Minack Theatre Advice Day 8- Dad set a course for home!

Hi everyone
Before you all say it, the last couple of posts have been a little bit late. Ok I'll be fair...they are very late! As this post was originally meant to be released after getting home on the Sunday night!
Although I think you'll (hopefully) agree with me here, I've got some very good reasons and excuses why:

1. Due to the lateness of "The Get Out" and after show party on the Friday night (18th July). Which lasted until the early hours of Saturday morning.
2. The journey all the way back to Essex (around 339 miles).
3. The thunderstorm knocking out my computer on the Sunday Night (20th July), and not being repaired until Thursday (24th July). Making it impossible to post anything...although it wasn't completely impossible due to a visit to Jamie's!   

In our time at the Minack we've had a power cut due to a farmer driving a farm vehicle into a power cable, the most amazing thunderstorm (which stopped the performance 2/3 through due to safety concerns!) and a pod of dolphins with random seal. I thought that it was pretty ironic that on Tuesday night we didn't have enough power for the show...fast forward to Friday night, where god seeing us struggling on Tuesday gives us more power than we can muster. By giving us the most tremendous thunderstorm. Making it an 'interesting' if not ironic experience for Surrey Opera this year!!!

View from the top of the Minack Theatre

But as my Dad said back in 2012, that just adds to the magic of the Minack Theatre! So my last tip for the Minack is that the theatre will become one of those places you will never forget, it starts when you look down at the inviting sea from the top of the countless stairs! Your show may go without a problem and may not be as dramatic as our time down there...but either way the Minack Theatre will always be apart of you!!!

Dad Advice 2012- Day 7...again!

Minack Theatre Advice Day 7- "The Get Out"

Hi guys
Today's tip is a lovely bookmark to my week of advice, as it is all about "The Get Out". In my first blog I spoke about how you can prepare for "The Get In" by getting the help of a Vulcan to lift more of the set and props.
http://theengagepodcast.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/minack-theatre-advice-day-1.html
In that blog I hinted about having a rich diet of carrots, which refers to the urban legend about seeing in the dark after eating large amounts of carrots. As "The Get Out" is done after the last performance this ability can be quite helpful!!!
The origins of the legend started back in the 1940's during the Battle of Britain. When the Royal Air Force circulated the story, attempting to cover up their use of radar technologies in engaging German planes.
So my seventh tip for the Minack is to make sure you bring plenty of torches with you, or hail one of the hunters from Rogue Planet to borrow some of their night vision technology. As they will make it easier to see when all the lights get turned off!

Dad Advice 2012- Day 7

Minack Theatre Advice Day 6- Rules!

Hi everyone
Today's tip is all about stage rules, because things at the Minack don't quite happen like they would in a conventional theatre...but I'm sure you'll have realised that by now!!!

At the Minack all the rules you would use in a conventional theatre go out the window, as none of them would work here. So you have to put in place rules that work solely at the Minack. Think of it as being the mirror universe of theatres!
In a normal theatre you don't have to worry about small props, as they are neatly laid out on a props table on either side of the stage...before being moved back to the props table.
Whereas here at the Minack you have consider whether they will be blown away by the wind or props getting rained on.
So my sixth tip for the Minack is to come up to the Minack before your show starts, as this will put you in a good position when you finally have to put your show here!


Dad Advice 2012- Day 6

Rescue 2012

Minack Theatre Advice Day 5- Stairs!

Hi guys
Today's tip is all about the world famous stairs of the Minack Theatre... they just seem to go on forever!!!
By this point in the week you'll have gone up and down the Minack stairs enough times that everything aches...to the point where you can't face walking up or down them ever again!
But today only being Wednesday of course, you have to as there's still another 4 shows to do (and "The Get Out") before you are finished. The Minack stairs are "an opportunity that would bring great advancement" just like Ferengi saying about the Latinum stairway.
So my fifth tip for the Minack is to definately do some stair training before you arrive, as if you don't you will struggle with them, whilst feeling regretful for not doing the training.

Dad Advice 2012- Day 5

Minack Theatre Advice Day 4- Sunshine!

Hi everyone
Today's tip is all about sunshine, as you are likely to get (at least) one superhot day. I imagine the weather today is much like the weather you come to expect on Risa due to the Weather Modification Network!Two years ago we had loads of them, "The Get In" was the first...and because me and dad have never done the Minack before. We didn't know what to expect... or to be more precise I didn't what to expect!
Which meant that not long after started to helping with "The Get In" I got heatstroke, an experience which I really wouldn't like to relive!!!
So my fourth tip for the Minack is to drink loads of water, put on tons of sunscreen and if your wearing black (like we are) stay in the shade for as long as you can!

