Writing a Show – Things to Bare in Mind

1. Plot – most important – not too samey

   Obviously, as this is Panto, the plots are often formulaic and Rob’s done an excellent job of explaining the nuances of writing a script. That’s not what I want to talk about here. What I wanted to achieve with this section is some pointers on how to structure a script so it will flow reasonably well and be easier to rehearse for all concerned. Foremost in this is the plot. If its too confusing, the audience’s attention will waiver. If its too simple, they’ll get bored. I won’t go into details, Rob’s already done an assessment of this, but think about the situations the characters get into. Is it just get-captured/escape throughout Act II? Are there too many similar characters? Are there too many completely random characters or events? As a Pantomime Society, we base our scripts loosely on well-known and well-loved fairy tales and the essence of these stories are very simple plots. So keep it simple, but don’t let that concept reduce the creativeity you can throw in it…. Ok, I’ve confused myself now…

2. Spreading out Characters

   One of the main problems with lots of stories is that they are very principle-dependent. The majority of fairy tales have a central pivotal character, around which everything happens. In fact, in wider fiction, very few stories work well with ensemble casts, ‘Lord of the Rings’ being a notable exception. However, the problem with Student Productions is that principles also have day jobs, and making a story dependent on a small group of characters appearing in every scene can be a huge strain on the actors involved. In ‘Hernia’ with the four ‘kids’ being in almost every scene, it made it very difficult to rehearse as invariably one couldn’t make it. Casts can’t gel that way, and it puts a strain on you as a director too. Therefore make sure, where you can, that there are scenes where some characters don’t appear for once (e.g. the bad guys plotting, a sub-plot, splitting core goodies up on separate missions), giving both you and the actors a break.

3. Spreading Out Lines

   While this is often solved in editing, you have to be aware of who is on stage and what they’re doing during extended scenes. Often you’ll find, purely by accident, that you have two characters explaining away plot while another character, while still on stage, doesn’t get any lines. While you can sometimes explain this away with them doing something in the background (engaging with chorus groups, performing a task, knitting) or by changing lighting (e.g. dim the background and leave the conversing characters in a spotlight), its often better for more in-depth scenes to spread out the lines more evenly amongst the characters.

4. Spreading out Songs

   Again, in terms of show structure, songs need to be reasonably spread out. This is partly that both solos and chorus numbers usually occur at traditional points. Solos, for example, often aid introduction of characters, and thus occur reasonably early in the show, while chorus numbers traditionally finish each Act (i.e. before the interval and as a Finale). Occasionally, scripts may place songs quite close together, which again can see quite odd. Equally, unless there’s a good reason for a character bursting into song, they can seem tacked in and out of place. Try and make sure the songs are spread across the whole show. It doesn’t have to be evenly spread, in fact there’s usually more songs in Act I than II, but if there are two songs within a few minutes of each other the emphasis can be lost on an audience.

5. Easy Songs – for Dancing & Singing!

   Often we won’t have amazing singers as principles, and as we’re completely open with auditions, our chorus is invariable not that hot on its feet. Its therefore a good plan to pick songs that are familiar to most people and easy to sing/dance to. Often, with solo/principle numbers, the songs are more obscure, which is where having a dance troupe can be a great asset. Similarly, using singers to do the solos and take pressure off the principles can be very handy, as it allows you to cast great actors that can’t sing for toffee, rather than actors that are mediocre at both. If pushed, I’d say getting a better actor is preferable to a good singer. After all the songs only last a few minutes, and for the remaining hour and a half of the show you need the actor to be good! At the same time, don’t be too afraid to push the envelope. Using less well known songs, especially self-penned numbers, can be very audience friendly.

6. Length of Show / Individual Scenes

   Its always a huge problem. As a writer you have so many ideas or gags and you feel bad leaving them out. But the problem is is that once you’ve got the script written, it would take 3 days to perform with a cast of 200. As discussed in the editing section, it will need a thorough short back & sides before it can be safely called ‘a script’. However, trying to self-edit is always a less painful option, and if you’re able, can make the script flow better than when a team of editors have been over it. Perhaps the best way is to make sure that individual scenes to waffle on for too long. As a rule of thumb, 4-6 pages for a scene, with around 10 scenes max. is a decent length for a script.

7. Time for Scenes Changes

   One way of keeping scenes short and snappy is to make sure you’re prepared for scene changes. There’s nothing that bores an audience more than waiting for minutes between scenes while STA scamper about behind the curtains in the dark moving trees. Some of the best ways we’ve worked around this problem in the past is to put small scenes in front of the tabs, giving STA a chance to do the scene change while the action keeps flowing. Similarly, video clips can be used to cover difficult scene/lighting changes that would look odd without the audience’s attention distracted. Being forced to think like this will get scenes running smoother before you even start rehearsals!

8. Radio-Mic Change-Overs

   While not a major concern, it can be difficult for people, particularly in fancy costumes, to quickly swap mics. Therefore think about who needs a mic when, and try and make sure there’s time for them to change inbetween scenes/appearances.

9. Appropriate Interval Moment

   Theoretically this should be fairly easy. The first act finishes on a high/low/climax with a big flashy chorus number. However, it may be that its harder to place than you think. If the action is non-stop from 20 minutes in, the interval mat seem slightly forced if it just occurs without some sort of audience satisfaction. A juicy cliff-hanger or the close of one plot-line is an ideal situation.

10. Sound Effects & Video Footage

    As Panto becomes more and more interactive and the STA’s equipment gets better, we are able to do more and more within the confines of a show. Video screen clips is a new thing for us, but has worked to great effect so far. The only problem is that people could be too tempted to shift emphasis away from the stage, amking it a Panto film with occasional live-action footage. Similarly, with sound effects, its tempting to make it more TV or radio comedy that a stage production. While its great to explore these new (ish) mediums, don’t go overboard. Key clips nice and simple, and make sure sound effects aren’t over-used, as they’re difficult to integrate effectively.

11. Aims of a Show – Fun for all the Family (like incest)

    Inclsive of all these points so far, there’s one major thing I’ve forgotten. The cast! If its not fun for them, its not worth doing. A good script structure can help with this. As I’ve said, the main problem with ‘Hernia’ was that the core principles were in most scenes, making rehearsals tough on the actors. Similarly, with ‘Odd’ the lack of significant chorus inclusion left the smaller parts feeling a bit left out. Keep rehearsals fun, and keep people keen!

12. Guaranteed a Part – the Pantosoc Promise

    However, no matter how the scripts turned out, shows are fun for more than just the acting. One of Pantosoc’s key constitutional aims is to make the societies and shows as inclusive as possible. That we guarantee everyone who auditions a part can be a logistical nightmare for both writers and production team. It may mean, in extreme cases, that parts are shared or chorus groups expanded to larger numbers than envisaged (24 of the Seven Dwarves perhaps). The problem from a non-performing aspect is keeping 40-60 people entertained and keen enough so they’re still around by the time we perform!

13. Final Thoughts

    I know I’ve droned on a bit with this, and I’ve gone over several of Rob’s points (oo er). You’ll find a lot of these points reiterated and added to as you go through this Guide. What I wanted to say is that none of this is set in stone. The whole idea is for future Panto generations to benefit from experiences I’ve gained as something of a Grandaddy of Panto… no make that Godfather of Panto (its sound more prestigious). So, for wont of original catchphrases, break the mould, push the envelope, use your imagination. There’s a whole world of classic stories and fairy tales for us to corrupt and fill with smut, cross-dressing and masses of knob gags…. Go for it!

The Production Team – Roles & Responsibilities

Note - Delegation (downwards, upwards and sideways!)

