After graduating from Birmingham University with a degree in Drama and Theatre Art, Jo Strickland has established herself as an International and UK Deputy Stage Manager. She has recently been based in London, working on Yellow Lines at the Oval House Theatre, Basic at Hackney Empire and A Christmas Carol at the Shaw Theatre. While in New York, Jo worked with Stagedoor Manor on a number of well-known productions and will be working on the stage production of Joseph in the coming months, as featured on the hugely popular reality TV series. She is currently touring The Last Laugh by Richard Harris, in Japan with high-profile actor Martin Freeman and I managed to speak to her in the midst of preparations.
What’s a typical day for you?
There’s no such thing, which is why I love my job! During rehearsals, I’ll arrive early and set up the rehearsal room. Once rehearsal starts, I sit on the book: offering actors lines, noting their blocking, watching where props will be set, among other things. It’s also important that I send any relevant technical information to the design, production, lighting, sound and wardrobe departments. Then again, production week is completely different. A typical day will probably last 12 hours, with technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and photo calls. Once the show actually opens, we’ll go in to set up and then do the show, only packing up when we’ve finished the full run.
What did you do today for example?
Today, I’m in the middle of a 4-day rehearsal period, reviving The Last Laugh with the Bill Kenwright Company which we toured at the beginning of the year and are now taking to Japan. I’m able to use all the notes I made the first time around to remind the cast what they need to do on stage. There is also a lot to sort out for an international tour; collection of visas, insurance, sorting out actors’ transfers to the airport and making sure absolutely everything is ready to go. After all, we’re a long way from home if something is missing!
What do you like most about your job?
The best thing is that every day is different. I’m constantly meeting new people and facing new challenges. I’m often required to do things I’ve never done before in new shows which can be daunting, but it keeps things interesting and it’s overcoming these potential obstacles that what makes my job what it is.
And what is your least favourite thing?
It’s very hard to switch off, especially during production week when I’m constantly thinking about whether the logistics of getting everything running smoothly. It can be very tiring, but it’s remarkable how everything comes together for the first night!
How did you get into it?
I had an idea that stage management was what I wanted to do when I left school after reading about it in one of my A level drama books. But at only 17, I wasn’t prepared to put all my eggs in one basket and do a degree in Stage Management. So I went to Birmingham University and did a BA (hons) in Drama and Theatre Arts. It was a really flexible course, both academic and practical, covering all sorts of aspects of theatre including stage management. I then did 12-18 months of work experience that was either unpaid, very low paid, or profit share work to gain hands on skills. I then had a bit of a break-through when I got my first paid job, and I’ve been working ever since.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on you, career-wise?
It’s hard to say, probably the people who made me stick it out when I felt like giving up in the early days when I was slogging away for no money! There have been other stage managers who I’ve worked with and really respected. But every show is different in so many ways, so there is no set way of doing the job, so I guess my influences are actually the actors, the director, the production team, the set and the text itself.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Achievements come on a daily basis due to the nature of the job. It could be anything from acquiring a difficult prop to allaying the fears of a worried actor. For the last show that I did, the director wanted a real, fully functioning coffee machine to make coffee on stage. However, our budget was tiny and obviously it’s difficult to connect to the water mains while on stage, but I managed to sort it out, eventually, and that was a big achievement! The first night is always really rewarding as well, when you can see everything finally coming together.
What makes you good at your job?
To be a good deputy stage manager, you need to be organised – good at writing lots of lists! – be a good communicator, have a good technical knowledge of theatre and have great attention to detail.
If you could do anything else, what job would you do?
I’ve thought a lot about running an agency for stage management and technical staff to make it easier to get into. It’s very difficult for a lot of people to do unpaid work experience and then it relies on contacts and knowing what work is out there, so I’d like to be involved in helping people get to where they want to be. I guess that means I’d still want to stay working in the theatre.
Where would you like your career to take you in 10 years time?
That’s a question I can’t answer: as a freelance stage manager, I don’t even know where I’ll be in 6 months time! As long as I keep working on interesting shows and that the work keeps coming in, I’ll be happy.
