Theatre jobs booklet louis hodges (final)-2

1. Y12 – BTEC Performing Arts
Performing Arts BTEC
Job Descriptions in Performing Arts
By Louis Hodges
St George’s International School
2019-2020

2. Table of Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3
2 Marketing Manager (job description) ............................................................................ 4
3 Actor (job description) .................................................................................................. 5
4 Director (job description) ….......................................................................................... 6
5 Profile of a Theatre Director …..................................................................................... 7
7 Profile of an Actor …..................................................................................................... 9
6 Article on Acting …....................................................................................................... 12
8 Profile of a Marketing Manager .................................................................................... 18
9 Interrelations between jobs …...................................................................................... 21

3. Introduction
For this piece of course work, we were tasked with researching jobs within theatre, using a lot of
in-depth information. The following project includes three different roles. These are Actor,
Marketing manager and Director. This will be done through online research along with the use
of the Performing Arts Business chapter in the ‘Performing Arts, Level 3, BTEC National,
Edexcel 2010’ textbook. Our aim is to have a greater understanding of the industry by the end of
this unit. I chose to look further into Marketing Managing because I have always enjoyed the
thought of producing creative advertisement. We are currently working on a theatre production
of Peter and the Wolf and I am taking care of the marketing for that production. I decided to
investigate acting as I have been doing it since I was young, and recently received a distinction
for grade 6 LAMDA. As I also study Media Studies, I often look into different directors and what
is unique about them. My limited experience in directing comes in directing younger children in
drama class.

4. Logbook of job descriptions
Marketing manager
What their role entails:
 “putting together estimates and budgets for marketing campaigns”. You need a decent
understanding of the business of a theatre production
 Preparing sales and advertisement contract
 Contact advertisement agencies1
 Directing social media opportunities. This would be important to reach an online
audience, to make more people aware of an upcoming show
 Using several techniques to promote the theatre production (video, poster). Also reaches
further audiences
Person specification
 Artistic
 Enterprising
 Spontaneous
 Outgoing
 Gregarious
 Adaptable
1www.careerexplorer.com/careers/marketing-manager

5. Actor
What their role entails:
 Learning scripts. As an actor, you must have the ability to read and understand scripts
provided, with the capability of performing it
 Being able to provide ideas, either in rehearsals or suggest changes to a devised script
 Act on a stage in front of however many people
 Turning up to rehearsals prepared
 In many circumstances, the actor must get physically prepared for a role or change their
appearance in some form to fit a character (E.G changing hairstyle)
 Travel around to perform in different places
 Audition for different roles
 Work with a cast or follow directions by the directing
 Photoshoots or adverts to market the film
 In some cases, sing or dance
Person specification
 Cooperative
 Supportive
 Dedicated
 Spontaneous
 Outgoing
 Creative
 Adaptable

6. Director
What their role entails:
 Turn up to rehearsals to direct the cast. This can include one on one classes, or blocking
scenes
 Work alongside the sound/light technicians in designing their section of the performance
 Work with the costume/set designers in preparation for the performance
 Lead a read through at the start of rehearsals
 The director should produce the creative vision of a performance
 The director is expected to cast a performance. S/he will lead auditions and then pick a
cast from there
 In charge of directing assistant stage managers cues
Person specification
 Cooperative
 Supportive
 Dedicated
 Spontaneous
 Outgoing
 Creative
 Adaptable
 Unique
 Enthusiastic
 Motivated
 Organisation skills

7. Profiles of professions
Theatre Director
A theatre director is responsible for providing the creative concept behind a performance,
along with directing the cast to perform the director's idea. The director’s job is vital as
without it, there would be no performance. Along with directing the cast and producing the
creative idea, the director leads rehearsals, works with the sound and lighting technicians to
create the perfect atmosphere. They also work alongside the costume and set designers, as
the stage must be organised to fit the director’s creative concept. The director is responsible
for contacting everyone necessary, as the aim is to produce the director’s vision.
Often, a director will come up with an idea, and contact the right people to make it happen.
There are also occasions where an idea will be shared with a director and the production will
be carried out from there. This can be in the form of a text/script; however, the director must
put his own. unique spin on it, or at least an aim to make it different than other previous
productions. They direct the actors, offering guidance on character interpretation and
dictating the pace, flow and subtlety of their performance.2
To become a theatre director, you do not need a specific degree or qualification, however
studying a degree, foundation degree or a higher national diploma in a subject related to
drama, then that will give you higher chances of becoming a theatre director.
As a theatre director, it is unlikely you will experience a standard day, working from 9-5. You
must be available to work late evenings, early mornings or even national holidays. As there
are many people contributing to a production, you must organise meeting points to include
as many people as possible. The director brings the energy to a rehearsal therefore no
matter what time or day it is, the director must contribute all their effort into it. Directors also
travel with the cast, therefore must be available to do so.
2 https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/job-profile/theatre-director