Its tough but you need to let other people take the reigns for some tasks! Obviously, some aspect of delegation is already present in the committee-production team relations, and within the production team itself. Getting someone to organise Costumes & Props is a good start, especially if you have lots of items to buy/rent/make. Similarly with dance rehearsals, music, band rehearsals, publicity, ticket sales, and front of house can all be delegated out if you want. It depends on how much you want to take on personally. However, unless you want to be a headless chicken professionally, its recommended you do lighten your load!

Committee - officially responsible for everything.

Normally the first people you go to with problems, and the first people to ask for help with production details.

Director - Only has artistic responsibility, but should do more.

Officially, a director’s only responsibility is to run rehearsals. Invariably, this means liasing with the producer on every other aspect of the show, so they can place their ‘vision’ on the set, costumes and any other aspect of the production. Basically, if the producer isn’t your best-mate/sexual-partner by the end of the show, you haven’t liased enough! From one point of view, almost everything is the director's concern, as ticket design, costumes, set etc. all form part of the artistic impression

Producer - actually responsible for show (ooo the power muwahahaha!)

Ideally, a producer should have a team of underlings to do all the work, and is only responsible for keeping everything running well. In reality, the producer runs around like a mad-thing getting everything ready for the show.

Other Directors (musical, dance etc.)

Usually, the producer/director have no clue about music or dance, so need their musical director / chief choreographer to explain what quavers / shimmies are and organise the dance rehearsals and band camp. This will often still involve the producer getting rooms booked, helping find musicians/dancers and providing any additional assistance the dance/music bod can’t do (e.g. digging the CD player out of stores, trawling the net for obscure midi files).

Technical Crew (STA… yay!)

1. Who are they?

   The STA (Stage Technicians Association) are the people involved in all theatre aspects of the show. This is primarily Lighting, Stage, Sound and Pyrotechnics. They will organise themselves so the producer/director should have a Stage Manager (SM), Lighting Director (Chief LX), Sound Director (???) and Pyros Supervisor already organised for you (as soon as they know what fresher’s they got etc.).

2. What do they do?

   They are in charge of the set-up and running of the lights/sounds, and make/paint the sets for you (although any brushwork assistance is always welcome). Obviously, this is very techincal job, and fortunately budding actors are not required to raise scaffold towers and play with follow spots… imagine the carnage if they were. Thus, STA works outside the hirearchy of the rest of the production team (i.e. they work under their own guidance) but with all artistic input (more or less) from the director / producer.

3. How does the STA/PT relation work?

   They might come across as surly but they know there stuff so trust them! STA, as a society, meet regularly and the individual show teams, headed by the SMs, meet separately to discuss progress and organise their own teams of minions. This will include weekly meetings with the production team to make sure set designs are ok, lighting filters are appropriate etc.. Near the start of each term they have a crewing meeting. A member of the production team should go along to this to sell the show to the STA members and persuade them to crew it. More details of how to work with STA are available from their website.

4. The final weeks

Make sure the theatre is booked for the week before show week so the crew can ‘get in’. It will take them at least til the 1^st night of the show to get the lights rigged, sound tested and set painted. Shows have gone on with the floor paint still wet! Similarly, the show week needs to include the Sunday after last night for the ‘get out’. This requires the full cast to help with clearing out the changing rooms and helping STA dismantle everything!

Production Team/Committee Relations

Usually, the production team are on the committee, so any problems are solved pretty quickly. Officially, the committee has the power to over-rule or even replace the production team if it feels the aims of Pantosoc are not being met or things are being handled badly. However, to our knowledge, we’ve never had to enforce such powers (tempted to, but not used). Essentially, we get back to the need for voicing problems/concerns early so everyone can chip in to get things sorted out swiftly.

Before You Start – Week 0 and Pre-Show Preparations

Script Finished AND Edited

By, at the very minimum, the beginning of Fresher’s Week, the script should be finished. This gives a minimum of two weeks for editing. Writers be warned! You’re beloved masterpiece will be cut and hacked into what you perceive as an abomination of your script. However, the editors, often writers of previous shows, know what they’re doing and will make the script flow better as well as increase the gag rate. This may mean some characters are lost or replaced, scenes changed around and maybe even endings rewritten. The point is to make the show as a whole better for everyone, and in particular, the audience. If it’s not funny enough or the plot is too convoluted or even too predictable and same-y, the best actors in the world can’t salvage it… just look at any Martin Lawrence film.

Rooms Booked & Timetabled

Rooms should be booked at the end of the previous (summer) term, but you may find there are clashes meetings or disputed rooms that need to be sorted out this (autumn) term. Theatre bookings are also organised in the summer, so the Winston is booked for the show week and week before (usually weeks 8-9). However, you should be able to have a rough timetable for scene rehearsals prepared before you get too stuck into auditions and editing (otherwise it might be too late). It may also help to make a list of which characters are needed for which scenes, so you can keep track of who you’ll need for each day. For further details, see Rehearsals – Organising.

Music / Dances Prepared?

If you’ve got the script finalised and you know what song/dance numbers you want, it’s a good idea to get the Musical Director and Choreographers involved as early as you can. That way they can do some of the arrangements and/or choreography in advance, which will ease the pressure on future rehearsals. See Music and Dances sections for more details.

At “Fresh”

i) Advertising

You don’t have to worry about memberships at the Fresher’s Fair, you will have to think of ways of advertising your show and getting people signed up to auditions. This should be more or less covered by the committee in making the stall, producing teaser posters and adding details (e.g. plot blurb) to the flyers / membership pamphlets. Its also worth keeping the website updated on the show. See Advertising section for more ideas and further details.

ii) Membership Lists

The Union requires membership lists to include full contact details, which you should get a copy of from the Committee, as this will be a hugely useful resource for contacting cast members.

iii) Audition Sheets

For those that don’t necessarily want to shell out for membership right away, and for ease of organising members too, we have, in the past, printed audition sheets for people to fill in to book an audition time. Due to the number of people that put their names forward, we usually give each auditionee a 5 minute slot, giving a potential 100 places. Leaving a separate column for contact email and phone is also useful, particularly for those who haven’t joined Pantosoc itself.

Week 1 – Auditions and Casting

Auditions

Principles

Obviously, you need to get the principles cast as a priority. This may mean being extremely ruthless with friends. We’re not talking Simon-Cowell-down-right-mean, its more that if you want the best show, you’ve got to cast the best people. <not sure what you meant by this heading Rob!>

Organising

Rooms should be booked for the week after Fresher’s week. Any room will do, but smaller rooms are less daunting to the auditionees. If the panel is closer its more cosy and friendly! Its important to prepare some audition sheets beforehand, and get enough range of character/emotion so you can get a good idea of the acting talent behind the sweaty palmed, nervous-twitching fresher in front of you. Monologues are good for assessing stage presence. Pieces with multiple characters are good for judging adaptability and reactiveness (especially if the panel do the same parts in the same way for people). Try and warn people as much as possible in advance of the way the auditions will run, especially with regard to singing a little something. NOTE: if you don’t already have contact details (email / phone) for auditionees, make sure you collect them at their auditions, otherwise they could miss out on callbacks and/or cast lists, making things harder for you to organise and potentially worse for them.

Running

Try and be nice and relaxed, set people at their easy. Best not to be too friendly with mates, as it could be taken as favouritism by newbies, and may affect your judgement. Give yourselves a minute between auditions to discuss points, and, if you really want, have a scoring system worked out before hand. Be aware that you have to get through a lot of people so you can afford to be slightly ruthless with everyone… after all, if you need to see more of someone, that’s what callbacks are for!

