Jack Richardson
It is an exciting time for Jack Richardson at the moment. He has been a key member of the backstage team at Norwich Theatre Royal for several productions over the last 18 months.
Now he has taken on an important backstage role in one of his biggest so far.
Jack is one of the assistant stage managers for Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and is loving the chance to be a key part of the production.
Jack said: “From the minute rehearsals begin, the panto buzz begins to build around Norwich. While this happens, the cast of the show begin the process of learning lines and practicing dance steps.”
He takes a lead role in tech’ing the show making sure it runs smoothly and all the performers are OK in the wings of the stage.
Jack did help out behind-the-scenes in last year’s panto and is really excited about taking a step up the rungs of the backstage ladder and becoming ASM. He said: “It’s great. It’s not the sort of job you complain about because everything’s such fun. I could be running around looking for something and then someone asks me “Can you find this?”
There may be a lot to think about and to do but Jack says it helps that he knows a lot of the crew from other productions. This knowledge has helped to build a feeling of teamwork which is obvious among the teams on-stage and back-stage.
Jack thought about following his parents into the business, approached Norwich Theatre Royal and has been doing it ever since. His enthusiasm for the work is incredible. “It’s a job you can never be tired of. Once you’ve had a taste, you never want to do anything else.”
He has been well and truly bitten by the theatre bug and wants to work in the industry full time. “I would be quite interested in going into acting so I’m going through the process of applying to drama schools. I also would love to be an ASM because you are still involved in the process to such a large extent. You see how a show grows from nothing to people meeting and then performing a show.”
From the excitement as he talks, there is no doubt Jack is loving every minute of working on Snow White. Away from the commitments of back-stage life, Jack is a keen theatergoer so what are Jack’s likes and dislikes? With a coy smile, he admits: “I have a real secret passion for musicals. I just loved South Pacific. I’m also a big fan of Shakespeare and loved the RSC’s recent production of Romeo and Juliet.”
If Jack’s enthusiasm is anything to go by, it may not be long before he is ASM for one of the touring musicals he enjoys so much.
