The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme have recently drawn their sensational Christmas Show of The Three Musketeers to a close, but for young person Molly Ferneyhough this production held an extra special place in her heart, as her debut play. Today, I was able to catch up with Molly and find out about her time working at the theatre.
'Molly, it's lovely to talk to you, can you briefly tell us a little bit about yourself?'
'My name is Molly Ferneyhough, I'm seventeen years old and I'm in my first year at college where I study a b-tec foundational diploma in production arts (technical theatre). I'm a big hockey and cricket player, and I have a passion for all things backstage in the theatre industry.'
'So what has been your role during The Three Musketeers, and what did that entail for you?'
'My role at the New Vic Theatre on this production was Stage Crew, which means working closely with the stage management, especially assistant stage management, making sure that everything runs smoothly backstage during a performance. This includes paging the doors at the top of the staircase, lighting the flambeaux torches, making sure the right props ended up in the right places, quick changes and much more. My involvement wasn't just during performances, it was also in rehearsals and fight calls as the show has a lot of sword fighting.'
'Going back to the beginning, how did you end up landing this job in the first place?'
'My Mum's step-brother is the stage manager at the New Vic, so my foot was already in the door making it easy for me to apply for the job. Having people and connections within the industry does make it easy!'
'That's great, and you've already mentioned that you're currently attending College - what was it like for you trying to balance that alongside doing multiple shows a week?'
'My College was pretty chill with me having three months off as it's a job that is to do with my course. However, when there were morning shows, for the rest of the afternoon I'd go to College to make sure I didn't miss too much. I also did coursework during breaks as being surrounded by professionals who have many years of experience meant I could ask as many questions as I wanted, knowing it was coming from experience. So to answer the question, although I was very tired, I made sure I kept up with College and made sure I would be prepared for when I go back to College full time.'
'What would you say has been your favourite part of this whole experience?'
'My favourite part was definitely the people. Being surrounded by people that have made my first professional show amazing was great; there were challenges but everyone was so supportive of each other. The New Vic Theatre's dynamic is amazing, making sure its employees are supported in every way. The actors were all so lovely, saying some very kind words towards my skills.'
'Can you share with us any key skills that you've learned from this opportunity over the past few months?'
'I've learnt that in order to fulfil this job you need to be able to stay calm in situations, think quick on your feet, find initiatives. Problem solving was a big part of the job, trying to find the smoothest way to do things – this skill I can take on to future jobs.'
'Following on from this, do you have any future career aspirations in mind yet?'
'I want to attend Guildhall University where I would like to study Stage Management and hopefully become a Deputy Stage Manager on the West End.'
'West End, you know where to find her! And finally, the question that I think we all want answers to...do you know the whole show by heart after this?'
'I think I can recite the whole show word by word now!'
'Thank you for the catch-up today Molly, and I look forward to seeing what you go on to do in the next few years.'
0 Comments