The Technical Skills Theatre Workshop we attended at the Criterion Theatre with Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation was a great success! We had the opportunity to shadow a group of Year 8 students as they rotated around four stations: lighting design, sound design, stage management, and theatre directing. These stations were led by encouraging Criterion and CSSF theatre professionals who supported the students to get stuck into staging a full scene from a Shakespeare play – developing their knowledge and understanding of technical theatre skills. We had the privilege of shadowing two different groups as they completed the workshop, which allowed us to see their confidence grow and their creativity be unleashed.

CSSF and the Criterion team started the day off with a brief chat, introducing themselves to the group and outlining the day's structure: we would break off into four small groups of five and rotate through the four stations to create one complete theatre scene. Each student was assigned a role (such as Directing, Sound, Lighting, Assistant Stage Manager or Deputy Stage Manager), which they would lead during their session. These elements would then be put together, and each group would have the opportunity to watch professional actors perform their scenes on a West End stage!

The team were great at warming up the group and helping to build their confidence. The students were a little held back at first in both interacting and reading the provided extract, but after guided analysis, their confidence was clearly bolstered by the activity that involved writing down all the facts they could find within the scene. The students started to gain an understanding of the extract beyond the Shakespearean language, seeing how its topics applied to a modern context. The team were great at giving contextual explanations of the scene, and this understanding really helped the students’ creativity in generating their own ideas for their performance.

It was really inspiring to see the Criterion and CSSF team working with the students. They were encouraging, attentive to ideas and enthusiastic to get the best out of every group. The team worked hard to lead activities in a way that was accessible and fun for every student, often re-phrasing themselves and prompting the students to feel comfortable making their own creative decisions throughout the day.

The day's structure allowed all students to take a leading role. The students came into the day with different levels of confidence, but as the activities progressed, they were all given the opportunity to take on creative leadership – which they loved! The students in charge of lighting design and sound design took a real lead, making clear artistic choices and vetoing some of the many ideas thrown at them!

When we asked the students what their favourite part of the day was, one told me that she loved how the audience only sees what is in front of them, so learning the behind the scenes is super informative, she said it felt “like uncovering a secret”. What multiple students reiterated was how amazing it was to be in a real working theatre, learning all the parts that go into a professional show, and that all roles are important.

The main developments that were noticeable throughout the day, was the clear progression of dramatic and technical understanding from the members in the group. Through each activity, the students’ perceptions of dramatic and technical conventions sharpened. They became more attuned to inconsistencies within their storylines or the atmosphere created by the lighting and sound.

The day-long workshop, from our observations, is a perfect length. It allowed students enough time to get a proper insight into each element of theatre technology, giving them a great understanding of what goes on behind the scenes in a real theatre. Opportunities like this that CSSF and the Criterion Theatre were able to put together for students are just incredible!

By Ada Gravatt and Edie Jones
Students at the University of Bristol, taking on their work placement at Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

Special Thanks to: Criterion Theatre Trust
Producers of Titanique
Titanique Lighting Design by Paige Seber
Titanique Scenic Design by Gabriel Hainer Evansohn & Grace Laubacher for Iron Bloom