So for the last few months I’ve actually been working on a production. It was Caryl Churchill’s Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, and I was working as Assistant Producer. I’m still not sure exactly what a producer does, but I have at least tried to do lots of it. More or less successfully. I had a variety of jobs while I was working on the project, from liaising with Tony Benn, to washing up wine glasses after the Gala Night, negotiating with agents, to carting four tonnes of earth up a fire escape during the get-in. I’m sure these are exactly the sorts of things producers always do. Anyway, it got some fantastic reviews, and was an incredible experience.
I also had great fun as co-producer on the 24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices, (reviews here and here), which in effect involved running around for 24 hours pretending to help out while everyone else (the writers, directors and actors) got on an achieved something. But we did get to sing happy birthday to Kevin Spacey at the after-show party. Although not perhaps as useful in terms of learning about how producing works, it was great to meet so many amazingly talented young people all as foolishly determined to work in theatre as i am. Thanks to the Old Vic for that opportunity.
So, I’ve done some things. I feel like I’ve worked quite hard, although I’m sure it’ll only get busier as I embark upon my own projects, more of which soon.
Perhaps one of the most important things I’ve learnt that a producer has to do is be able to juggle lots of different projects at once. Maybe trying to be more regular in managing to post to this blog will help. Probably not.
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