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This will be an ongoing insight of what it is like as a technician at the Edinburgh Fringe. From our first week to our last, these will be an inside look at what happens behind the scenes that most people don’t get even a glimpse of. This is the fifth week of the EdFringe.
The fourth week of the Fringe can be an easier period, so hopefully this means that there was enough time to prep as much as possible for the incoming replacement shows that start their techs/rehearsals/first shows on Monday during the fifth week. More often than not though, you’ve been so busy with the shows who were already there and running that you haven’t had much if any time to prepare for the incoming shows.
You also are battling some typical circumstances that are found during this time of the festival such as consistent hangovers from others on crew (and likely yourself), equipment not wanting to cooperate for whatever reason, and generally just everyone being annoyed at being forced to spend so much time together. Luckily, another technician has come to join and help. And he’s making waffles for everyone participating in techs/rehearsals. The waffle station is enthusiastically set up and everyone has at least 2 by the end of the long day. As this is a dark day (a dark day being that a venue has little or no shows) for most venues, this allows the techs to run fairly smoothly.
However you know from experience that this doesn’t ensure that the shows themselves will run just as smooth. Frantically making note of everything that needs to be resolved before first shows, you feel the rush to get everything done again as if it were the first week of techs all over again.
More notes are made as things are getting fixed and put into place. This is only day one of this week. You are grateful for the waffles.
Of course, the following day brings utter chaos as you try to help ensure that everything remains as effortless as possible. Shows are clashing frequencies which couldn’t be checked the day before because of the dark day. Why wasn’t this written out somewhere accessible? That’s above your pay grade to ask that question. So you continue to run between venues trying to find which shows are clashing with which. On top of all of this, as if you didn’t have enough to do, there are shows that are finishing their run this week. Now you need to juggle all of the day-to-day things on your checklist as well as provide help for getting their things out of venues so they can be replaced with other shows that will need tech rehearsals… Are you starting to catch onto the cycle yet?
Some of the shows you are sad for one reason or another to see them go. These shows have been easy to work with, have been understanding when you’ve had to hold doors opening due to technical difficulties, and for the most part have come in smiling ready to do their show for the audience. Some shows, you’re trying to hold back a smile as they are leaving the venue for the last time.
Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive in her work. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020, and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending some time on tour. Drew's favorite by far though, has been the chance to work on Broadways and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry.
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