This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:06] Josh Mitchell: Hello, Theatre Fans! Welcome back to the We Are Theatre Podcast.

[0:10] Today we're going behind the curtains to talk about stage management and back of house things, which is a first for this show. Josh, welcome.

[0:19] Joshua Broadbent: I'm so excited to have you here.

[0:22] Josh Mitchell: For me too. You're actually from my locality. We grew up in Newcastle and have ventured onto different things from here. So there's a fun fact. So when did you get into theatre and what made you decide to go down the production track more than the performing track?

[0:41] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, sure. So I started in theatre at a really young age in acting classes up in Newcastle at Young People's Theatre. I don't know if you're aware of it.

[0:50] Josh Mitchell: YPT.

[0:50] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, yeah. Yes. Um, and yes, I started there doing drama classes, and I was really interested in acting at the time. I was part of one of those modeling agency acting things for TV ads and stuff, and never had any success in that, which is so fine now. I don't really care about it. Um then it's sort of like while I was at drama classes, you know, they were doing three or four shows a year, and my parents were always like, "Do you want to audition? Do you want to go do this?" And I was like, "No." Took me a long time. It probably took me about four or five years until I actually decided, okay, well, you know, if this is something I want to do, follow that acting career, then I should audition for a show and you know, super nervous.

So I auditioned and I got to play Lurvey the farm hand in Charlotte's Web — a breakout role for me. Um and then sort of from that moment, I realized there was so much more to do with theatre. Like my parents had always taken us to Sydney to see all the musicals. I think my first musical I can ever remember is The Sound of Music with Lisa McCune in 1999, potentially. Um, so I've always really enjoyed going and seeing musicals and being part of theatre. And when I started acting and started doing that, I realized, okay, well, it's not just the people on stage; there's so many things happening in the wings. From that moment, from that first show, I then continued to do every single show that they produced.

I was sort of forced in a way to do acting at least one show every year because that was the whole point of sort of going to those classes and being there. Uh, and then throughout the rest of the year, I was in stage management, lighting, sound, you know, flies. I just did anything and everything I could, and I spent pretty much every Saturday there for, wow, like 10 years or something. It was just every weekend. Um, so I sort of did that. And then once I finished high school, I sort of kept there for a little bit and tried to figure out what I wanted to do. Um, I very much knew that acting was not a career choice for me. It was not something that I was going to be able to, you know, succeed in.

So I went, okay, we'll leave that. And I was really interested in lighting design and still am, but I sort of don't want to do all of the steps to get to be a lighting designer. So I was like, well, we'll leave that one over there. Which I am lucky. I do go back to YPT every now and then and do a lighting design for them when I can when I've got availability. So I sort of still dabble in that. And then yeah, I decided to go and study at NIDA and got in the first go, which is very rare and very, very rewarding to be able to do. And then sort of from there, I fell in love with stage management and, you know, that love of musicals that I had growing up as a child, seeing the shows with my parents. I went, wow, okay, well, I can actually do this. This is a career choice for me. So I did, yeah. So that's sort of where I landed. That's how I got there.

[3:30] Josh Mitchell: Amazing. Um obviously going to NIDA and studying to get to where you are now. What were some of your favorite moments in like kind of watching shows while studying and looking at it from like a student's perspective, being like, "Oh, cool, that's how that gets there." And I feel like once you kind of understand the technical side of things, you look at shows in a completely different view. Um, so were there some moments like shows that you went to that kind of blew your mind from a production point of view?

[4:05] Joshua Broadbent: Um yeah, it's really interesting because I can't see a theatre show without like pulling it apart now. It's sort of like the theatre's sort of ruined for me. Like I can go and see a movie and be fine, but my husband has a movie podcast and he goes and critiques it and, you know, does all that, but it's the opposite. So I go see theatre and I'm just like pulling every little like how do they do that? And if I don't know how they've done something, I will message someone that may know that have that answer to be like, "I'm dying inside, please tell me." Yeah. Um, because there's some moments that still happen like that. For me while I was studying, we were really lucky and were able to do sort of um, uh what's the word? We were able to go and like watch the stage manager call the show.