8. Typically, a theatre director will work on a production-by-production basis.3
Advantages of a theatre director
 Able to travel to new places along with the cast
 Create an idea/vision that they came up with
 Able to meet different people
Disadvantages of a theatre director
 Might work unexpected hours, and must be spontaneous
 Starting salary can be low
 Might work with casts that struggle to understand your creative vision
3 https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/job-profile/theatre-director

9. 4
This image a director working with actors, in a rehearsal
5
Through my research, I have discovered that it is important as the director is the pivotal point between a
theatre production of high quality and low quality. Different directors will produce content using different
styles and put their own twist on it. The fact that an audience will pay to go and see a production means
that it must be unique and creative. It is vital for there to be a
4 https://culture.pl/en/article/from-vyrypaev-to-wilson-foreign-theatre-directors-on-polish-stages
5 https://culture.pl/en/article/from-vyrypaev-to-wilson-foreign-theatre-directors-on-polish-stages

10. Actor
An actor is responsible for producing a well thoughtout performance,demonstrating the director's vision.As an actor,
you mustlearn scripts, turn up to rehearsals,do you own personal research,audition and travel around to perform in
different theatres.Once casted for a role, you are also expected to provide your own ideas for the production,along
with working with the director.
Often you mightnot be granted a big role in a production on your first attemptat an audition.This could be du e to
nerves, or the director not being interested in an actor with little experience.The mostcommon degree held byactors
is Drama,held by 17% of actors. Other common degrees include Acting,and Drama and Theatre Arts.6 Most actors
have some form of education,however 45% of them do not. It depends how far you want to go in the industry, as you
are likely to go further with a better education.
The salaries can vary for actors.According to sources,manyactors earning smaller amounts onlyspend around 20%
of their time working.This means thata lot of the time, they mustfind another means ofgenerating income.
According to the IndependentTheatre Council,the minimum payrates for a theatre director are: £1,305 per week for
a full-length play, £903 per week for a shortplay and £485 per week for a residentor artistic director.7
Apparently, the upward mobilityof the subjectis below average,the stress level is below average, and the flexibility is
above average. This means ifyou are intending to work other hours,becoming an actor is beneficial.8
9
6 https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/actor/education/
7 https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/job-profile/theatre-director
8 https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/actor
9 https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/actor/salary/

11. Advantages of becoming an actor
 Flexible hours
 Travel around performing in differentproductions
 Send messages to differentaudiences
 Work with new people
 There is no limitto how manyauditions you are allowed,therefore however much you want to work is up to
you
Disadvantages ofbecoming an actor
 You mightneed to turn up at unexpected hours
 When close to a performance,the workload is a lot more
 Might not cooperate perfectly with anyone in the cast
10
10 https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2017/mat-fraser-all-theatres-should-cast-at-least-one-disabled-actor-a-
year/

12. This image shows an actor working on stage,in costume.
Article on Acting
(YELLOW AREAS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS)
A working life: The actor
Robert Angell sometimes gets recognised in the shops, but stage
work is more about finding the next booking than finding fame
When Robert Angell walks into Sainsbury's he often gets funny looks. He's certainly striking –
classic tall, dark and handsome – but that's not why people stare. They know his face from one
of the many local theatre productions he has starred in, or perhaps Coronation Street fans
remember him from his brief appearance in the soap; or he is recognised from his work in the
first three series of the BBC1 school drama Waterloo Road.
Fame comes even to a predominantly touring stage actor. In Hull, Angell is a local legend,
having appeared in legions of Hull Truck Theatre Company productions. He has worked with the
company for 23 years and is about to embark on his 28th production with them.
His ongoing collaboration with John Godber, the respected playwright, director and former
artistic director of the Hull Truck, could be seen as the defining partnership of Angell's career.
Godber has entrusted him with 12 premieres over the years, and on the day I shadow Angell,
the actor is rehearsing for a touring revival of Godber's 1993 play April in Paris, a two-hander
between unhappily married couple Al and Bet (Bet played by Wendi Peters, who appeared in
Coronation Street as Cilla Battersby-Brown).

