Performance Week Jack the Ripper

Running from Tuesday through until Saturday(plus matinee) there performances of Jack the Ripper at which I was in charge of props organisation and quick repair with help from Claire on sum nights and other nights I was on my own.

My list of props consisted of, 24 tankards needed to be filled with water before every performance (15 were from haselmere players). 6 bibles, 8 hymn books, 4 knives of various sizes( one meat cleaver, one retractable blade, one rubber knife and one that turns into flowers for a magic trick), one tea chest one jesus saves sign, a tuba, a trumpet and a tamberine for the salvation army. A hobby horse, a wagon of veg a bag with 4 pence, a sword magic trick a magic box, fake blood, two hats one broken, a gin bottle, a dressing table, a screen, a desk, with a lectern and a port decanter. 5 top hats a judges wid and a policemans helmet. a pair of handcuffs, 4 whistles, a telescope, a cabage and a leek, a cloak and a colender, amongst many others.

Process through every performance

before act one.... I had to fill a vile with blood and hide it inside the secret compartment of the magic box (poly ann nichols murder).

then I has to fill all the tankards with water and arrange them on the pub tables. Repair any candles by hot gluing them to sausers then melting wax around the base. pour some port out into a glass on the desk. give the necessary characters the 4 pence and bags and baskets and the police man his handcuffs whistles and helmet.

During act one... collect bag, four pence, hand out bibles and books to sally army, and also make sure they have their instruments (being very careful with them) After the magic tricks I had to retrieve the vile of blood and refill it for act two and leave it on the props table. I also had to reapply the swords to the magic tricks (carefully because they are very fragile and expensive!) also at the end of act one I had to hand out the 5 top hats.

Interval I had to put the teachest centre stage with the "No Help Wanted" sign behind it. The hobby horse positioned down by the desk (out of sight). The dressing table and screen had to be put on far stage left and the screen was used to hide everything until needed. Then the veg barrow was brought off stage.

Act Two The dressing table had to be positioned between the first and second song ready for the next scene and then taken back again after. Another vile of blood was filled for Dan to write his letter with. The tea chest needed to be collected and various suit cases handed out.

Lara who played Marie Kelly (lead) had an extreamy quick change to do which I had to help with before the final scene.

After the shows I had to make sure every prop down to the last penny was off stage and positioned back on the table exactly where is was and make sure all the actors did not have any props. The glasses and cups had to be taken home and washed before the next show and the tuba had to be taken home overnight every night as it was too valuable to leave at te Maltings.

On the final show I stayed until past midnight helping to organise the pros into boxes and load then onto a truck along with the deconstructed set.