Dad Advice 2012- Day 4

Minack Theatre Advice Day 3- Wind and rain!

Hi guys
Today my tip is all about weather! This is because earlier we were "trying" to preset the stage for act 1...but we were having problems with the wind. It was attempting to blow of all the props on our altar.
Now it has just started to mizzle, which is a combination of drizzle and mist. Fortunately in the United Kingdom we don't have 178 different words for rain like they do on Ferenginar!
So my third tip for the Minack is to weight down loose with as many stage weights as you can get your hands on. But I echoe what dad said about the topic two years ago:

So if it is likely to blow away tie it down, if you can't tie it down - hold the b****r down. If none of that is possible get rid of it - because if you don't, the wind will do it for you!!

For rain my tip is to set the loose props last, otherwise they will fly away forget very wet!

Dad Advice 2012- Day 3

Minack Theatre Advice Day 2- Practise, practise, practise!

Hi everyone
Today's tip will be in relation to rehearsals, as we are just waiting to start the 3rd and final rehearsal (dress rehearsal) for today. Earlier (at 10am) we started with a technical rehearsal, before moving onto the other dress rehearsal!
My second tip for the Minack is bring something to keep yourself preoccupied between scene changes, as each act will take longer than usual. This is due to the planning involved. So make sure you bring along a Vic Fontaine cd or the latest technial manual!

Dad Advice 2012- Day 2



Minack Theatre Advice Day 1- "The Get In"

Hi everyone
My first tip for the Minack is to train with some dumbbells before you come... as you will definately find it harder to help with "The Get In". I would also recommend adding alot of carrots to your diet. But I'll explain why towards the end of the week!
If you can't do some training before you come down, then make sure you become friendly with a Vulcan (3x the strength of a human). Who can hold more of the set and props, leaving you with less work to do!!!

Dad Advice 2012- Day 1

Dad set course for Cornwall! Minack Theatre holiday 2014!!!

Tosca Poster

Hi guys
I'm sure you'll be able to guess from the title of this post, I'm going down to Cornwall with my dad for a holiday (of sorts!). I say this because it will be a working holiday, because my dad has many hobbies... but his interest in Amateur Dramatics is the reason why we're going all the way down to Cornwall for a total of nine days!
My Dad and I work as part of the backstage crew for Surrey Opera, this years show is Tosca which has already been performed in Surrey. Now the show is being moved down to the world famous Minack Theatre!

Minack Theatre Stage

As I say will be spending the majority of my time working backstage (with my dad) on Tosca. But we will also get some time to spend away from the show to go and explore... strange new worlds. Sorry about that it just sort of came out, what I was meant to be saying was to go and explore Cornwall!!!
This year will be the second time that I'll have helped my dad backstage at the Minack, the last time was back in 2012 when we (Surrey Opera) performed Die Fledermaus to packed audiences.

While we were there my dad came up with seven pieces of advice for putting on a show at the Minack. My dad posted at least one piece of advice for each day the show was performed.
The seven topics my dad talked about were stairs, the wind, sunburn, rain, the changeable weather, upstaging and the magic of the place! In homage to my dad's advice from 2012, I am going to do the same. So if you want to find out what advice I've got then make sure you check the blog for new blog posts between the 12th-20th of July!

Once I've posted this it will mean that we are in a hotel in Okehampton (near Exeter), after travelling (250 miles) all day from Essex. Tomorrow morning we will have around 92 miles left on our journey before we reach the Minack Theatre, at the tip of Cornwall.
When we get there we will begin (what my dad calls) "The Get In". This involves getting the set and props down to the stage (and backstage area) from the van via a people chain. After "The Get In" the construction of the sets will start in anticipation for the rehearsals to start on Sunday morning. After all the practicing the show will begin at 8pm on Monday evening!!!

For those interested in seeing the show, it can be seen between:
Monday 14th to Friday 18th of July at 8pm,
Matinees on Tuesday 15th & 17th of July at 2pm!

If you want to find out more information about the Minack Theatre, Tosca or Surrey Opera please visit:
Minack Theatre Website
Tosca Webpage
Surrey Opera Website