13. "You can't go wrong performing for the second most performed living playwright behind Alan
Ayckbourn," Angell says of Godber. It helps that Godber has written several parts for Angell
because they are the same age, both come from West Yorkshire and Angell "knows my voice" –
as Godber puts it.
Before I see the actor in action, we chat over lunch at the cafe in Hull Truck's impressive new
building. In 2009 the company moved from its former Spring Street base to a £15m home on
Hull's Ferensway, a stone's throw from the train station. It's a far cry from the days when plays
were performed out the back of a truck, mirroring Angell's own successful journey.
Angell was born in Bradford, where his father was a bank manager and his mother a PA. He
was an apprentice footballer between the ages of 14 and 16 with Bradford City but was released
at the end of his contract. Luckily, during that time he had also discovered theatre after joining
what he thought was a youth club but which turned out to be a youth theatre group.
A private drama teacher encouraged him to audition for a part and he quickly developed the
acting bug, appearing in his first play as the lead in Henry V. "My mum and dad thought I was
an idiot, but they softened a bit as my career developed. When you see what's happened to a
lot of bankers recently, it doesn't look such a silly career choice now," he says.
His first adult role came in the play Vivat! Vivat Regina! about Mary Queen of Scots, before he
took parts in Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood and Emlyn Williams's The Light of Heart.
Angell's early work even took in a stage performance of Planet of the Apes at the end of
Cleethorpes Pier, Lincolnshire.
After three decades in the business Angell talks with passion about his craft. "You usually get a
script before you start rehearsals, but sometimes you get it on the first day of rehearsal,
especially if it's a new play that's premiering, which can be very exciting."

14. This section shows why the satisfaction rate of an actor is exciting, as it is never the same job.
Sometimes you will be provided the script before rehearsals start, but you can also receive it on
the first day of rehearsals. This gives the actor different opportunities to provide their creativity,
and also shows that they must turn up to rehearsals frequently and with 100% effort.
Actors typically begin rehearsals with several read-throughs of the script. How long it takes
depends on where any issues arise. "You might get stuck on one page for two days and then do
20 pages in one afternoon," Angell laughs. Rehearsals gather pace until full dress rehearsals
with sound and lighting are held. Then it's time for the first performance.
"The build-up starts at 6pm," Angell says. "That's when the loos begin to fill up with nervous
actors. The buzz you get from any performance is incredible, but that first one is special."
Performing in front of audience is nerve-racking, meaning it is important to turn those nerves
into confidence in front of the audience. If nerves are not dealt with properly, they can affect
actors' performances, causing them to come out of role, or forget lines. Therefore, it is important
to do breathing exercises before (and after) performing, to relieve yourself from any stress in
order to put out the best performance possible.
The adrenalin rush of performance is inevitably followed by a comedown. I imagine it must be
addictive, with actors craving the adulation of crowds or the rush of live performance, and Angell
agrees. He adds that, like any addiction, there is also a downside: "If you are with a touring
group, you often find you are living out of a suitcase, bouncing around from one hotel to the
next. I've been very lucky and have not had long bouts out of work, but as a result I've not been
able to lead a normal life and my personal life has suffered hugely. It can be a very lonely life."
The traveling aspect can be seen as a positive or a negative for acting. Some actors feel it
focuses you on your work, while others feel like ‘living out of a suitcase’ is claustrophobic and
gives you less space to work on your performance. This is why there are many production

