non-tech time to rehearse!
 Crow 5.15-6.50
 Performance Night
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CONTACTS
Theatre Technician
Mr Wyatt
mwyatt@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
Director of Drama
Ms Farmer
cef@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
House Heads
House Prefects
Bayley: Mr J Hobday
jch@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
Bayley:
Crow: Mr A Phillips
acp@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
Crow:
Fairfax: Miss K Ormsby
klo@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
Fairfax:
Wheatley:
Miss J Simmons
jls@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
Wheatley:
CONTENTS
Dos and Don’ts! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… P4
Creating a House ‘Company’…………………………………………………………………………………………. P5
FAQs ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. P6
Technical Introduction / ‘The Book’………………………………………………………………………………. P7
Sound ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. P9
Lighting ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
P10
Glossary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
P12
Appendices
 Exemplar Rehearsal Schedule
 Lighting States
 Exemplar ‘Book’
 Exemplar Cue Sheet
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Dos and Don’ts!
Dos!

Do speak to your Head of House regarding the physical difficulties or specific requirements
of your cast as soon as possible.

Do keep the technical aspects of your play simple (see p7)

Do submit your cast list/script and final technical requirements to Mr Wyatt no later than
two weeks before performance day.
Don’ts!

Don’t overrun the 30 minute time limit. 30 minutes will be allowed for the Dress Rehearsal.
If your show is overrunning, you will be asked to make cuts before the performance, which
will be stressful for your cast and may lead to mistakes in performance. Time your show
beforehand. Cut unnecessary scenes – and use projector to fill in missing plot.

Try not to use too many blackouts during your show. They slow down the action and can be
dangerous.

Don’t use a complicated set –projected images are a simple way of setting the scene.

Don’t go over 20 lighting cues and 10 sound cues.
Rehearsal Advice:




Create a detailed rehearsal schedule (see page 13 for an example):
o Block movement on stage
o Allow specific rehearsals for duologues/monologues/key
moments
o ‘Run’ of sections
Set deadlines for when actors are required to be off book (lines learned) at the start.
Keep detailed register of rehearsal attendance and punctuality. We strongly suggest that
you are clear from the outset what your expectations are. A full rehearsal plan will allow
students to plan ahead, or request time off without affecting the company.
Many school companies require students to sign a contract to guarantee commitment!
Bring with you on the day:

3 copies of a fully marked up script (1 for you, 1 for the Stage Manager, 1 for the Light and
Sound Operator) – you may be asked to provide this before the performance day, Mr Wyatt
will let you know.

All props and costumes.