[4:46] Josh Mitchell: Okay.

[4:46] Joshua Broadbent: So sort of like a little secondment sort of thing. Um, and I got to do a couple really cool ones. I got to go backstage at Wicked, which Wicked is one of my all-time favorite musicals, and I've seen it over 10 times. Um and I was able to yeah, go and sit there and listen to the call and sort of then watch what was happening backstage at the same time, which was incredible. But probably the one I remember the most is the Blue Man Group. So they were at the Lyric Theatre, they were doing a pre-pop of shows there, and I got to do the same thing. I got to sit with a caller and listen. But the way that show is put together and what they can hear in their ears and the cues that the stage manager takes and just how that whole thing is put together, I just went, wow.

I just didn't even think about these men, you know, covered in blue with their ears covered and like how they hear and how they know to keep in sync and all of that sort of stuff. Yeah. It's just phenomenal. Like really, really awesome.

[5:40] Josh Mitchell: What was it like for you? Um for those of you that don't know theatre um or what a stage manager's role is. How about you go through that and what you go through the umpteen million roles that you've got, but like for those fresh in or don't know what goes on behind the curtain, give us the kind of pitch.

[6:02] Joshua Broadbent: Oh gosh, it's sort of you're sort of a jack of all trades because you've got to be able to do a lot of things. Uh so when you sort of start in a production in the rehearsal room, and also I should say there's like three levels or four levels of stage management, like there's a production stage manager, a stage manager, a deputy stage manager, and an assistant. So all of those people then in themselves do different things as well. So I'll sort of go generally and broadly and try and patch it all together. But as a stage manager, you're there in rehearsals from day one, you know, you typically won't have wardrobe, you won't have props people, you won't have any of that. So you're sort of controlling, you're sort of managing all of that, those things in the room to make sure that the cast know, okay.

So when we get to the theater, this is where this thing will happen, you know, your quick change will be here, or this is where you will find your prop, and I'm, you know, I'm no longer gonna be giving it to you, you've got to get it yourself, and you're sort of in the room, you're prompting, you know, um, if someone's forgotten the line, just keeping on top of that, managing schedules, um, and just, you know, sort of being that communication between what's happening in rehearsals and what the rest of the production team need to know. So if some, you know, if a costume needs fixing or a certain element is required, then you sort of spread that across to all of the other departments. Um, and then once you move into the theater, sort of same sort of thing, but obviously you add all those extra people on, and you are therefore then running the show.

So you're the you're liaising between all of the other departments to make sure that you know they're all good to go, you know, especially during the show. Um, if you are calling the show, calling the cues, which is one of my favorite things to do. You are therefore like, you know, in control and command, sort of like, you know, you're flying a plane. Yeah. It's your show, it's your thing, and you're saying go, you're saying, you know, light LX go, sound go, you know, all of that sort of stuff. So you bring all of those elements together. And then, you know, just being really friendly and approachable and just being that sort of that really good energy lift within the company is always good to come from stage management because you've sort of across all of those departments in a way.

[8:09] Josh Mitchell: Um, and obviously over the last couple of years, the role kind of would have adapted a little bit with COVID and everything like that. So, how's that been kind of managing that as well?

[8:21] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, it's really interesting. So at the moment I'm the COVID-19 safety officer slash stage management swing on Nine to Five, um, opening previews starting on Wednesday this week, which is very exciting. Um, so we have found that like a lot of those big shows, we are bringing an extra person in to sort of help with all of that because stage management is already busy itself. So, you know, if they were trying to keep up with all that cleaning and keeping up with all the like the mask wearing and all of those sort of policies, it's really hard for them to do because they've already got a million other things that they're trying to pull together in a short time. But it is definitely interesting, you know, being in rehearsals and, you know, casts being in masks, but also trying to perform.