Callbacks

If auditions go well, you may not need further auditions… yeah right! Invariably they’ll be some parts you don’t know about at all, or several people perfect for the same part. Equally, you may find some people are good, but not right for the parts they originally read for. Getting people back to re-read or try different parts may be a big help, as it will give you a fresh look at different aspects of their acting talent. It also gives people who couldn’t make auditions to have a go, or, if you’re really stuck, for you to re-open auditions for extra people or ‘that special someone’ (no, not like that you pervs…)

Casting & Beyond

Casting – It’s a Toughie!

I’m not going to give you any adivce on this. Its entirely dependent on the characters and auditionees. Try to be fair on all concerned, but otherwise it’s a purely artistic decision. Sorry!

Cast Lists & Dropping Out

Once you’ve finalised your cast list, announcements should be neutral (i.e. list of names via email/website/notice board). But keep in mind, people do drop out, so keep your notes in case you need to swap people about.

First Read-Thru

The first read-thru is usually the first time everyone gets to see the script and their fellow cast members. Its traditionally been held on the Monday following the auditions/casting week (i.e. Monday of Week 2). Scripts need to be printed by then (or at least enough to share around), and its also an ideal time for handing out rehearsal timetables. Equally, as it’s the first time the cast will be together, make it a big social event, do games, learn peoples names and give everyone plenty of time to go the bar afterwards.

Running the Show

Rehearsals - Organising

Room bookings

Room bookings should be sorted out the term beforehand, so you should know well in advance what rooms you have when. If you need to book more, there are often some gaps you can fill:

i) If you have a few days/hours beforehand:

Try pretty much any room. Its possible people have cancelled rooms, or events that had pre-booked the spaces (e.g. Ents in MR1) may have fallen through. There’s a good chance you’ll find a decent sized room without too much hassle.

ii) If its all last minute:

Try as above. if not, some rooms people don’t immediately think of may be free. Large Study Room is a goodie. Its nice and big, and not many societies seem to use it. At a push, areas usually not used can be organised at short notice. The 4^th floor foyer is a possiblity. If you can contact them, the international centre foyer can be used. If not, you can always try loitering in a room until you get kicked out!

Timetable

The best plan is to prepare people with their likely commitments without over-loading them. The key is to plan the rehearsals so, as much as possible, people aren’t need every week, or at least not consecutive days. This is more or less impossible if your plot requires groups of characters to more or less progress throughout the whole show (e.g. the ‘Kids’ in Hernia had to be in almost every rehearsal. In fact Lucy was in every scene… oops). Having 3 days a week written off from the start is a pretty daunting prospect, particularly for freshers who’ve joined multiple societies and want to give them a try too (gasp! Traitors!). Try your best to keep things easy for everyone, but it’s a difficult and thankless task. Make sure people can get timetables quickly so they can plan their lives easily. We usually have a rough timetable (e.g. 3 weeks worked out, the rest TBA) for the readthru, updated reasonably regularly.

Scripts Down

It’s a difficult question, but you have to be strict to get it working. In ‘Hernia’ we were pretty lax and as a result people were still relying on scripts the week before. If you set a specific date and be strict about it, it will shock/shame people into learning their parts pretty quick!

Socials and Time Off - Keeping the Cast Happy!

While socials, in society terms, aren’t your responsibility (unless you happen to be social sec as well as production team!), it is important to generate a ‘chummy’ atmosphere to keen everyone keen. Try and make sure rehearsals finish with plenty of bar time, and hang around with your cast. We know you’re busy, but the more ‘parental’ time you put in, the better your PT-actor relationship will be. Similarly, if there are society socials planned, make sure you’re rehearsal timetable allows for the time off (so you can enjoy them too!) Finally, be flexible. If scenes are working super smooth, don’t allocate several hours on them the next week. It will annoy the cast concerned and may let things stagnate. Make sure they get rehearsed, but save the extra time for the scenes that need the work.

Punctuality

Panto is, of course, renowned for its lack of punctuality. The problem is that the worse it gets, the less you can get done and the more annoying it is for those that do show up on time. Primarily this means that you have to set and example and are always early. As for bullying your cast into shape, you have to be aware of people’s situations (e.g. lengthy walks in, hall meal times, part-time jobs, studentlink timetables etc.) but at the same time you have to be strict. After all some people, despite other commitments or commuting distances are always on time, while others that live around the corner may be perpetually late. One possibility is to put late comers on the spot; make them tell a joke, buy drinks for the others, do a dance or something. Its up to you but nip it in the bud before it derails your show! This is especially true of the final weeks of rehearsals where ever extra second counts!

Rehearsals - Running

Warmups

Everyone hates warm-ups. Its hard to get people motivated about them, particularly after several weeks of rehearsals under everyone’s belt. But its great for the initial few weeks, when people are still unsure of you and don’t necessarily know anyone else. Make sure you don’t do the same games over and over, and make sure you chose appropriate games for the size of the rehearsal. Remember the warm-up is good for getting people in the mood but it can’t be too long or the initial enthusiasm will wear out pretty quick.

Blocking

While rehearsal are partly to get people used to the script and each other, the other key priority is blocking. You have to have an idea in your mind about where people will move as they act, and they will often fill in blanks themselves (they are actors after all). But as a director you need to be clear about how you want scenes to progress and where people will begin/end up. Stage is a live and dynamic medium, so use the full width and depth of the stage to get the effect you want.

Character Profiles, Workshops & Improv

As Pantos can be slightly random affairs, its often important to get people into a better idea of their characters and situations. If actors aren’t used to comedy or our style of production, they may find it hard to ‘get it’. Running character workshops is a good way of getting principles to sound and behave as you’d like, otherwise their own (mis)interpretations may put the whole scene/show out of wack. As we now have an active Improv group, it may be worth you trying to convince them to go along if you’re not convinced their comic timing is quite there too. It’ll also help them when it comes to heckling!

Run-throughs

The problem with run-thrus is that they don’t half drag! Not only will you not be able to tweak scenes or actors as much as you’d like, but if often leave people sitting around for extended periods. They are however vital for getting run-times down and getting everyone used to the show as a single story rather than a jumbled collection of scenes. If people can see where characters come from / end up, it often gives them a better idea of how to act than by reading their script/doing the scenes separately can achieve. However, this still leaves you with the problem of what to do with those not in much left out for extended periods. We’ve found in the past that having an extra person (e.g. producer/asst. director) to take people off for workshops/additional scene rehearsal is ideal, or for other show admin (costume fitting, prop making etc). Its also worth warning people about sitting-around time and suggesting they bring work/book/walkman etc to keep them amused (particularly for weekend slots, they can really drag!)

The Chorus – Management & Workshopping

As with principles, getting the chorus into character is surprisingly tricky. This is often due to the rehearsals involving chrous groups being more of a ‘you go here, and stand here’ practice than real character work. The best idea is to make sure you get all cast members, not just prinicples as involved in the scenes as possible. Its also worth having the chorus do their own workshops so you can explain to them what you want without having to worry about doing actual scenes. As these people are often the heart & soul of Pantosoc, and often the ones that return for future shows, its good to keep them sweet. For example, if they’ve been to a few scene rehearsals, its not so vital to be at all of them. Once they know where they’re going and what they have to do, it gets very boring for them.

Singing/Dance Rehearsals

For principles / dance troupe, rehearsals aren’t usually to much of a problem. Singing can be done more or less anywhere you can set up a keyboard, and its often more convenient for them to show up at the MDs/your house as that’s where all the equipment/music is easily available. Dancers prefer the dance studio, which can be a bitch to book, but they can make do with other rooms if need be. It’s the chorus / full-cast rehearsals for singing and dancing that are always toughies. Make sure you get your choreographers and MD involved early so they can get used to the cast and their potential, and make sure they’re fully aware of your expectations (when you’d like most songs/dances sorted by etc.). For you, make sure any equipment (stereos/keyboards) are available and set-up ideally before the rehearsal starts.