Scripts for each cast member for the Technical Rehearsal.
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Creating a House “Company”
Make the Bablake Drama Festival a whole school experience: delegating will
free you up to enjoy the Festival more.
When you form your company, why not also advertise for other student
roles:
Director
Does what it says on the tin.
House Company Manager
Responsible for keeping a timeline of production, ensuring deadlines are met, organising rehearsal
timetables, registering attendance and chasing up no-shows.
House Technicians
Responsible for marking-up the script with lighting and sound cues, writing the Cue List. It may be
possible for the student to run the technical side with Mr Wyatt. Please contact him if you have a
student interested in being trained for this.
House Wardrobe and Props Supervisor
Responsible for ensuring that everyone has
made/sourced their costume and props, and that they bring them to the theatre. Also responsible
for setting the props backstage on the night.
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FAQs
Is it a competition?
No. The Bablake Drama Festival is a drama celebration, and not a competition.
However, we ask that you stretch yourself and your company and hope that the event will stimulate
and inspire the best performances from you, the director, and your cast.
Can my play run longer than 30 minutes?
No. This is very important. All 4 performances will be delivered over the course of one evening and
therefore the duration of each show must be no longer than 30 minutes. Please ensure that any
script is abridged to fit the 30 minute time slot. Ensure that you time a run before any
technical/dress rehearsal. Allotted time for dress rehearsals and technical rehearsals will be no
longer than 30 mins and being stopped will distress your cast and may lead to mistakes in
performance, so please give this matter your attention and do everything you can to avoid this
situation.
What should I do about lights and sound?
The key to the technical side of your production is your “marked up” script. Your
marked up script & cue list are a guide to how you want your production to look and sound on stage.
All the information you require in order to create your marked up script is under the Technical
section. Mr Wyatt can be booked for an advisory/training session on these areas.
Can a student direct our performance?
Yes! We actively encourage this if you’re using sixth form students. We will continue to liaise with
you regarding dates etc. but are more than happy to be in contact with your Student Director
regarding the creative side of the process.
Do we need to make or bring props?
Whilst a selection of hand props are available on request You may need to source specific items to
use, scarves, goblets, letters, walking sticks, or material to drape over the set. However encourage
your students to rely on their acting and the text. KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Large Set is not permitted. Four shows will perform in one night and, with only minutes to clear the
stage and set props between each performance, set is impossibility. Please contact Mr Wyatt if you
need clarification about what is and is not permitted.
What about costumes?
Performance and music should be enough to convey period and atmosphere. Bold, simple and
intelligent use of costume can help make the story clear and create visual impact.
Do we have to provide our own music?
Yes, if you require it. For a more authentic feel we recommend that your students use live
instruments or song on stage. However, you must be responsible for transport, setting up and any
amplification you require. Please be aware that some productions have suffered as music practice
cut into rehearsal time. If you intend to use live music and have a considerable amount of kit, please
contact Mr Wyatt. If you would like anything played over the theatre sound system, it must be on
CD.
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Technical Introduction
Technical Advice
Keep it simple. This is the most important thing to remember about the technical side of your
production. The most successful shows have relied on minimal technical effects, and focused on the
pupils’ performances and storytelling.
If possible, recruit a House Company Technician to reduce your work load.
Not only will this free your time to direct but also provide a great opportunity for the student.
For the technical side of your show you’ll have the use of:
 Black box stage
 12 lighting states
 Sound system
 Projection (Centred)
It’s important to note that Bablake Festival productions have a maximum of 20 lighting cues and
10 sound cues (more on this later).
No other effects or equipment will be available from the theatre on the day. If you wish to bring
your own, please check in advance with Mr Wyatt.
Due to the need for a speedy turnaround between performances the use of smoke or haze is not
permitted and strobe lighting is advised against.
Technical Meeting
You (and your student technician) will have an opportunity to discuss your technical requirements
with Mr Wyatt in an advisory/logistical meeting.
Please contact him to arrange a time once you have decided on your script.
You will need as much information as possible about the technical elements of your show.
‘THE BOOK’
You will need to mark up your script before your performance day:




This is effectively the ‘Bible’ of what you want your show to LOOK and SOUND like i.e.
lighting cues and sound cues. It is your way of communicating the look of your show to the
theatre technicians.
It will be referred to as your ‘Book’
On the Script you will mark up when and where any technical event takes place, and in the
separate Cue List you will note the nature of that technical event.
Please ensure you have THREE fully filled out copies (i.e. THREE marked-up scripts and
THREE Cue Lists) two copies for the Theatre to give to the Theatre Technical Staff and one
for yourself.
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Please bring any pre-recorded sound on a CD containing all the music and/or effects that you wish
to use for your performance. This will be left at the theatre and checked in advance of the
Performance Day. Please also bring a back up on the day.
Technical aspects
Set/Props Space Allowance
Your house will be assigned an area back stage to store all of your set/props for the show. We
would ask that you do not go beyond these boundaries or interfere with props belonging to other
houses.
Technical Rehearsal – Date to be confirmed
This is your first run through with lighting and sound. YOU WILL HAVE ONLY 45 MINUTES. During the
run the technical staff will make sure all the action is lit and, where necessary, will offer suggestions
to improve on the lighting cues indicated in your Book.
In the majority of theatres the Technical Rehearsals will jump from cue to cue in order for you to
look at the states you have created. Please explain this process to your
cast so that they feel confident during the Technical Rehearsal process. If you are not happy and
want something slightly changed then we can do this at this point. The more prepared you are for
this the smoother the rehearsal will be.
Your cast will need their scripts for this, since they will be asked to block the action and move from
cue to cue. This should be an enjoyable time for you all. So please relax and trust Mr Wyatt to show
you, literally, in your best light.
Dress Rehearsal – Date and time to be confirmed
This should run straight through (though we will stop for any major technical problems).
Performance
Our staff will ensure the smooth-running of the evening, and helping with setting props between
shows where necessary. Your Student Wardrobe and Props Supervisor will be shown what to do by
Mr Wyatt.
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Sound
Keep sound cues to a minimum!
If you wish to use sound cues, we recommend 5 to 10 sound cues, with a maximum of 10. It is often
more effective and simpler to use cast members or school musicians to create soundscapes and
sound effects. For example, you don’t need to have a pre-recorded sound effect of a knock on the
door - you can use your cast to achieve this. Live music and percussion can add fantastic atmosphere
and texture to your show.
Think about how you use sound to help tell the story of your show or create atmosphere. It can be
useful to think about this in cinematic terms.
Diegetic or actual sound – This is a sound or piece of music that originates within the world of your
play. The characters can hear this sound as well as the audience. “A drum a drum, Macbeth doth
come” should be preceded by the sound of a drum. The sound of the storm in King Lear is heard by
the characters as well as the audience.
Non Diegetic Sound or commentary sound – This is a sound or piece of music that sits outside the
world of the play. The audience can hear this but your characters cannot. Use this to enhance the
emotional drive of a scene and for added dramatic effect. A piece of energetic music can really
heighten a battle scene; a melodic underscore can help to accentuate tragedy. Look for clues in the
script. Lady Macbeth comments “It was the owl that shrieked”. Othello is welcomed on shore by the
sound of “his trumpet”.
Any sound should be on a single CD (or please speak to Mr Wyatt about other mediums acceptable
at your theatre)
 Songs should be edited to length, in the correct order and clearly labelled with the track
numbers and names i.e. 1. Bird song. 2. Bob Dylan, Rolling Stone.
 Please make two copies of the CD, so you can leave one with Mr Wyatt.
 Note – if you are recording to CD from a computer, please record the CD at the lowest
possible speed and ensure that the finished result is playable on a standard CD Player (not
MP3 data files). Please bring the original music sources if they are on CD as a back up.
 You must edit to where you want the track to start.
 Make sure the length of music is sufficient to cover the action, e.g. when ending on a slow
fade (10 seconds) give yourself 15 seconds of music to cover.
Notation of Sound Cues (See Macbeth example)
 We request that you write your sound cues numerically e.g. FX1, FX 2, FX 3 etc. You can look
at the simple example on the following pages.
 Sound cues and lighting cues should be clearly listed on a separate piece of paper to the
script – this piece of paper is the Cue List.
 Each sound cue also needs to be marked-up where it appears in the script in your Book,
along with your lighting cues.
 You can either notate your sound cues as we have in our example, notating when you want
it to start and for how long you want it to play, or you can use one cue to fade in and
another cue to fade sound out (but please note that this will use more of your cue
allowance!).
On the Cue List write:
 The cue number
 The name of the track
 These must be in corresponding order as they appear in your book.
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Microphones/amplification
If you wish to bring instruments that need amplifying you need to bring everything with you. We will
make sure there are 13amp plugs available. Please remember that everything will have to be set up
and removed within your 45 minute Technical Rehearsal time, so keep it simple. Percussion and
instruments that can be held are most practical. Any electrical equipment brought into the theatre
must have a current PAT test (portable appliance test) this is a standard test for electrical safety.
Lighting
Deciding how to light your show
There are 12 lighting states available.
On the Shakespeare Schools Festival website is an interactive programme showing the effect of the
different states and how they work in combination. Do play around with this:
www.ssf.uk.com/resources/lightingstates
We advise that you do not over complicate the lighting in your show. Use it to frame the story-telling
and follow through the emotional logic of your piece. The best advice is to ensure that your actors
can be seen. You should not need to rely upon technical effects.
It is important not to rely on light to tell ‘the story’ as this places pressure on your students to hit
lighting marks which can detract from their ability to dramatise their characters.
Notation of lighting cues
You can use a maximum of 20 lighting cues but don’t feel you need to use all of these.