15. companies that are specific to areas and don’t tour as much, however there are many that tour
frequently.
Angell's work took him to London for 20 years but he now lives in a pretty village near Ilkley
Moor, West Yorkshire, and has a cottage in the Dales for a retreat.
Long before one job has finished, Angell and his agent will be looking for the next. "Your agent
is working constantly for you, and you're on the phone constantly yourself. Two cliches are true:
you have to be seen to be working and you're only as good as your last job
Despite having a high satisfaction rate, there are still times of stress for an actor. There will be
times where an actor will have barely any work going on, however quite often, they will be
searching for other jobs while working on another project. This is made simpler when becoming
slightly more well-known/experienced as you can get an agent. Although when you do not have
an agent, you will most likely have to be searching/auditioning for work while working on another
project.
It is an insecure lifestyle, but one that can be flecked with highly lucrative spells. Angell's stage
career gave way to a series of commercials in the 1980s and he was inundated with offers.
"Advertisers were looking for that classic 80s man, a bloke in his 30s who didn't mind holding
the baby or doing the washing up, and my face seemed to fit the part."
While many actors might film four, five or even 10 commercials in their career, Angell made 45
in a 10-year period. "Once I finished filming a beer advert for Tennent's Extra and went straight
into filming an ad for headache tablets, which seemed apt," he laughs.
Sometimes, theatre acting can cross paths with other styles, as you can be picked up or seen
by other creative visions.

16. But Angell hates seeing himself on television or being recognised by the public. "After I did
Waterloo Road fairly recently, people in the supermarket did notice me, but not as much as
when I did a lot of adverts in the 1980s. A checkout girl in B&Q once screamed, 'it's him from
that advert', at me."
I ask Angell if he minds auditioning for roles, given his long acting career and reputation: "As
you get older you gain experience and you also have an underlying confidence, so walking into
a room to find 40 other people who look like me isn't a problem. Also, auditions are as much
about personality and whether you fit well with the rest of the cast. Actors are forever humble
because if we're working, we are lucky and privileged."
Often the director will be in charge of putting a cast together that he believes will work best
together. This means the actors are more likely to have a better time together, work well
together and produce a better piece of theatre.
I watch Godber give notes on an earlier rehearsal to Angell and Peters. Godber asks for "clarity
of diction" in places and wants his actors to listen to "the colour and music" of the play. I don't
understand half of Godber's instructions, but Angell listens quietly, nodding in agreement. The
actors rarely disagree with any of the suggestions, even when they are told at certain moments
they "lack energy" or "need to come in stronger".
The relationship with the director must be strong, and it is important to respect their creative
vision, even if they provide an idea that doesn’t follow your own ideas. Although this is the case,
you are part of the company as well, therefore you can give your own ideas and all challenge
each other.
The rehearsal space is like a ballet room, with a giant mirror across the back wall, though
without the barre. Tape criss-crosses the floor, marking out where furniture and curtains will be
during the live theatre performance.

17. The first half of the play is set in an England beset by economic woes in which Bet and Al play
out scenes of domestic misery – the square of kitchen linoleum from which the actors never
stray is a metaphor for how trapped the characters feel, with the overwhelming greyness of the
set and props conveying their colourless marriage. But the play opens out in the second act
when the couple win a weekend trip to Paris and the set dazzles the audience with a colourful
(and miniature) Notre Dame, L'Arc de Triumphe, Eiffel tower and Moulin Rouge.
Both actors give the rehearsal their all, Angell investing his character's many cries of "bloody
hell" with humour and vigour. The first act is completed in about 45 minutes and during the
interval Godber gives them feedback. When Angell discusses the characters' marriage, he
again reflects on his own life. "I wouldn't know about marriage because I've not had that level of
familiarity," he says.
When the rehearsal is over, Angell looks a little worried. He tells me he is disappointed with
himself because he spent a lot of time fretting that he had missed out a scene before realising it
was still to come. "When I'm really nervous my leg sometimes trembles and I think it's really
obvious," he reveals, "but I asked someone to look out for it once and they couldn't see a thing.
It's just one of my little things – most actors have them.
An actor’s mindset is to always investigate how to improve. In this case, the actor thought he
was trembling his legs while nervous, therefore asked someone to look out for it. It is important
to acknowledge your own mistakes and correct them, so that you give a good performance.
"Even with you watching the rehearsal there was pressure and I felt strangely nervous. Did you
see my hand shaking while I was holding that beer glass?" I hadn't spotted it, I tell him, to his
obvious relief. If anything, he and Peters make acting look easy. "You know you've done a good
job if people say that," he says proudly.