It's challenging. Um, we're being really lucky in that we've made it work. And then once we sort of got to the theater now, the cast, if they're on stage performing, they don't need to be in masks, obviously, because that would be a terrible performance to us. But everyone else needs to stay masked. Um, and it's yeah, it's just sort of adapting. And, you know, I think that's one of the better skills that we have as a stage manager is that we can adapt very easily. Um, and if you can't, then you're probably not in the right place because you're just gonna be able to go with the flow. So many things happen so last minute that you've got to be able to, you know, mold that. But really, a lot of what's happening with COVID now is stuff that we were already doing.

Yeah. You know, there were we were cleaning props, there were hand sanitizers around the building. The only real difference is just being that little bit more cautious about, you know, how you're feeling. Typically, in any industry, if we're not feeling well, we go, "We'll be fine, we'll go to work." But it's like as soon as you don't feel well, you've got to not go because you don't know, you know, it could be COVID and you've got to keep everyone else okay. Because as soon as one person brings it in, especially in that sort of moment where the cast aren't wearing masks, as soon as that, you know, it comes into the building, it can easily spread.

[10:11] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[10:12] Joshua Broadbent: So it's very much exactly what we were doing, but yeah, just a little bit more a tactic and yeah, yeah, yeah.

[10:21] Josh Mitchell: Um coming out of NIDA and getting into the industry is sometimes one of the hardest things um to do. So, how did you go about forming the connections to kind of get your foot in the door to get you to where you are now?

[10:36] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah. So NIDA's really good in that in your final year, you go and do your secondments, so your industry placements with professionals. And it's up to you to find those.

[10:44] Josh Mitchell: Okay, cool.

[10:45] Joshua Broadbent: So I was really lucky that with mine, I did Sydney New Year's Eve, like the fireworks celebration with the City of Sydney. I did um Aida Opera on the Harbour and I did uh Matilda the Musical. Um and out of all of those three, I actually went back and worked for two of them. So I went back for like the next two years and did Sydney New Year's Eve, which I absolutely love to do in different roles every time I went back as well. So I was continuing that sort of learning and evolving within that industry of events. And then Matilda I went back and did prop swing. So I actually went and got to actually do the show, like actually like move things and hand things and actually be part of it because the secondment was about four months because we had a month of children's rehearsals, a month then with the adults, then a month of tech and a month of previews.

So it was a very long time and a lot of it was spent especially in the sort of once we got to the theater of sitting around actually not doing anything watching it all just sort of come together. And it's sort of in those moments you network with people. So it's, you know, you need to be like introducing yourself and you need to be really showing who you are and what you can do without overstepping any boundaries.

[11:52] Joshua Broadbent: Um and yeah, so it was sort of in that moment that I got to do all that networking and then after Matilda ended because I was only sort of there for two or three months, I then had a very long gap before I got back into that musical theatre world because it is really hard to get into. And in that time, I worked for ATYP, I worked for some other little productions and all that sort of stuff to just continue to, you know, build my knowledge and all of that. I worked at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in that time as well. Just, you know, because it is hard when you come out of uni to find that stable work within the industry, especially because it's not a stable industry to be in. You know, you go and do six to twelve months on a contract and then you've got to find that next job.

[12:41] Joshua Broadbent: So once I sort of landed The Wizard of Oz, which was my first touring job as an ASM, I've been really lucky and grateful for the opportunities that have come. I went from straight from that on to Evita, straight from Evita on to Charlie. And then obviously COVID hit at that point and sort of threw everything into a spanner and a spin and it all went a bit crazy. Um and then connections from Charlie, I was able to get on to Come From Away. So I'm very grateful for those networks and those people that I know that are able to help me get to where I need to be.

