Kate Buxton (Stage Management)

Biography

What has been your highlight during Guildhall?

One highlight I’ve had over the past couple of years is working on POD in the Autumn term 2020. This is because the process was devised by Jamie Bradley and Vicki Igbokwe with the company, meaning the process was very organic, and it allowed us as a Stage Management to be creative and bring ideas to the table such as ways an actor could get blood from someone else on them, whilst staying 2m apart for COVID regulations. This show also allowed me to explore departments I would normally not have to option to, such as working with broadcast in operating a Gimbal Camera live, which would move around the stage as actors performed around me.

What’s been your highlight in the industry?

Being an ASM on West End Bares at the start of my first year was a great experience. This was my first time working outside of Guildhall from when I moved to London, and it was a great taste of everything that was to come over the next few years.

What other passions and projects have you enjoyed exploring during your time at Guildhall?

Due to the lockdown in January 2021, we had to adapt the way we worked. One of the ways we did this was a pause theatre productions and work one-on-one with the third year actors to make 10-15min short films which were then broadcast once complete. This process sparked my curiosity into the world of TV, and I have continued exploring how the role of Stage Management is adapted in the TV industry in my own time.

What’s something you’ve learnt that you feel will help you when you graduate?

Everyday is a learning opportunity. Whether you are having a tutorial with an industry expert who is specifically there to be a mentor, or are doing a get-in with someone three years younger than you with little technical knowledge, they will always have a way of being, or little tricks of the trade you can learn from. From this, you are always improving and always becoming a better person at what you do, and can hopefully pass on the knowledge to someone else in the future.

What are you most interested in when you graduate?

I would love to work in the TV industry when I graduate, ideally on Live Entertainment shows such as Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Dancing on Ice, or I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! Further down the line, I would love to work my way to becoming a Floor Manager, but would like to start as a Runner, so I can hone in on my knowledge of TV and learn from people with years of experience.

Examples of Work