Before & During the Show Week (Weeks 8-9)

This is the final stretch! Its ideally a time for everyone and everything to come together harmoniously... invariably this never happens and you will find you can live without sleep for a surprising number of days. However, there are still several things you’ll need to have organised, aside from getting all the different groups (dances/music/technical aspects) together.

Audience Interaction & Heckling

Everyone should have realised this is Panto by now! We don’t take ourselves seriously and don’t expect the audience to. Therefore people should be prepared for things to go wrong, lines to be forgotten, technical things/cues to get missed / fail to work… and above all, the heckling. Its as much a panto tradition as the dame or Dobbin. The principles in particular should be warned that people will shout things and they have to be ready to come-back. Its easy to get stumped, and having ‘pre-thoughtout’ come backs are no 100% defence. Improv Workshops are useful to get people thinking about being witty and spontaneous, but even so, stress that getting flabbergasted can be as funny as a witty retorte. Beside, you can always force them up on stage and make them sing… its happened, trust me!

Pantosoc Memberships

If you haven’t already, make sure you’ve checked that your cast are all official members of Pantosoc. This is a legal requirement for performing on stage, as the membership also acts as personal insurance against accidents on stage. This means you will have to chase people down and get them to cough up the cash (usually about £2) and distribute membership cards. You’ll also have to make sure that additional member’s details are passed on to the committee and on to the Union.

Ticket Sales

These should ideally begin at the beginning of Week 8. You’ll have to have the tickets ordered and printed in advance, and have adequate preparations for the actual sale. See Tickets section on Page X for details.

Front of House and Ushers

Make sure you’ve organised a Front of House Manager and convinced/bribed some mates to be Ushers. Again, see the Safety > Front of House section for more details.

Programmes

i) Design – Include Everyone!

Designing the programme can be a lot of fun. Not only can you include gags you had to drop from the script but you can also include even more gags for your own, the cast’s and of course the audiences tittilation. It’s also a great piece of memorabilia for cast/crew/friend and family. HOWEVER, its vital you include absolutely everyone in the Cast/Crew Lists. Outside of the cast, there’s the back-stage crew (make-up, costumes, video footage) band, writers, choreographers etc… a whole host of people. And if you forget any of them, they’ll never talk to you again. This is where keeping excellent records of who’s doing what for both the production team as well as the cast can be of huge help. If you have time, give a rough copy to the cast/crew and make sure everyone has their name down and its spelt correctly.

ii) Advertising

There is always the chance that you’ve managed to convince a company to sponsor the show, and having a page / half-page in the programme is and easy and cheap way of getting it set up. Just make sure you’ve got all the details from the company you’ll need beforehand, and provide them with a printed example before you go ahead and print the entire batch. See Money > Raising Money for further details.

iii) Printing

Give yourself (and the Print Shop) plenty of time before the show run to get the programmes printed. Ideally, you should be able to get example copies to the cast/crew (and advertisers) so they can double check the details as well as spelling and grammar for you. The Print Shop do quite cheap A5 stapled style print jobs, which are ideal for our needs. If you like, you can get A4 copies (in colour if you’re really keen) as more durable memorabilia for your cast/crew.

Cast Meal & Party

We like to keep our cast/crew happy, and how better than to ply them with booze and great grub? The Cast Meal is traditionally after the 1^st night of the show (the Wednesday), and the Party is after the final night (the Saturday) so we can all get thoroughly trashed without having to worry about performing the next day (just cleaning out the theatre… oh well). Here’s a few suggestions to help you out…

i) Pizza Prov

We don’t know how long Pantosoc has been going to Pizza Prov. But its turned into the restaurant of choice for post-show meals. The fact that we know the staff by name and get a kiss on the cheek when we go in says a lot… Anyway, if you want Pizza Prov, they are more than happy to book you in. Bare in mind, even for us, they need to know in advance date, time and numbers. They’ll also ask for orders in advance so they can all be more or less cooked ready for our ~11pm arrival. This means getting people to pick Pizza ‘buddies’ (as they’re huge!) and confirming orders at least 2 days in advance.

ii) The Party

Make sure everyone brings their own booze. While panto supplies some (and organises the venue etc. – see Post-Show > Cast Party below), you will need to get people to bring their own. Otherwise, have fun!

Before the Performance

i) Punctuality – Now its Vital!

Before, during rehearsals, people showing up late was an annoyance. Now it’s a ‘we cant start the show without them’ situation. Make sure you have everyone’s contact numbers, and stress that everyone has to be there well before the doors open. In the past we’ve said a bare minimum of one hour before door open. Its up to you to pick an appropriate time, but make sure those that require extensive make-up / costume preparation that they will need to get in earlier.

ii) Warming up

People are stress, excited and a bit jittery before a performance. Its natural. But getting the cast all together (on stage if possible) for 10-15 minutes before the house opens is ideal for sing-a-longs and games to calm people down and get them sufficiently witty / prepared for audience interaction.

iii) Back-Stage Personnel – Key Responsibilities

• Basically make sure that prop masters / make-up artists know what they’re doing when and where.

• Make sure that principles / singers know when to change radio mics and who with.

• Ensure all props are located and ready for use.

• Get people to check each others costumes / make-up

Post Show Responsibilities

Yep, its not over til the fat lady sings and beyond! Even when the curtain comes down on the final night, there’s still plenty for you to do (sorry!)

After-Show Cast Party!

Ok, its not that hard to organise… or is it? You need to organise:

i) Venue

Preferrably somewhere close to the union. But the key is big! You’ll have to fit 50+ cast, around 20 crew, plus the house occupants (non-panto) and any friends/family that have turned up for the final night and you can’t ditch.

ii) Maps and Taxis

Make sure everyone knows where they’re going. Best way is to provide maps in the dressing rooms or as handouts. Equally, as responsible adults, make sure everyone knows how to get home again and provide taxi numbers for people to copy. Obviously, you can’t be completely responsible for everyone , but try and make sure people who have to get home via dodgy areas (the Downs / St. Pauls /anywhere late at night for that matter etc.) know someone else they can share taxis / walk back with.

ii) the Booze (MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT… OBVIOUSLY!)

We usually set a budget of £50-80 and get the cheapest booze we can find. Make sure you get a fair mixture so there’s something for everyone. Punch is often a nice way to spread the booze to lots of people (but you may need some cheap washing up bowls to put them in). Make sure you have mixers as well as alcohol, and if you need them, throw-away cups etc.

iii) Presents (and certificates?)

We usually get small gifts for all those involved in the show. Primarily is the Director/Producer, so you may well end up buying your own presents. But you need to included other key players; SM, Choreographer (s), MD, Costumer(s), Make-Up Artist(s), Chief LX and so on. Don’t go crazy, a couple of quid on each is usually enough to get them something nice/cute/silly. Make sure you have a budget and collect a pittance (e.g. £2-3) from everyone. Often getting signed posters framed are great and touching memories to give to main members of the production team. You can get joint presents for groups e.g. sweeties for all the crew / cast or smaller groups. In the past few years, we’ve also done individual certificates for the entire cast. Its nice, but can be a big strain trying to come up with taglines for everyone, and as far as I know, most people prefer posters / programmes signed by everyone as memories than a badly printed certificate. Still, it’s a nice thing to add to your speech… which reminds me…

iv) Speeches

During the presentation of these gifts, you’ll likely have to do a speech. Don’t worry about preparing any material (you’ll be too pissed to remember it) but just bare in mind everyone just wants to party, so keep things short and sweet.

v) the clean up afterwards

Often you can convince the occupants to do most of it, in exchange for any booze that’s left. However, if you can convince cast/crew to pop in and help out, its appreciated

The Get Out

Make sure everyone is well aware of their responsibilities and that they’ll be needed for clearing out the theatre (or primarily, the dressing rooms). The more people that help, the easier things are.

