Holiday Inn
GUILDFORD SCHOOL OF ACTING
Holiday Inn is a new stage adaptation based on the 1940s classic Hollywood Movie starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby and is filled with Irving Berlin’s legendary and celebrated songs including ‘White Christmas’, ‘Blue Skies’, ‘Steppin’ Out With My Baby’, ‘Heat Wave’, ‘Cheek to Cheek’ and ‘Shaking the Blues Away’.
Holiday Inn was my first venture back into stage management following my hectic summer at Regent's Park. My experience over the summer caused me to go into the process with a lot of confidence, as I had grown much more as a practitioner and had consequently learnt much more about professional practice. Additionally, this was not my first time stage managing at GSA, having done it previously on Caucasian Chalk Circle the year before, this left me familiar with the practices at GSA and made me even more self-assured going in.
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I would say that this confidence wavered throughout the process as you can never really premeditate everything you will have to encounter with each show you do and there will always be things that pose a challenge or catch you by surprise, however I think for the most part I maintained face.
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We had a very large team of ASMs and even gained two stage crew further down the line and a good thing it was too, due to the prop-heavy nature and abundance of scene changes within the show - it being on such a large scale that even I ran a track amid my stage manager responsibilities.
Myself, Beth Armstrong-Harris (APM) and Freya Inglis (ASM) putting together a wheelbarrow prop
A photo of Harry Lake and Lottie-Mae O'Kill from the SL wing, performing White Christmas
Josh Rogers (Head of Video) filming Marcus May and Lilia Wood for the filmed section of the show.
Myself, Freya Inglis (ASM) and Sam Baker (Crew) loading up the lift with rehearsal props to take to the room.
There is an optional section at the end of Holiday Inn where a film is shown and the director chose to include it, which therefore meant I had to orchestrate a trip off-campus to a church that we were using a filming location. I also covered the room on several occasions and a took keen interest in the acquisition of the pyrotechnics that would feature in 'Let's Say It With Firecrackers' - a number in the second act. It was also on my track to rig and fire the pyros during each show, a role which I took on gladly with my prior experience.
All in all, this was a very intense yet extremely rewarding show that taught me a lot about team management and leadership all the while allowing me to grow my skillset as well as put existing skills to work.
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PROFESSIONAL SHOTS by STEVE GREGSON
