Concordia 2025

Concordia Winter 2024 Concordia Winter 2024

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THE STAGING OF A PLAY OR MUSICAL AT MERCHANT TAYLORS’ SCHOOL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRODUCTION IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. IF THE AIM OF THE CAST ON STAGE IS TO TRANSPORT THE AUDIENCE TO A DIFFERENT PLACE IN TIME WITH MESMERISING PERFORMANCES, THE WORK OF THE BACKSTAGE CREW OF PUPILS AND SCR IS TO CREATE A PRODUCTION THAT IS AS PROFESSIONAL AS POSSIBLE. AT A TIME WHEN MUCH OF THE STAGING WAS BUILT IN HOUSE, AND THE SPECIAL EFFECTS WERE MORE HOMESPUN, JULIAN SLATOR (HEAD OF MATHEMATICS, 1981–2016) WAS INVOLVED IN PRODUCING 37 PRODUCTIONS, INCLUDING WEST SIDE STORY NOT ONCE (1986) BUT TWICE (2003). IN THIS ARTICLE HE DISCUSSES HIS APPROACH TO THE CHALLENGES, HELPED AND, IN SOME CASES, HINDERED BY THE BACKSTAGE CREW — THE ‘SPANNER MEN’ — WHO AFFECTIONATELY NAMED THE BACKSTAGE OF THE GREAT HALL, ‘HELL’!