Show Follow Ups

i) Video Night

Even if people have already got copies of the show video/DVD (if you’re making one), its often quite nice to hire a telly in the union and get the cast reunited for a joint viewing.

ii) Reunion Socials (Spring Term)

Its often the case that we lose people after the Christmas show. This is partly due to the inevitable principle/chorus divide, and the fact that the principles have lived and breathed panto and need to catch up on work/friends/other societies. So we’ve often found its only the core panto direhards that show up to ‘reunion’ socials. Having said that, it does give people the chance to see each other after the Christmas break, and you can start touting for new directors/writers for Easter and beyond. So it’s a nice plan, but don’t expect 50+ people to show!

Behind the Scenes – Your Minions and Beyond!

Dance Troupe

While it is not essential for shows to have a separate group of dancers to the main chorus, it does add another dimension to the performance and allows for more spectacular musical numbers whilst also allowing more people to get involved. Often we find people more keen to dance than act, and having such a troupe allows this added flexibility. It also means the larger chorus can concentrate on two big numbers, while smaller songs can have more impressive choreography. Previous years have shown a group of 8-12 dancers works well.

Dance Auditions

These should ideally run shortly after the initial rehearsals so dancers can be chosen and get practising early. Its best if you have a chief choreographer (see below) already organised so they can work out a short plan to put the potential troupers through their paces and be able to pick the best dancers out (rather than just the ones that look good in leotards). If there’s a short fall of dancers, you can re-open auditions, or contact other dance societies (primarly DanceSoc) so drum up support.

Choreography & Organisation

i) Chief Choreographer

As with Music and Costumes, having one person in charge of organising the dances (from choreography to rehearsals) is by far the easiest way of handling things. Ideally, this should be sorted out in plenty of time before the show, so they can help to organise room bookings and run the dance auditions. If no-one wants to be top-dog, joint choreographers can work just as well, although this often means slightly more responsibility is back on the producer’s shoulders.

ii) Choreography

Even if the script isn’t finished, getting a list of songs to choreographers (if they’re already organised) is ideal, so they have the at least some of the summer to start work on the choreography. If this isn’t possible (e.g. songs not decided on; choreographers not sorted) then you may have to get additional rooms booked so choreographers can do their stuff.

iii) Access to Music, CD Players and Rooms

Part of getting the choreography sorted is to make sure the dancers have access to the music and facilities for them to choreograph / dance to. Burning CDs for all the songs is the best way to start things off, although if you’re using a live band, getting the music midi-ed and burnt off is even better. Now we have a Panto CD Player, dancers can now practice relatively easily in the Union itself (without having clear spaces in their living rooms!) The Dance Studio (5^th floor) is in high demand, but its best, particularly for larger rehearsals, to have the mirrored space (and sprung flooring!). Other than making the studio the priority, treat booking dance rehearsals as you would any other rehearsal (see Rehearsals - Organising > Room Bookings).

Band vs. Recorded

It’s the age old question. Both have benefits. Both have disadvantages. Rob’s article on ‘How to Write a Panto’ does discuss some of these points. The basic rule, from a purely organisation perspective, is that if you’re gonna have a band make sure its organised as early as possible and that the music is written as early as possible too. If not, you’ve got plenty of time to dig out some suitable karaoke versions, or at least edit originals. If you’ve chosen to have a band, make sure they’re what you want. If you want a rock band (guitars and drums) its no good if you get a violin and two saxophones. There are enough musicians around UoB to find what you need. Contact musical societies (BUMS) and departments and pester the cast /friends if they have musical contacts.

Musical Director

The MD is responsible for the band, and is usually in charge of writing/adapting the music too. As with choreographers and costumers, they should work more or less independently, while liasing with the rest of the production team. The musical adaptation often doesn’t include changes in lyrics, which the writer or someone on the production team usually handles.

Band & Singing Rehearsals

Because we use talented musicians (or allegedly anyway) they don’t need to rehearse that much together. With original music, there may be a requirement for additional practice, but again, if its all written early enough it shouldn’t be a big problem. The Key here is to integrate band music with the CDs used for dances. If its done too late the cast have got so used to the pace and key of the originals that changing to band is much harder.

Performing Rights

As with any production within the Union, we have to submit a list of all music / lyrics / sounds used for copyright purposes. Fortunately the Union has a special Performing Rights licence so that we don’t have to pay for each copyright individually (unlike other shows, especially musicals/operas where they often use the whole score). As our work is original (aside from the odd gag ‘borrowed’ here and there), its just our musical adaptations that we have to worry about. Performing Rights Forms can be obtained from the Union Offices.

Helping Out

STA are the Gods and Goddesses of technical matters. However, they are always happy to accept extra hands for the less technical matters. In the past people have helped with set construction, in particular painting, which is a huge help, as it frees trained techies to work on other aspects of the get in. Equally, if you ever have any queries about show matters, particularly set/sound/light related, they’re usually more than happy to help you too!

Lighting

i) Lighting Plan (and ‘The Plot’)

As director, one of the main tasks is to go through what lighting effects/colours you’ll want throughout the show. This will begin with the meetings, where you can give general ideas to STA to get the ball rolling. However, the majority of the work will occur with ‘The Plot’ which is where you sit in the theatre during the get in (usually the weekend before the show) and go through the script line by line to sort out what effects happen when and how. You can change patterns, alter colours slightly etc. to get the exact effect you want. Bare in mind that the basic colours have to be chosen before this, as the see-thru flimsies have to be ordered in and set up prior to the plot.

ii) Special Effects

There are of course different effects lighting can produce, and there’s lots of flexibility and potential here. ‘Gobos’ which cause different light patterns (e.g. forest, clouds, or even symbols) can be made, and STA have access to a range of different sorts available. If you want more they have to be ordered in, but they may be expensive. There’s lots of different things you can do with lighting so talk to previous directors and STA for ideas and inspiration.

Sound

i) Deciding on sound effects

Its tempting to put loads of sound effects in shows, partly because a lot of inspiration comes from TV and radio comedy, which are often effects-packed. The problem with sound gags on stage is that the timing is often far off. In any stage show, sound effects can often end up with a lag time, and the limited amount of on-stage rehearsal time we get means STA often only get one rehearsal before they have to play the effects in the actual show. This can lead to serious mis-timings and gags can fall flat. So if you’re gonna use them, make sure the punchline is worthwhile. Having said all that, they can be great fun to use, and can work splendidly. Its again a matter of personal choice; you just have to be aware of the practicalities of using them.

ii) Radio mics and other mics/effects

Radio mics, being in short supply, are often a considerable problem for shows. This is often emphasised if there are multiple principles all needing added volume, and if songs are involved. Plan which characters will need mics for which scenes, making sure lead singers have them for songs, and ensuring there’s adequate time for them to be unstrapped and taped on to the next person. Stand-Mics are handy for ‘singer’ characters (e.g. the wonderland singers for ‘Hernia’) and remote mics (i.e. hand held jobbies) can also be used in these cases, and may serve well as temporary replacements for radio mics. Characters that require the use of voice manipulation (e.g. booming God-type voices, evil distorted voices) can be easily hooked up backstage to a mic kept in the wings. This is often better than having them pre-recorded as they can react to events on stage more easily. The only problem is having a live mic backstage, but this is usually fine.