18. April in Paris will tour the country until mid-June but after that Angell can't say where he will be
or what he'll be doing. He could walk straight into another production or, with any luck, he may
finally get the chance to unpack that suitcase one final time and relax in his local pub. "There
are no actors in there," he says with a smile, "so I never get recognised. I'm just me."
Curriculum vitae
Salary: Angell earns £500-£700 a week from theatre work, which works out at about £35,000 a
year.
Hours: 10am-5.30pm while rehearsing. Closer to performance, stage actors might also
rehearse from 6-9pm.
Work-life balance: Acting, especially with a touring production, leaves you little time for loved
ones. "It is a lonely business. The more you work professionally, the more your personal life
suffers."
Best thing: "Even after 33 years the excitement and apprehension and adrenalin never leaves
you".
Worst thing: "The problem with this job is that acting can give you such adrenalin that when a
job finishes it's a real downer".
Overtime
To unwind, Robert likes going to the theatre despite it being his day job. 'I tend to go up here in
the north now, but still find London exciting – the West End has changed so much.' He collects
antique toys and can often be found pottering around an antiques shop. Robert occasionally
hangs out with other actors but prefers to be in his local pub. 'Coronation Street came on the TV

19. in there once, and I ducked out of the tap room to the lounge bar to avoid it, but the locals saw
me on screen and one burst in shouting: "You can't do that to Kevin Webster".11
Marketing Manager
A marketing manager is tasked with managing the advertisementteam,in order to promote a production or a
theatre companyas well as possible.This could include posting on social media,creating other forms of media
like videos or posters.They also take care of the marketing budgetto make sure business is being done properly
and efficiently. They mustlook after any contracting done with other advertisementagencies,or even sponsors.
To become a marketing manager,you always need either a degree in marketing or business administration.This
is because you are involved with looking over the company’s budget,therefore you musthave knowledge ofthe
industryto understand the bestway of dealing with it. At minimum,you need a bachelor’s degree,buta master’s
degree is often preferred.
Currently, there is a 9% growth on the occupation.To perform well,you need strong communication,sales,
presentation,management,and leadership skills;goal-oriented,flexible,and creative under pressure;knowledge
of current marketing trends and multimedia platforms;strong budgeting,Internet,and computer skills.12
The satisfaction seems to be relatively low for a marketing manager.This maybe because the majority of work
done by this style of job is behind a desk,therefore less excitementin comparison to the other jobs I am
interested in.Apparently, the occupation does notrequire an unbelievable amountofknowledge and
intelligence.13
The bottom 20% of marketing managers earn $52,109 annually.These are likely to be working for a smaller
theatre companyor be relatively new to their job.The top 20% of marketing managers earn $192,661.These will
11 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/feb/05/working-life-actor
12https://study.com/articles/Marketing_Manager_Career_Information_and_Requirements_for_Becoming_a_Mark
eting_Manager.html
13 https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/marketing-manager/demographics/

20. be managing large companies and have likely been working within the industryfor many years, causing them to
be well experiences.
14
Advantages of being a marketing manager
 High annual pay
 Allows you to explore creativity through advertisement
 Can have flexible hours (depending on when a production is being released)
Disadvantages of being a marketing manager
 Low satisfaction rate
 Could be tedious after sitting at a desk
This image shows a conversation between a marketing manager and their team, while
discussing ways of advertisement.
14 https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/marketing-manager/demographics/

21. Interrelation of roles
Through my research, I have discovered that it is important as the director is the pivotal point between a
theatre production of high quality and low quality. Different directors will produce content using different
styles and put their own twist on it. The fact that an audience will pay to go and see a production means
that it must be unique and creative. It is vital for there to be a strong relationship between the actors, as
they will be working together throughout rehearsals. They must be cooperative and provide ideas for each
other. After the first performance, the director with give his notes to the actors, and provide a review on
their performance. The director and the marketing manager also work a lot together, as the marketing
manager’s work will often go through the director, as they will refer to the director before releasing some
advertisement. In some cases, the actors and/or the director will do photoshoots in aim of advertising a
production and/or production company.