[13:19] Joshua Broadbent: And the same thing happened with Nine to Five. Come From Away was meant to be continuing touring for the next couple of months. And then just with COVID and all that sort of uncertainty, they went, okay, well, we're just gonna shut down until sort of mid-year and we'll see how we go there. I went, oh god, I don't have work again. So I quickly sent emails out to all of my networks to just be like, hey, I'm available now. Like, what do you have? It absolutely I'll do anything. I don't really, I don't mind what I do. And then I was very lucky that Crossroads Live reached out to me and went, hey, do you want to do a swing stage management for Nine to Five? And I went, yep, cool, free. I'm absolutely free.

And then that sort of then expanded into actually, do you want to also be our COVID officer? Because we really need someone to just sort of take control of all of that because you know, every other department's so busy. And I was like, yeah, sure, yeah, cool. Yeah, I'm in. And within that role, within that role, like there's many other things that I'm doing at the moment, you know, I sort of unofficially giving myself the title of assistant company manager because I'm because of you know the hours that I have in the day for stage management and this COVID stuff. I'm not necessarily busy, busy the whole day long. So I'm able to go and do other things for company management and for you know other departments, which I love to do. I just love to help everyone.

[14:36] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, I think that's the cool thing. Like, as you said, you've developed skills in so many different areas over the years that you can just throw your hat in and be like, hey, I can do anything. Let's go. And then once you build that trust with people as well, especially in the technical side of the industry, it's a very, I know I can trust this person to get the job done kind of thing as well. So that's really, really cool. You mentioned calling the show earlier. Now, this is one of the coolest things, like from a performer's perspective to walk past a stage manager and hear them calling a show. What was it like getting to do that yourself on like a massive production on a large scale for the first time? Like, do you remember that moment of having to learn the two I choose?

[15:24] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, I just got like this weird chill through my whole body just thinking about it. So Wizard of Oz was the first, my first show and my first time calling a big musical like that. And it was really daunting, you know. I went in with it going, yep, I'm gonna give it my all. And it took a bit. I was it I sort of learnt it in two parts in a weird way. So typically you'd sort of learn act one, then act two, and put that all together. But what happened was we were in Adelaide and our deputy stage manager decided that she was going to leave the production. So I was sort of pushed into it very quickly. And we're only in Adelaide for like three or four weeks. So it's a very small time. So I ended up being able to call Act One because they didn't want to rush me too much because it was the first time.

So I learned Act One. And then we got to Melbourne. I then learned Act Two while we were teching. I was actually sitting in in front, like in the audience while the show was being tech'd learning to call Act Two because they needed me to call basically like as soon as possible. Because there was no there was only the one stage manager that could call. And if anything happened, you want to be able to jump onto it. So I remember being really like nervous. And you know, I would sit there before the show and just go through a couple things. And I picked it up very pretty easy, easily. And yeah, it's it's it was really thrilling and wonderful, like it's just overwhelming sort of joy to be, you know, finish that first show call.

Because you sort of sit there and you like just tense up and you're like, I've just got to focus on getting absolutely everything right. And then you get through it, and then your body just like releases and you're like, wow, and you just sit there in shock because you're like, how the hell did I just do that for like two hours straight? Because yeah, it's it is you've got to, it's you know, you're like mission control, you gotta sit there and you've got to focus for that long to make sure you don't you don't make any mistakes.

[17:15] Joshua Broadbent: I was really lucky in that when so I did Wizard of Oz then at Evita, I didn't actually get to call Evita. It was a really quick season, and there was four of us, and that's fine. I didn't really mind because I was like, I've done it now, you know, tick it off like this. It doesn't happen again, that's fine. And then Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, I actually got brought on after they had opened the deputy stage manager was the only one calling the show, and the ASM was as well. But the ASM I was replacing, so she was leaving in like a week's time. So I had to learn that call in like no time at all. As well as that, I was also getting married around those sort of dates and had all this time off and and it was really stressful.