Staging – Set Plans etc.

As Panto usually involves so many people (up to around 60 people on stage at a time for chorus numbers), its often hard to have huge impressive sets. Equally, because of the larger cast, we often have to put more of our budgets towards other aspects of the show than scenery/set. However, this doesn’t limit you to an empty stage. Its often possible to have considerable set items for different scenes (particularly when smaller no.s of characters are onstage) which gives the actors more to work with and makes the stage less empty and plain. Again, the problem with this is storing the pieces backstage, but STA are inventive and if there’s something you really want them to build (be it throne, cave, sacrificial altar or whatever) there’s often a way around it.

Costumes & Props

Stores

Obviously, with limited budgets, the majority of costumes (or components for them) should be found in stores. The Stores Rep is probably the best person to liase with to find out what is available and what you’ll need to buy/make/hire. Note, anything that is carried on or off stage by characters is a prop and STA have nothing to do with it.! Make sure you’ve gone through the script very carefully to get everything.

Buying & Hiring

The majority of the budget will go on hiring / buying whole costumes, particularly if there’s some very specific (e.g. lion costume). So you have to be very picky and careful with what you buy for the remainder. There’s no sense in blowing loads of money on a single item (no matter how cool it is) if its going to leave you short at the end. Don’t spend loads on items that are only needed for short amounts of stage time. Make sure you get the important items (principles costumes, vital props) before the items that aren’t as vital. Chorus groups inevitably end up being left out somewhat, but there’s usually enough in people’s wardrobes or that they’re willing to beg/steal/borrow from friends to have themselves kitted out reasonably well. Make good use of charity / pound shops to pick up smaller items that you need. Going to cheaper department stores like Primark is also a good plan.

Doing fittings

Make sure you check your actors fit in their costumes in plenty of time. If you’re hiring and can’t do a fitting, make sure you get a size they’ll definitely fit in (even if they then resemble Meatloaf). You can always use safety pins to make them seem more human.

Making Costumes

This is usually the hardest task, as few people have experience with textiles or have access to sewing machines. There is a limited (and rather random) supply of material in stores, and there are several shops (Fabricland, just out of Broadmead) that do a range of more exotic materials (furs, combat patterns etc.). Try to make the list of ‘things that need sewing’ is as small as possible, to ease the burden on any seamstresses you find.

Making Props

This is considerably easier than costumes and fun. You’re likely to get a reasonable number of volunteers (everyone loves to express their inner Blue Peter fan), and there’s a reasonable range of ‘arts & crafts’ items in stores. However, its worth having a check and getting in extra cardboard, string, tin foil and toilet rolls before you start. The Union has cardboard bins at the back of the building (next to the Catholic Chaplaincy), which (if it hasn’t been raining) are an ideal source of raw material. If not the shop usually has a smaller supply indoors, and failing that there are plenty of shops / university departments that keep cardboard bins. You will need to get rooms booked, separate from rehearsals, to get the majority of the ‘work’ done. For bigger rehearsals (e.g. weekends) its worth having materials available so people not on stage can keep themselves busy (and productive!)

Back-Stage Organisation

If you have people spare enough, its ideal to have someone in charge of organising people’s props during the actual show. This basically involves keeping all the props required on a table and making sure that no one walks off with a vital prop! Overall, people should be aware what props they need when, and be responsible for them on an individual basis.

Make-Up

Chief / Professional Make-Up Artist(s)

Ideally, if you can find a make up artist, they can concentrate on the difficult characters (e.g. animals etc.) and principles, leaving cast volunteers to help with other characters and chorus groups. If none come forward, ask around the other societies/departments, especially Performing Arts and Film-related. You should be able to find someone with some experience willing to help you out.

General Make-Up Hints

Unless you have someone come forward / touted for to do ‘professional’ stage make-up, you may have to make do with the cast helping each other out. Just remember you do need some basic make-up to stop people looking shiny under the lights. Otherwise its bad for the audience and even worse for any filming you’re doing. This also means you’ll have to get plenty of foundation (enough for all the characters for 5 performances), lippy etc. and baby-wipes! Even if you do get someone in, remember you may be asked to pay for replacement materials.

Publicity

Posters (teasers)

If you’re wanting a subtle ‘teaser’ poster campaign first, make sure it is out well in advance of the main campaign. The point of such adverts is to generate interest and spread the word of Panto further than the cast (and their friends/families). Subtle taglines or obscure references with attached web address (e.g. whatisthematrix) can both work well.

Posters (main ones)

i) Design

Make sure the posters are well positioned and eye-catching. Black and whites are useful for covering larger areas for less money (e.g. union, halls,departments) but colour spreads are more noticeable and better for memorabilia afterwards. Again, designs need to be made and posters up well in advance of the show. NOTE: make sure there’s emphasis on when and where the tickets are available. Make use of the website (see below).

ii) Distribution

Make use of the cast to ensure posters are in all halls and departments (draw up lists of who lives where and who does what subject if necessary). Posters are often taken down in the Union (we’ve suspected rival societies but we’ve never been able to prove it), so keep a regular check and make sure they’re visible.

Flyers

No one seems sure if flyering really works or not. In my opinion, for Panto Flyers to stick out, it doesn’t have to be bright or colourful (all the club night ones will beat us hands down if we try that). Again, a subtler, funnier approach may be better. This is somewhat uncharted territory for us (i.e. we haven’t tried it outside of handmade rush jobs), so its worth considering for future shows (see also Tickets > Selling).

T-shirts

While the main point of t-shirts is as a bit of fun for the cast & crew, they can be quite good as publcitity for your show. Taglines may be the key here. A funny line will get people reading your chest/back, although be aware that too risque a line may put people off buying t-shirts in the first place. ‘Shirt Tales’ on Park Row is the place we usually go to for t-shirts, as they know us, already have dobbin logos of varying sizes made up, and are good for putting through rush / extra runs at short notice. Feel free to try other sales teams, and haggle for price. We usually put aside some of the advertising budget to subsidise t-shirts (say £50).

Website

Whether anyone not in Panto actually visits the website is debatable, but its worth keeping the site as up-to-date as we put the address on all posters, flyers and t-shirts. Having ticket-sales contact details is also worth being on the site, as an added incentive for people.

Cast

The majority of our audience are known to the cast and crew. Make sure the cast are well aware they need to be constantly plugging panto for weeks on end. This means bullying friends, making announcements in lectures, inviting workmates. They are also the best way of getting posters spread around all the halls and departments (see Posters above).

Filming and Photography

Photography for Posterity?

Outside of cast photos and personal snaps, its nice to be able to record both the shows and some of the fun behind the scenes. In the past we’ve either used a roll of film as ‘panto property’ and claimed the development as expenses, or scanned people’s personal collections. It’s worth considering.

