After a wonderful exploration of the costume department, my next adventure at TheatreCraft began with the From Plans to Production tour. Though this tour had a different tone, focused on towering sets and sweeping stage elements, it echoed a familiar theme: the uniqueness of the Royal Opera House as a repertoire house. When thinking about a career in this field, it is worth remembering that the different ways in which a workplace is set up will define the day of a maker or supervisor. During the tour, we learnt about the structure of the repertoire system – and the magnificent number of people and places that the Royal Opera works with. This structure not only defines how productions are presented, but also shapes the daily work of every maker, artist, and supervisor involved.
As we explored beyond the stage at the Royal Opera House, our guide walked us through the complexity of the Royal Opera’s collaborative network — a system that stretches far beyond Covent Garden. We learned that their scenery is built in Essex and stored in Wales, each piece moved and maintained by dedicated and passionate teams.
Design in Motion: Where Ideas Take Shape
We stopped at the model and design room, where much of the drafting and design phase takes place, and where makers of the Opera and freelance creatives work together, years before a production is due on stage. We had a chance to take a look at the process itself: how scenic art, on smaller scales, comes to be, from the first step of drawing things up in rough sketches to 3D designs that add more details before the final grand plan. The tour had so many insights that it is impossible to list them all here, so I truly encourage everybody to attend next year! After having the chance to talk to people working in the department, we had a walk around the room, where I found one of my absolute favourite creations of the tour: a concept art for An American in Paris!
The Tales Behind the Scenery
Like children exploring Santa’s workshop, our group had the chance to look at some of the scenery – mostly from The Tales of Hoffman – and could see the ‘wagon system’ close-up, a method used to pack scenery into storage units.
Inspiration at Stage Level
At the last stop, at stage level, the group had lots of chances to ask questions and receive amazing tips from our tour guide. The tours of the Royal Opera House – and TheatreCraft in general – are about seeing beyond the curtain: seeing the real backstage and making the dream of a career in the arts a reality. TheatreCraft shows a probable path so that a dream can become a plan.
By Nora Saghi, 2024