Not The Average Student Life

Hello, and welcome back to my Blog. I hope you like the new look. It's a new phase of my life, so it seemed a good time for a face lift. I've made more space for big photos so I don't have to write as much when LAMDA takes over all of my free time!

Whew, I've made it through 3 weeks of drama school!  The first few weeks have been really fun and exciting. There are 24 first year Stage Management students, who are known as SM1s. We are then divided into groups of 6, which will change periodically. Most of our class time is spent in these small groups to allow better one-on-one instruction. The small groups are also nice for getting to know people, and changing them up allows us to get to know everyone. 

2014-2016 Stage Management and Technical Theatre Students
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I had prepared myself for many aspects of LAMDA, but what I really should have remembered is that it is first and foremost, a DRAMA school. Our first full school assembly was held a week after my first day, which was also the day that the actors showed up. We technicians were expecting a basic assembly of introductions etc, which is what happened of course, but it could only end with spontaneous musical number, declaring LAMDA to be "where all your dreams come true" amidst a waving LAMDA flag and handfuls of glitter. I wish I had taken a picture. Instead, here is the tutors' view of our little mad mass of students. I'm hiding in the mid right somewhere. 

All of LAMDA's Actors and Stage Technicians

The one thing I must say about LAMDA is that I'm constantly giddy about the building in which I get to learn. It is strange to walk into "my" school and see a congratulatory sign with a photograph of Rory Kinnear holding his recent BAFTA award and then go down to my locker and pass the photo of him as a student playing Romeo in a LAMDA production. Even forgetting the impressive alumni photographs throughout the building, I love the building itself. It's a complete mish mash of various architecture. Each wing is from a different age, which will only gain contrast with the new West Wing going up next year. I'm sure most of the British students just think it's old and rickety, but I love it! We spent our very first day in a long Victorian rehearsal room which is covered in old prop shields and houses the Library and the Armoury. It is aptly nicknamed "Hogwarts." I've not been in there much since, but it is by far my favourite! 

Yes, I do go to Hogwarts

The first week was a lot of general information and orientation, but now we're well into the "hands-on" learning. In only our second sound class, I was happy to see boxes of cables awaiting us. I had been wondering if we would get to use equipment as early I had been given to believe. I'm happy to say that the majority of our learning is incredibly practical. This can also be very intimidating, but overall it is a lot of fun!

Sound Mixer 

Learning about sound isn't just knowing how to put a sound system together, it is knowing how to repair it. So, naturally we've been soldering our own cables together! Thankfully, "photo notes" are encouraged which helps me to remember what I just did, with the added bonus of being able to show off what I've learned!

Male XLR Cable

1/4" Jack (Headphone) This one is very tricky... 

Female XLR to 1/4" Jack adapter cable. I made this! 

The skills of a theatre technician are not only limited to technical implements. We've also spent time with the Wardrobe ladies, who have taught us the basics of stitching. My Mom, bless her, has tried to teach me many times over, but I could never be bothered to really pay attention. We'll be learning the sewing machines later on, but the hand stitches are very important for last minute amendments before a show, or more importantly, repairs DURING the show! I'm told we'll be making tool aprons for ourselves when we learn the sewing machines, so I'm really excited for that. My flat mate keeps telling me I should have a "Utility Belt" like Batman. Better than that, I'll be making my own!

I have been most excited about going to LAMDA's workshop, which is in a set of rail arches out by London Bridge. It is a bit of a trek from the school, but it is accurate to real theatre life. It is rare that a theatre will have its own workshop, so it'll be good to be accustomed to moving set from workshop to venue and back. Plus, it has a great view of The Shard! After one orientation class, we've already build a stage flat each! Ok, so it's a 1m x 1m piece of ply stuck to 5 pieces of wood, but it goes together in a very particular way and we had a lot of fun making it. Stage flats will soon become a staple in everything we build. I believe the next project will be painting these and possibly piecing them together to become something GREAT! 

LAMDA is definitely not your "average" school. At least not how a University would imagine it. The photo below shows the corridor outside of LAMDA's Linbury Studio. Normally, this space is filled with nice squishy chairs for the public to sit on while they wait for a performance. This is what it looks like on an average school day while the technicians are prepping for the next run of shows! 

Just a regular school corridor at LAMDA. 

In addition to our practical instruction, we've also been given assigned to go on some great outings. FIELD TRIP! This is in preparation for the inevitable research that we will be doing when we need to create sets and props for period plays. So far, we have been to The British Museum, The Victoria & Albert Museum, and The Geffrye Museum. 

Gift shop of The British Museum

Getting into character at The Victoria & Albert Museum

My favourite outing thus far has to be the West End Walkabout. We spent an entire afternoon with the Head of Technical Training, who led us around the West End and told us all about the different theatre venues. This included any work he had done there and of course, which venues have LAMDA grads (actors or technicians) working right now. 

Student: "Are there any theatres without a LAMDA grad working?" 

Tutor: "No! Well, there might be.......No." 

LAMDA  SM1As and SM1Bs take over the West End

This wasn't a regular walking tour though; every 15 theatres or so, we'd be stopped and quizzed on what we had seen. This culminated in a final quizzing at the end of the afternoon where we recapped all 42 venues we'd been to and what is playing there. The problem with this is that my theatre wish list is even longer than it was before school began! Must save all my pennies... it's research, right? 

Pit Stop at The National Gallery with our Fearless Leader.
(He loves Tweeting about us. He's so proud!)