Going for effect

One of my clearest memories of my time as a DSM was working on a show called Love, Valour and Compassion at The Library Theatre in Manchester. Every night I sat in the prompt corner as a cast of twelve men in tutus stood on a stage floor covered in lit tea lights. This was a stage management and fire safety nightmare – so much so that I had a fireman in the wings with me for this scene every night.

None of us would try to recreate such a potentially dangerous situation (no fire ever happened and all tutus were, you’ll be pleased to hear, safe) in our school productions – but it’s possible to use special effects safely to enhance school plays – and without the terrifying risk of something going wrong!