Theatre / bristol old vic theatre school
Nicholas Nickleby: meet the team: Eve Kershaw
This month we’ve got a series of interviews with cast and crew members from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s forthcoming two-part production of Nicholas Nickleby at Bristol Old Vic (June 14-22).
Our first chat is with Eve Kershaw, the production’s stage manager. A final-year student on BOVTS’ FdA Professional Stage Management course, Eve has been nominated for the GDS Student Achievement Award in this year’s National Stage Management Association Awards, held in London on 5 June. Here, she provides a behind-the-scenes insight into Nicholas Nickleby and discusses what the audience can expect from the show.
Hello, Eve. So, what does the role of stage manager entail?
A stage manager provides support to the director and designer to achieve the end goal of a production. This includes the organising and scheduling of rehearsals, sourcing and making of props, budgeting, along with managing a team of deputy and assistant stage managers. Once the performance is up and running, it is the stage manager’s responsibility to ensure that it runs smoothly.
Final-year student Eve Kershaw takes on stage management duties for Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s two-part production of Dickens’ ‘Nicholas Nickleby’
How do you go about stage-managing a large, two-part production like Nicholas Nickleby? Has the technical team faced any particular challenges?
As a two-part production, the stage management team is split, so we have two assistant stage managers and a deputy stage manager on each part, and then myself working on both parts. Working on a show of this scale, it’s extremely important to be organised and on top of things – one of the biggest challenges so far has been sourcing all the furniture within our budget.
This is because the design requires all the Victorian-style furniture to be lime-washed, so we’ve been unable to simply hire or borrow furniture from props stores. The Bristol community have, however, been extremely kind and we have received donations of items including a chaise lounge and several mannequins!
What have you enjoyed the most about working on Nicholas Nickleby?
I love a challenge and this production has certainly tested me! So far I’ve really enjoyed the variety of props that have needed to be sourced and the sheer quantity of them too. It’s such a unique learning opportunity to stage-manage two productions alongside each other, needing to know them both inside out.
Inside the rehearsal room for ‘Nicholas Nickleby’. Pics: Mark Dawson Photography
Without giving too much away, what surprises does the creative team have in store for the audience?
There are a variety of entrances and exits in the show, along with flying scenery and some very funny story lines! It’s definitely worth coming to watch it; you’ll get really invested in some of the characters and root for them to succeed on their adventures!
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s production of Nicholas Nickleby is at Bristol Old Vic from June 14-22, in two parts.
For more info and to book tickets, visit bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/nicholas-nickleby-part-one and bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/nicholas-nickleby-part-two
Read more: Preview: Kings Cross (REMIX), Wardrobe Theatre, June 13-16
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