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

Lighting cues should be written numerically e.g. LXQ1, LXQ2 etc.
They should be written in your Book and these should match your Cue List
If the cue is a word in the script, highlight or underline the word, draw a line across to the
left margin and write the cue number there.
If the cue is on a stage direction, clearly describe the stage direction in the script
If you want to add another state to the previous cue, this should be written as new cue with
the new state written down first. All the other states must also be listed on the cue list or
else they will go out on the crossfade
If you just want to remove one lighting state from your current set of lighting states, you
need to write down the state to be removed followed by ‘out’ in the next cue. In this case
all the other states will remain unchanged.
If you have edited your script, please make sure that the up-to-date version is used for your Book.
On the Cue List write:
 The cue number
 The states (one to twelve)
 The percentage value (brightness) of the state (100% = full)
 The fade / crossfade times
Crossfade guide times are as follows:
 Snap – immediate
 Fast - 2 seconds
 Medium - 5 seconds
 Slow -10 seconds
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The Lighting States
All the diagrams are looking down on the stage with the bottom of each diagram being the lip of the
front of the stage. Markings at the top of the diagrams denote a lighting effect on the backdrop..
In all circumstances it is advisable to keep the action downstage wherever possible.
Blackouts are not advised, as we feel they slow the scene transitions down but should be made as
short as possible when unavoidable.
Projected Images
We have the capability to project images on the rear wall of the theatre. It is advised that you check
out how this affects your blocking. See Mr Wyatt early on if this is an area of interest.
Suggested Images:
Fireplace
Windows
Cave Entrance
Forest/Woodland
Skylines (New York etc.)
Landmarks
Horizon - Landscapes
Night Sky - Stars and Moon etc.
Scary Eyes Wolf/Vampire etc.
Signposts (London 15miles etc.)
Doorways
Buildings External (shop front/castle etc.)
Wall hangings - Pictures clocks etc.
Walls - Brick/stone/fence
Text – Setting the scene e.g. ‘meanwhile’,
‘The next day…
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Glossary of Technical Terms
H/S
House lights
APRON
Section of the stage floor which projects towards or into the auditorium.
CROSSFADE
Bringing another lighting state up to completely replace the current lighting state. Also applies to
sound effects / music.
CUE TO CUE
Cutting out action and dialogue between cues during a technical rehearsal, to save time.
CUE LIST
A list of theatrical cues for lighting and sound with timing and volume/intensity information.
DOWNSTAGE
The part of the stage nearest to the audience.
DRESS REHEARSAL
A full rehearsal, with all technical elements brought together. The performance as it will be 'on the
night'.
THE BOOK
Master copy of the script, containing all the actor moves and technical cues, used by stage
management and the technical team to control the performance.
STAGE LEFT / RIGHT
Left/ Right as seen from the actor's point of view when he/she is standing on stage looking out at the
audience (i.e. Stage Left is the right side of the stage when looking from the auditorium).
DSR/DSL/DSC/USR/USL/USC/CS
Abbreviations for Down Stage Right, Up Stage Right etc. Professionals use them to make
rehearsals quicker and easier.
TECHNICAL REHEARSAL
Usually the first time the show is rehearsed in the venue, with lighting, scenery and sound. You may
be asked to go Cue to Cue during your Technical Rehearsal.
THRUST
Form of stage which projects into the auditorium so that the audience are seated on at least two
sides of the extended piece.
UPSTAGE
The part of the stage furthest from the audience.
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APPENDICES
Example Rehearsal Schedule
Dates & Times
Fri 30th Nov 4-5.00
Mon 3rd Dec 4-5.30
Tues 4th Dec P7
Tues 4th Dec 4-5.30
Wed 5th Dec P4
Thurs 6th Dec P3
Thurs 6th Dec 4-6pm
Fri 7th Dec P7
Sun 9th Dec 10 – 2pm
Mon 10th Dec 4-7.30
Tues 11th Dec 4-7.30
Thurs 13th Dec 6pm
Fri 14th Dec 6pm
Sat 15th Dec 6pm
Mon 4-5pm
Scene/Pages
113-130 Try as she might,
Madame Arcati is unable to
exorcise the wives. They realise
Edith’s part. The exorcism is
successful.
113-130 Try as she might,
Madame Arcati is unable to
exorcise the wives. They realise
Edith’s part. The exorcism is
successful.
P67-75
Ruth asks Madame A to
exorcise Elvira.
RUN ACT 3
P87-91Ruth warns Charles of
imminent danger and leaves for
Madame Arcati’s help.
RUN ACT 1 & 2
RUN WHOLE PLAY
TECH Rehearsal (Bring Tea)
DRESS REHEARSAL 4-7.30
Performance 1 7.30
Performance 2 7.30
Performance 3 7.30
Get Out
Cast Required
Charles, Elvira Madame A,
Ruth, Edith
Charles, Elvira Madame A,
Ruth, Edith
Ruth, Madame A
Charles, Elvira Madame A,
Ruth, Edith
Ruth, Charles
Charles, Elvira
FULL CAST
Charles, Elvira
FULL CAST
FULL CAST
FULL CAST
FULL CAST
FULL CAST
FULL CAST
FULL CAST
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