Zoë Lydon-Smith, Creative Venue Technician

Learn all about...

What I do

My job involves organising props (the objects actors use on stage), or backdrops to scenes – and helping to make sure performances and rehearsals run smoothly.

I help set up rehearsal rooms, keep track of everything the actors need during a show and solve technical problems backstage so the audience never notices when something goes wrong!

Creative Venue Technician Zoë, wearing a headset and mic, sat backstage at a control desk during a theatre show.

How I became a technician

At school, for my GCSE options, I chose media studies, history, Spanish and food technology. After that, I stayed on for sixth form and studied media, law and history.

I loved the subjects, but I struggled with the exams and realised the academic route wasn’t right for me, so I left sixth form when I turned 18.

How I became a technician

I worked at Waitrose, which was great, but for a long-term job, I knew I wanted something different.

After about a year, I decided I needed a new direction. I picked up a college course guide and spotted a course called stage management and technical theatre.

How I became a technician

I had grown up watching theatre and dance shows, but I had never really thought about all the people working behind the scenes and it sounded interesting.

I decided to give it a go and enrolled at college on a Level 2 BTEC course in stage management and technical theatre.

How I became a technician

The course completely opened my eyes to the theatre world. We learnt about lighting, sound, stage management and lots of technical skills.

During the course, we worked closely with Chichester Festival Theatre, where I spent a lot of time gaining work experience. I helped on shows and even did follow spotting – which means operating a spotlight that follows performers around the stage.

How I became a technician

After college, I started a Level 3 Creative Venue Technician apprenticeship there. It lasted two years and gave me experience across lots of technical areas, like sound, music and lighting.

I now work freelance on theatre productions.

Want to explore the world of technicians?

Meet more technicians to find out what they do and the path they took to become a technician.

Meet the technicians

A typical day in my working life

Every day is different, but on a typical show day I usually arrive at the theatre at around 11:30am or 12pm.

The stage management team I’m in re-sets the stage, so it’s ready for the next performance. That means putting props and scenery back into their starting positions. For a big musical, this can take around 40 minutes.

A typical day in my working life

Later, the cast arrive and start their warm-ups.

We hold something called parish notices, where the whole company meets to discuss important updates about the show.

Before the performance, we also do a shout check. This is where one person reads out a list of every prop used in the show while another person checks they are all in the correct place.

A typical day in my working life

Once everything is ready, the audience is let into the theatre and the show begins.

During the performance, I follow cues, move scenery and make sure everything happens at the right moment.

If something unexpected happens, we solve it quickly, so the audience never notices. And after the show finishes, we reset everything again ready for the next performance.

Could you be a technician?

There are 100s of technician roles out there. Take the quiz to find the perfect role for you.

Take the quiz

Creative Venue Technician Zoë, wearing a headset and mic, standing offstage, in the wings of a theatre show.

What I love about my job

One of the things I love most is the variety. I get to work on lots of different productions with completely different teams of people.

You might spend a few months working closely with one group of actors, technicians and creatives, then move straight on to a new show with a whole new team. Sometimes you even bump into people you’ve worked with before, which is always fun.

I also love the fact that no two shows are ever the same. One production might involve complicated props, another might use pyrotechnics – controlled fire effects – or special lighting. There is always something new to learn.

The skills I use most

Communication is one of the most important skills in my job. I make sure everyone knows what is happening during rehearsals and performances.

Problem solving is another big one. Things sometimes go wrong during a show, so I have to think quickly and work out a solution without panicking. Staying calm is important, if one person gets stressed backstage, it can spread to everyone else, so someone always needs to stay level-headed and focus on fixing the problem.

Having some technical knowledge is also really useful. Understanding lighting, sound and stage equipment helps me work better with the rest of the technical team.

I get to work on lots of different productions with completely different teams of people. There is always something new to learn.

The people you work with often become like another family because you spend so much time together.

Trust that things will work out. Leaving sixth form early felt like a huge decision at the time, but it led me to the career I love now.

A little more about my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

Stage management teams are usually quite small. On many productions there are around four of us – assistant stage managers, a company stage manager and a deputy stage manager. Even though our team is small, we work alongside a huge group of people including actors, designers, technicians and crew members.

One of the best things about theatre is how supportive people can be. I’ve been lucky to work with many experienced professionals who are always happy to share their knowledge and give advice. It’s also a very friendly industry. The people you work with often become like another family because you spend so much time together.

My favourite piece of equipment

One of my favourite tools is glow in the dark tape, which we often call luminous tape. It glows after you shine a light on it.

We use it to mark important positions on the stage floor, for example, if a piece of furniture needs to move to a specific spot during a scene change in the dark, we place small pieces of this tape on the floor so the crew can see exactly where it should go.

What I like to do in my spare time

In my spare time, I love reading. I also enjoy spending time with friends whenever I can. Theatre work can involve unusual hours, especially evenings and weekends, so sometimes it’s tricky to see people who have more typical working schedules.

Because of that, I really appreciate the quieter breaks between jobs when I can catch up with friends and visit people around the country.

My school days

When I was younger, I spent a lot of my time at dance school. I started dancing when I was about two or three years old and continued until I was 18. Dance school became like a second home for me. I was there several days a week learning ballet, modern dance and sometimes jazz.

They put on big performances, which gave me my first real experience of theatre. Looking back, that probably helped spark my interest in working backstage.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

One of the most exciting moments in my career was working on the musical Oliver in London’s West End. When I first started my college course, I remember thinking it would be amazing to work on a West End show one day. It felt like a huge dream and then it actually happened.

Living in London and working on a West End show made me realise that all the hard work had paid off. It was the moment I thought – OK, I can really do this.

A surprising fact about my job

People are often surprised by how many unusual things theatre technicians deal with.

Because every show is different, we sometimes have to create or find very strange props. I’ve had to source all kinds of giant props, unusual stage effects and creative solutions for a show!

The next steps in my career journey

Right now, I’m enjoying working freelance on different productions. That means I move between shows and sometimes travel for work.

I’m happy exploring lots of different projects and seeing where the industry takes me next.

Theatre offers many different paths, so I’m excited to keep learning and gaining experience.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Trust that things will work out. Leaving sixth form early felt like a huge decision at the time, but it led me to the career I love now.

Also, listen to the people around you who support you and believe in you. Their advice can really help when you’re trying to figure out what to do next.