Cutscenes & Other Projections

i) Budgeting for Filming

If you want to have a projection screen and do some filiming for your show, you must first make sure you’ve budgeted to cover both the cost of additional equipment hire and the additional costumes / props you’ll need. UBFS has its own camera and tripod, although the cost is around £50 a day, so you have to be scrupulous with your use. They are quite good about letting us have the camera again to transfer film to a PC for editing, but its still good to be careful with your time.

ii) Planning

Firstly, make sure the scenes fit into your story. If they disrupt the flow on stage too much, they’ll just seem tacked in and a bit off-putting.

iii) Pre-Production

Make sure you’ve allotted enough time for all the filming you need, and make sure it’s well in advance of the show so there’s plenty of time for editing/post-production (this will take a minimum of two weeks). Also make sure you’ve got locations planned & scouted prior to filming. Make sure, if you have specific venues, (e.g. Cabot Tower) that you’ve picked a time suitable to carry out your filming (e.g. very early so there’s enough light and few people). Bear in mind, autumn to winter means you lose light fast! If possible, its worth trying to get a look at the camera beforehand, so you can be used to the controls and features before you start.

iv) Filming

Give yourself plenty of time to do multiple takes and different angles. Even very short pieces may well take a long time so be prepared! Again, be aware of light and make sure you’ve got all the shots you need (its hard to get all the equipment and people back again for reshoots if you’ve missed something).

v) Post-Production

I have to admit, I don’t know much about this. Rob did prety much all the post work for the Hernia sketches. Adobe Premier seemed to be the best sort of programme to use to blend the scenes and sound/music together. Other than that, I’ll leave it to Rob to add to this…

vi) Other Projections

If the screen is up, its nice to use it as additional background, particularly as Panto scenery is often limited due to the vast numbers of people on stage. Again, this is a chance for imaginations to run riot, so have fun with it. PowerPoint is the simplest way of combining pictures, text and short cut-scenes into one easy to handle package. Be aware, though, that STA may not have enough people to be in charge of the projections, so you may have to recruit another mate to run PowerPoint for you).

vii) Inventiveness & Limitations

As this is a new medium for Panto to explore, be creative. Without the constraints of a stage (or even actors) using a screen can expand storylines and allow gags that would have otherwise been impossible. However, Panto is primarily a stage-based ‘art’, so make sure that the screen isn’t over-used, otherwise it will distract from the events on stage. Keep cut-scenes short and sweet, so they do what they are meant to; add to the show without distracting the audience too much.

Filming the Show & Follow-Up

i) Filming

Whether you have cut-scenes/projections or not, filiming the show is an ideal way of preserving the show for future panto generations and also makes a great purchase possibility for the cast. Almost the entire cast of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ wanted videos, and I’m sure when we finally get Hernia off the DV-Tapes and onto DVD/VHS, despite the delay there’ll be an equal demand. Again, make sure you have the resources (i.e. budget for additional camera hire) and facilities for transfer of the video (which is where we’ve hit the problem with ‘Hernia’). If you can, film different nights and use two cameras (for long shots and close-up work) so you can get the best possible video at the end… although this does mean even more post-production editing (although without the time constraints). Even if you haven’t got a finished version, a cast video night in the spring term is also usually a popular idea (see Post-Show > Follow Ups > Video Night).

ii) Getting Copies

There are several companies around Bristol that can do multiple copies of videos/DVDs. The company I used for ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was in Easton and did it for about £7 I think. It isn’t too difficult, although it can take a while depending on the quantity and how quickly the finished show production is available. Its therefore vital to make sure money is handed in beforehand. Its not too bad during the rehearsal period to have cast members owe you, as you can hassle them almost daily. After the show’s over and you rarely see them, getting money out of them is a lot harder!

Design

The company we order tickets from (see below) reuqires the submission of a layout for the tickets, which they confirm before they print. In the past we’ve had to fax this, but they required logos via email last year (for Hernia) so I guess this means the whole layout can be emailed (saves a few pence in fax I guess). The only requirement is the Pantosoc and UBU logos. Otherwise the design is up to us, although there’s not a lot of space. Key elements would be the show name, date, doors open time, show start time and price. Fonts may change depending on their software, but they’re usually pretty good at getting more or less what we want.

Ordering

The union has a standard ticket company (XXXXX) that all shows go to to organise their ticket printing. The Winston holds XXX seats, and depending on the stage an additional XX to XX seats can be added. Usually we just get enough for the standard seats, although getting a few extra to cover the additional seating would be good. Getting the tickets in books of 20-25 is ideal, as it allows distribution around different sales venues more easily (see Selling below). Getting different ticket colours for each night is the easiest way to stop confusion. They do a full range, explained on the order form. Forms can be collected from the treasurer’s office.

Selling - book the table!! lots of people

i) The Hawthornes

The majority of our ticket sales happen at the Hawthornes in the Weeks 8 and 9 (show week). The Hawthornes has started charging for tables and reduced the number of tables available, so its very important to book them early. However, if you want to be cheeky and have plenty of brollies/folding tables, you can set up a sales desk just outside the doors. Its not ideal and makes things more difficult, but it is possible if the Hawthornes foyer is complete booked out. Bring sweeties, funny hats, Dobbin/Clarabel… anything to attract attention. The more people involved the better, as they can shout down the street and help flyering (See Publicity > Flyers).

ii) The Union Shop

We also put a few books behind the counter in the Union Shop. Just talk to the manager about it, and they can usually do it on the spot for you. Sales there aren’t great, but leave a contact number so they can call you in case they run out. Make sure you collect booklets from the shop before opening the box office each night, so you’ve got all remaining tickets on hand.

iii) Rehearsals

We also sell tickets to cast and crew at rehearsals. So make sure you bring tickets/cash box with you. We also let cast members reserve tickets for friends and relatives (see below).

iv) Money Matters

Remember to bring lots of change with you and stock up each day of sales. You’ll be surprised how fast those quids and fiftys disappear. Remember we usually offer Pantosoc members a 50p discount on their tickets (that’s tickets singular, not every ticket they buy, we need to breakeven!). This discount includes the cast, but anyone you don’t recognise needs to present a Pantosoc membership card.

Reserving & Collecting Tickets

i) Reserving Tickets

Outside of official sales venues, we also bring tickets to rehearsals for the cast to buy for friends and family. Obviously, lots of these may not be organised enough to actually have money for all the tickets they want to book. What we have done in the past, which has worked quite effectively, is keep reserved tickets aside in the box office, with the ‘reservers’ name, name the tickets are for, the number needed & whether they have been paid or not. (e.g. Jim Carter for his mum and dad x2 PAID). Note: make sure each ticket is written on, as things can get pretty confusing.

ii) Collecting Tickets

What we have said for previous shows is any tickets not paid for we hold until 15 minutes before the show starts. Otherwise they get sold on if needed. Reserved tickets that have been paid is more tricky. If its for relatives, i.e. those coming in from out of town, I’d say hold on to them. If they’re for friends (with no excuse for being late!) they can be sold on either at the beginning of the show or after the 1^st scene. But that’s my own personal call. If there are people clammering to get in, and only ‘sold’ tickets are available, its hard to turn them away and leave seats empty. It’s a personal decision really…

Running the Box Office

Its also the FoH Manager’s job to open /close the Box Office (See Safety > Front of House / Ushers). They have to collect keys and log book from reception, and is their responsibility to fill in the audience figures for each night. In terms of tickets, we tend to open the box office 30 minutes before curtain, particularly if there’s a big queue forming. We can then let people in 15 minutes before curtain. As there are two windows in the Box Office, we tend to separate them into ‘Reserved Tickets’ and ‘Ticket Sales’. Ushers can help with ticket sales, and then help with issue of programmes in the foyer. Its then up to the FoH Manager to inform STA via the intercom if they’re ready to close the box office and for the show to begin.