So I was learning a new show, learning what the ASM did, you know, taking over petty cash and managing all of that. So I was called learning to call the show and then also trying to you know manage life outside of work. So it was very stressful, but I managed it somehow. But that that was sort of that moment I went, oh, I know what I'm doing. Cause I can walk in, pick up a show and go, here we go. You know, I'm calling. I don't necessarily need to be on it from the start, and I I don't need to, you know, spend a lot of time, you know, finessing it and all of that. I can I can actually do it, especially after not calling for Evita. So there was sort of like a a little it's probably about six or seven months of not calling a show.

So I was like, oh god, do I actually remember how to do this? Do I know what I'm doing? Yeah. And yeah, and it was really rewarding to actually be able to get to to you know pull that off. And I went, oh, that's right. I can do that, I do have those skills. And then for Come From Away, every time I went to start to learn to call the show, we went into a shutdown because of COVID. So I never actually got to I never got to call Come From Away. I've got my prompt copy sitting in here at home, just in case I ever, you know, if they go, yep, we're coming back and we need you to call, then I can actually start to like go through it before I start because it's it's a different show in itself, and there's a lot of a lot of cues, it's a lot of lighting cues.

And where they're called on beats or and the script, it changes very quickly. So it's like you actually, and obviously it's one act, you know, it's a hundred minutes in one act, so you don't have that typical like interval where you can just take a breath, and there's really no moments in Come From Away on like other shows. Yeah, you know, people usually play like trivia during a show. They'll play like you know, sort of a pop trivia sort of thing, because there's usually large sections where that can happen. Come From Away doesn't have it. So I was I was really nervous to actually be able to to be able to do it, especially after you know, having two years off because of COVID, going, oh, can I actually do this?

And I dare say it would have been the same thing with Charlie. I would have gone into and went, oh, that's right, yeah, no, I can I can do it, but just because it's been so long. So I've got it with me in case I ever need to pick it up quickly.

[20:08] Joshua Broadbent: Over your resume is stacked with amazing shows that we've mentioned so far. What's been kind of a highlight show to work on so far for you?

[20:19] Joshua Broadbent: Oh god, yeah, I everyone always asks that. It's they're all so different in different ways. You know, like Matilda was I really really enjoyed Matilda, the show itself, um, as well as just the people that were involved, and you know, sort of I think because I grew up in new theater um in Newcastle, watching children, you know, bring a show to life is something that I've done for most of my life, and especially growing up. So to see that, God, it was like wow, these like I could never have been one of them. That like that would not have been me. I would dare would not have auditioned um and just stayed stayed doing doing stuff in Newcastle. But um, but you know, there's that, and then Wizard of Oz, you know, and the whole fact that you know it was my first time calling a show.

So like every show I've done, there's some really special moment. For Evita, it was getting the the stage management team that I worked with were just phenomenal. They're very, very um, like they're experts in their field and they've been doing it for a really long time. And just to be able to pull knowledge from them is really rewarding. And then it's the same like now with with Nine to Five and the COVID world, you know, I've learned new things, I've learned new skills. I've learned a lot of things about COVID that I never thought I would need to know. And you know, getting to put that into play and all of that sort of stuff. So every yeah, I can't I can't pinpoint the one moment because every show I have had a really rewarding experience from.

[21:47] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah. Throughout the whole production process from auditions through the tech, because you've been on um audition things as well throughout your time. What's your favorite moment in the process of putting a show on?

[22:00] Joshua Broadbent: Um, from auditions to tech to bump in and everything like that. Yeah, I think I think rehearsals, like the very first initial rehearsals are probably I don't know if it's my favorite, but it's where you get the most information. You know, that's when you learn about the show. That's when you actually go, oh, this is what I do during the show. You know, I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna be doing this. Like Wizard of Oz, it was like I found out that I had some cues with Toto with the dog, that I actually got to, you know, release him and let him run across the stage and stuff like that. So I really, yeah, really value that that time. And then sort of tech is a little like it can be fun, but it's so draining because the hours that you do and you have to put in a lot of extra hours to be able to pull it all off in such a short time.

