In Conversation with BA Production Arts, Theatre Technology students Ed Frearson & Tom Shackleton

Meet Ed and Tom, final year students studying BA Production Arts, Theatre Technology. We discussed how they collaborated together, with industry professionals and with suppliers, to create an exciting light and sound show for their Graduation Project.

You are now in your final year at Guildhall. Can you explain why you chose to study Production Arts and specifically Theatre Technology?

Ed - For me, I had played in school bands and really enjoyed music while I was growing up. Through this I discovered the possibility of working backstage and got really interested in the technical side of production. I stuck with it through GCSEs and A Levels, before choosing to pursue my studies further at Guildhall.  

Tom - I stumbled across Theatre Technology completely by chance. I had been very interested in electronics and design from studying Product Design at GCSE and like Ed I also played in a lot of bands and orchestras. One happened to be the orchestra for our school show, and this is where I first started to gain an interest in Theatre Technology. Over time this interest grew eventually leading to me doing the tech for our school shows and ultimately applying to Guildhall. 

Can you tell us about the goals and outcomes of your Graduation Project?

Ed - The project was exploring how collaboration works and is made effective between a designer and a musician in live events. It was a super fun project to be a part of and hopefully something I will do more of at Guildhall.  

Tom - I wanted to push Guildhall as far as it could go, bring in as much kit as possible. Handling so much external equipment is something me and Ed are keen to do looking forward. It gave us the widest possibilities to create our vision when working together.  

What was your role in the Graduation Project?

Ed - I worked as the Lighting Designer and Programmer, alongside Electronic & Produced Music student Olly Rodwell, to create a production design to accompany a set of music he would perform in Silk Street Theatre.

Tom - I focused much more on the technical aspects of the Graduation Project, realising the design and vision, bringing it to fruition. I worked as the Production Electrician and Technical Manager overseeing and managing the planning, prep, fit up, tech, shows and strike. 

How did you decide on the concept and title 'Behind the Iron'? 

Ed - I was keen to explore the live event side of lighting as it is not something specifically covered within the Theatre Technology course, so it provided a great learning opportunity to develop a new skillset. 

I knew my friend, Olly, who studies on the EPM course here at Guildhall was more than happy to provide a cracking set of music for us to work with, so we formed the basis of the project - understanding more about how collaboration works between a designer and an artist within music. ‘Behind the Iron’ came around after Tom and I were discussing staging options in Silk Street Theatre. We decided to drop the Iron in and perform on the stage side of Silk Street, creating a long tunnel that would provide great opportunities for the audience to feel immersed in our Graduation Project.

What support and advice did you get from the department? How did you organise all the logistics? 

Tom - In the first concept stages of the Graduation Project, teaching staff were extremely helpful. They put us in touch with Ambersphere about loaning a desk for the project. They encouraged me to enter a design for ‘The Profile Awards’, and at the Awards ceremony I was put in touch with Visual Elements, who were one of the other companies we also loaned equipment from. We had to be on it with sorting logistics and communicating with multiple companies and departments at Guildhall to get it sorted. With the very kind help of our Performance Venues team, we booked the Barbican lorry lift on the day that all the lighting equipment from the two companies who sponsored us, SLX and Visual Elements, arrived on site. With two vans showing up with our names on them, on quite a busy street in central London, there was a lot of running around and traffic management that Tom and I threw ourselves into to get it all sorted. I cannot thank the three companies who kindly gave us equipment for this project enough. Ambersphere, SLX and Visual Elements were all incredibly understanding and keen to work with us on this, and it was really refreshing to see. 

Ed - In the early stages of planning the project, and throughout, we got to work closely with Production Arts staff regarding our assessment and concept, but also with the Performance Venues team. People who we know well but don't often get to work so closely with. We worked together figuring out schedules, bringing kit into the venues, working safely. Then loading in, rigging, making a safe show environment, and eventually watching the final production. It was great to work so closely with them and to learn how excited and supportive they were of the project.  

What was your favourite piece (s) of equipment/ technology during the process and why?

Ed - I loved working with the GrandMA 3 light that was provided by Ambersphere. We ran the show in mode 3, which was a great learning experience. There have been some great improvements made from mode 2, and I had an amazing time getting to grips with the software.   

Tom - I also very much enjoyed working with the GrandMA system, using it to run our show and learning about the fixtures we were able to hire in. A particular stand out being Ayrton fixtures, the Ayrton Rivale took strong stand in Ed’s design, and it was a lot of fun to push it to see what was possible. 

How did it go on the day?

Ed - The day ran very well. Tom and I were excited to present our work to everyone. We split the day up into three showings. The first show was for staff members and it was great to be in front of a smaller audience. The second was for invited industry people, as well as some friends who could not make the other showings. We had some big names at this presentation, so Tom and I were a little nervous, but it all ran smoothly. After going for some dinner with a few industry people, Tom and I returned to present again at 8pm, which was the Fresher's event. The showing was busy, and it was nice to see Silk Street turn more into a club feel. All three presentations had quite different feelings, but it was great to finally show everyone months of work! 

Tom - Technically the show ran flawlessly. After several days of tinkering, we had managed to work out any technical difficulty brought on by a totally new system to us. This took me and Ed out of our comfort zone but resulted in us learning a completely new way of doing things. It threw up some challenges for sure, but all three shows went as well as we could have hoped! 

What have you learned from the experience and what did you enjoy the most? 

Ed - How friendly, welcoming, and kind the industry was to us definitely made the experience the most enjoyable. It felt great to have support and an interest in the Graduation Project from people in the industry, and I learned so much talking to them. The biggest thing I have learned is the importance of being approachable and easy to work with. Tom and I are best mates and having that going into the project made the whole process so much easier. Working with people who you respect and get on with, I found at least, meant I was working harder and was able to really push myself. 

Tom - To second Ed, the interest from industry professionals has been amazing. We have been able to talk to all kinds of people from lighting designers to hire houses to fixture manufacturers. The insight gained by bringing all these people together to watch our Graduation Project is unmatched and is really valuable as we look forward to what's next after Guildhall.  

What have you learned so far during your course that will help when you graduate and transition to industry? 

Ed - The biggest thing I have learned during my time on the course, I would not say is something technical, but rather just the knowledge that being a nice person to be around and to work with is 80% of any job that you will do. Having the skillset required for any job is vital, but the ability to work well with people and really push others to create their best work is what really stands out to me as the biggest learning experience I have had at Guildhall. 

Tom - I came to Guildhall with a very limited knowledge of anything to do with Theatre Technology. Throughout my time here I have been introduced to so many new things to explore and learn, my biggest take away is that something new is always worth learning because in our industry it will no doubt come up again - and you may be the only one who knows anything about it! 

If you could have a dream working role in any production, past or present, what would it be and why?

Ed - Raye at the Royal Albert Hall in 2023 was insane. The production behind the show, the orchestra, the choir, the full recording being released, it was all next level. Being a part of the lighting team for that would have been mega, and something I would have loved to experience.  

Tom - I would love to get involved in Cirque du Soleil, I love shows that have a mix of storytelling and technical displays. I have never been to see one, but their shows all around the globe are extraordinary and hopefully one day I'll get round to watching one in person or even working on one.  

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