Budgeting

i) Planning the Budget

The easiest way we’ve done this in the past is to use old budgets from past shows as references. If there are certain aspects of the production that differ considerably from previous Pantos (e.g. complicated scenery / lighting) then adjustments may be necessary. Otherwise, the ‘standard’ panto budget works well. The key to the budget is the ‘breakeven’ the percentage of tickets we need to sell to cover our expenditure. Past Pantos have used between 70-90% breakevens, and all have ended up with a profit despite this. Ok, the profit might be 56p, but its better than a loss… If expenses / ticket prices are adjusted, make sure the breakeven is recalculated.

ii) Requesting a Budget

As our accounts are handled by the union, any major expenditure such as show budgets need to be approved by the Student Activities Committee (SAC). This is to stop us wiping out our reserve with foolish ventures. Luckily, due to Panto’s successful past and large reserve we never have a problem with getting our budgets approved, even with high breakevens. It’s the producers job to make sure they submit the budget proposal and attend the SAC meeting. If it is rejected, for some reason, all you have to do is adjust it (i.e. lower the breakeven by cutting budgets to some areas) and resubmit.

iii) Managing the Budget

STA will handle their budgeting independently (you trust them they won’t overspend hideously!), everything else is your responsibility. The proposal should already have broken down

Raising Money

Outside of the budget, you are able to raise money any way you see fit (within the rules of the union and bounds of decency… no pimping the cast, it’s severely frowned upon). Sponsorship is the main method by which we can generate additional capital. The programme is an ideal method of easy sponsorship, and Pizza Prov are usually happy to chip in for that. Alternatives would be to get the whole show sponsored in exchange for adverts on all posters, programmes and during the interval. If you’re using the video screen and projector, you can also offer that as advert space (as stills or full ‘pearl&dean’ style video). General fundraisers can take any form; sponsored events, special performances, socials. Be imaginative. Bear in mind you don’t have to raise any further money if you don’t want to, but every little helps.

Claiming Money & Paying In

There are two main methods for sorting out show payments. One is to pay for things yourself a claim back the money from the Treasurer’s Office. The other is to invoice Pantosoc directly via the Union. Invoicing is best for orders that don’t require a cheque/card payment immediately, or those order done through Union contacts, such as the ticket printing (see Tickets > Ordering). Internal orders, such as for union pool equipment or security, is done entirely through the finance department, so you don’t have to worry about claiming, it should be sorted out there. Assuming you’re bank balance can take it, any other payment is easy to claim for, as long as you have the receipts! Paying In is just as easy; simply collect the appropriate forms from the Treasurer’s Office. We recommend you pay cash in quickly as it can build up quickly. Claims/Paying In forms should have several sections, one of which is returned to Panto via the union pigeonholes, so you can keep a track of payments.

Other Money Matters – Tee-shirts, Cast Meal & Presents

As we always get cast tee-shirts and organise a first night meal, you will need to be ready to do lots of pestering for money from your cast and crew. Its therefore vital you keep good records of peoples orders and whether they’ve paid or not. It can turn into a logistical and budgetary nightmare if you don’t! We recommend, from bitter experience, that you:

i) make a full list for each event and keep it up to date - If you get confused, you can then fall back on your paperwork. It also means if people still need to pick up a tee-shirt / video / whatever after the show’s finished, you still know what they ordered and/or what they owe.

ii) don’t get rushed or hurried by people – people crowding shouting out orders for things is the easiest way of getting confused. Force them to shut up and wait in good order!

iii) Get payment in advance as often as possible – especially for events where you’ll need to handle lots of money on the spot. We invariably end up short changed in Pizza Prov, so by getting money in advance for the food really helps to alleviate some of the pressure. If you make sure people have plenty of cash before the end of the meal, this will also help. If people try and get their exact money, convince the stingy bastards to cough up some for the tip. If you end up with a huge excess it can always go on extra cast party booze.

iv) try and operate a no-pay, no-collect policy if you can – while its hard to turn people down from collecting their tee-shirts without paying (partly cos of lost advertising), we always end up chipping in for tee-shirts not paid for.

v) Keep double-checking orders - We also seem to always end up with excess tee-shirts, so make sure everyone is happy with their orders and keep a close eye on whose collected them. Similarly, with Pizza Orders, we usually get people to have a ‘pizza buddy’ as the Pizza Prov pizzas are so massive. Try and make sure these buddies are still right a day or two before the 1^st night if you can.

vi) Harass People! – while you want to keep the cast sweet, if people owe you something its possible other people will end up paying for them (including you!) So keep hassling people, even if its hard work!

Pyro/Naked Flame Licences

Much as it sounds like STA’s job, aquiring the pyros licence is actually the production team’s job. This always confuses people and we invariably forget about it until the last minute. Technically you need a minimum of two weeks for the pyros licence to be sorted. Therefore, its best if you apply for the licence as soon as you know the specifications of the pyros you’re after. That way, if there’s a problem or queries from the Fire Service, it can still be sorted in time for the show. Licences can be applied for from the Union Manager (Keith).

Front of House

Again, running the box office and the being involved in audience safety isn’t STA’s job. Front of House (FoH) is organised by the production team but needs a FoH Manager to run the box office and organise ushers. The problem is that the FoH Manager needs to be trained and registered, and therefore there’s usually a very limited number of them. FoH training usually runs at the beginning of the year, and they occasionally run additional sessions. There is usually a FoH mailing list so you can contact all those who are trained and convince/bribe them to help you out. Panto doesn’t normally have a problem, as FoH trained peeps are usually keen to help us out, as they watch the show for free. A seat must be reserved for the FoHM, usually at the top of the stairs nearest the upper fire exit. See also Tickets > Running the Box Office)

Ushers

While the FoH Manager is in charge of organising Ushers, they don’t require the training. The easiest way is to convince flatmates etc. to help you out and watch the show for free. You need two ushers for each performance, and must have seats reserved for them. One must be seated near the lower fire exit, the other at the entrance to the auditorium to collect late arrival’s tickets.

Security

On the Friday and Saturday performances, the union requires us to have security on the doors. This is mainly to help prevent people bringing drinks into the auditorium, but are also helpful if there’s trouble. To our knowledge, there’s only ever been one instance where someone’s had to be evicted from a panto show (and he was very, very, very drunk). It costs around £70 for two security guards for two nights. This is arranged with the Deputy Union Manager (Doug) at least two weeks before the show.

Useful Contacts
Treasurer's Office

The Treasurer (whatever incarnation he/she/it is in) is probably your first point of contact for any queries you have regarding the show. Anita, the lovely lady that co-habits with the Treasurer, is a fountain of knowledge regarding all aspects of the union, and is also lovely. Lovely.
General Office (Room Bookings)

Nancy, another lovely lady, is in charge of room bookings. If you’re desperate for an extra room, she can normally squeeze you in. She is also helpful for queries if you can’t find Anita/ the Treasurer.
Union Print Shop

The Print Shop is by far the cheapest way of getting any printing you need, and their turnover (the non-apple kind) is pretty fast. While the print shop usually says at least a day’s notice for printing, you can usually plead them to help you out if your stuck. They also have access to scanners and other such devices if you need to do programme/ ticket/ poster modifications.

STA

Any technical problems you’re worried about, these are the guys to talk to. They sure know their stuff… and quite often a good deal more.

Union Deputy Manager (Doug Jones)

He may be a bit surly… ok pretty darn surly… he is the guy to talk to if you have severe problems. He also organises security.

Author’s Final Note

Phew! Sorry its taken so long to read! I really didn’t intend to write this much… and to be honest a lot of it is waffle (my interpretation and opinions of things). Still I hope its been useful to you, and that your show is every bit as successful as it deserves to be. Pantosoc has a fine history of hilarious scripts, fantastic shows, breath-taking actors and wild cast parties. I’m sure your show will be regarded amongst the greatest!

Good Luck!

Jim Carter BSc (hons.) MSc.

Member (1999 - present).

Secretary (2000-1).

El Presidente (2001-2).

Writer/Producer/Director – Snow White – Easter 2001.

Producer – Sleeping Beauty – Xmas 2001.

Writer/Asst. Producer – Beauty & the Breasts – Easter 2002.

Writer/Asst. Director/Asst. Producer – The Lion, The Witch & Two Smoking Beavers – Xmas 2003.

Pretentious Arse (since birth – present)