And then it's sort of those like milestone performances as well that are really rewarding. You know, you get to your hundredth show, and you're like, oh my god, wow, like we did it. Um but yeah, I but bump out is probably not my favorite. Mostly because it's it's you know it's just pulling down signage for us and you know, tidying up the dressing rooms and cleaning and all of that sort of stuff, which is you know, it is what it is. Uh but yeah, I'd probably I'd probably go with with that rehearsal period just because of how valuable it is to learn what you actually get to do during the show.

[23:19] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, amazing. But I also don't I don't mind auditions as well. I haven't done many, but but that's always fun because you get to you get to see like friends that you've worked with, and you're like, oh my god, hi, how are you doing? Like people that you don't run up every day. But then you also have that, I'm so sorry, you know. Yeah, that whole um, you know, we'll contact you or we'll contact your agent, which typically means see you later. Thank you so much. Don't come back. So yeah, a mixed bag there.

[23:45] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, I love that. Um you get to choose your next production to work on. It can be any production in the world. What would you love to throw your hand at and give a go?

[23:58] Joshua Broadbent: Beetlejuice.

[23:59] Josh Mitchell: Oh, yes.

[24:00] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah, okay. I actually haven't seen it.

[24:02] Josh Mitchell: Oh, I'm obsessed with the soundtrack.

[24:05] Joshua Broadbent: Um, and I've watched um a lot of videos on YouTube. Um, and I'm dying to see it. And yeah, I would yeah, totally put my hand up. That was quick too. You knew that.

[24:15] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah. Yeah, like if you asked me maybe like five years ago, I would have said Wicked, but yeah, I'm like, you know what? Wicked's great, and I do love it, but there's so many other like really rewarding new shows and exciting things happening.

[24:30] Josh Mitchell: Hey, it's time to move to New York. Beetlejuice is coming back.

[24:31] Joshua Broadbent: I know, I know for sure. I'll give them a call.

[24:37] Josh Mitchell: Amazing. Thank you so much for coming on, Josh. I really appreciated this chat.

[24:42] Joshua Broadbent: Um, but we'll call it there. Thank you so much, Josh, for coming on.

[24:45] Josh Mitchell: Um, guys, all of the links down below, and if you want to try and figure out what Josh is doing, tickets to Nine to Five will be in the link as well because I'll be there for that as well. Um but to wrap things up, if you could work in any theater in the world, like a the building specific, what would you like to go in and yeah, see?

[25:08] Joshua Broadbent: This different question. Like if if you could let's do three. So if you could do walkthrough or work in any three theaters in the world, what would it be?

[25:20] Joshua Broadbent: Well, the Capitol Theatre in Sydney is my favorite. It has always been my favorite. Um, I think it's because mostly growing up, that's where a lot of the shows we saw. Um god. I d yeah, I don't really know. I don't know a lot of theaters like I around. Um, but definitely like I would love to go and be in a West End theater.

[25:41] Joshua Broadbent: Yeah. I was in London for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I saw Hamilton and everyone's talking about Jamie, and the theaters are just spectacular. They're so small in the foyers, and you know, like you're out on the streets, sort of like piling in. Um, and then you get into like the foyer and it's beautiful, and you get into the auditorium and you're like, wow, this is gorgeous, you know, something that we don't really see here in Australia. Um, yeah, I don't I don't really know what theaters exactly I'd go into, but I I would go I would go into as many as I can. Just anything.

[26:10] Josh Mitchell: Easy guys, thank you so much for joining us, Josh. Thank you for everyone listening at home. We will be back soon with a new episode, as always. So follow all the links down below to find any extra information, and we will chat to you guys soon. Bye.