Creative Venue Technician
Declan is an Assistant Technical Director at Norwich Theatre Royal
I help make theatre shows happen. I work on sound and video, which means I set up and run the equipment that lets audiences hear and see the show properly.
Without technicians, there wouldn’t be a show at all. We set up all the equipment like speakers, cables and mixing desks, to make sure everything works safely and properly.
I also design sound for some productions, which means I decide how the show should sound and how it makes people feel. Even though I’m not on stage, I’m still part of the show.
I love the final result of the shows. It feels like building something from scratch and then seeing it come to life. The journey is just as important – that’s where you learn and make mistakes.
The best moment is when the audience stands up at the end and claps (hopefully!). They’re not clapping for me directly, but I know I’ve helped make that happen.
Being part of something that makes people happy is a great feeling.
Communication is one of the most important skills. We work in environments where things can be dangerous, so clear communication keeps everyone safe.
Problem solving is also key. Things go wrong all the time, and I have to think quickly to fix them. I always say there are no problems, only solutions that haven’t been found yet!
I need to be technically minded, too. I have to understand sound desks, lighting systems and lots of other types of equipment too – how they all work and connect together. There are many different brands too, all with slightly different ways of working, so I have to keep learning.
Being friendly and approachable really helps. If you’re willing to learn and work with others, you’ll get more opportunities.
The best thing about teamwork is knowing someone will always help you if you need it. Theatre can be stressful, but everyone supports each other.
I’ve seen people start as casual crew and grow into designers and senior roles. You learn from each other’s experience all the time. Without teamwork, people wouldn’t develop in the same way.
My favourite piece of equipment is a Digico sound desk. It’s a big control panel that takes in all the sound from microphones and instruments and lets you control how it comes out of the speakers.
For example, a show might have 50 microphones on performers and even more on instruments. The sound desk lets me adjust volume, tone and where the sound appears to come from. That’s called ‘imaging’ – it tricks your brain into thinking sound is coming from a certain place.
I like Digico desks because they’re designed for theatre, easy to use and sound great.
In my spare time, I love visiting theme parks. My wife and I go to places like Alton Towers and Disney World as often as we can.
When your job is your hobby, it can be hard to find new hobbies, but theme parks are something completely different that we both enjoy.
At school, I loved drama. I went to two acting classes every week and spent most of my time doing that.
I was also always fascinated by how things worked behind the scenes, especially lighting and electronics, but I didn’t fully realise that could be a career until later.
One of my proudest achievements is designing sound for touring shows. That means my work isn’t just seen in one theatre – it travels around the country and reaches thousands of people.
Knowing something I created is being experienced by so many people is a great feeling.
I’ve travelled a lot with my job. I’ve worked all over the UK, as well as places like Spain and Florida.
People often think theatre jobs are based in one place, but if you work on touring productions, you can end up going all over the world.
In the future, I’d like to focus more on sound design or video design full time.
That might mean moving away from a venue-based role and specialising in one area.
Pick something you genuinely enjoy. If you’re passionate about it and stick with it, you can make it happen.
Don’t worry too much about what others think – focus on what interests you.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
