As Assistant Director on the Scarlet Pimpernel, there are so many tasks that it’s my job to wear many hats while keeping plates spinning! Vicky’s blog beautifully outlined the creative decisions that are made even before a production has begun and the process throughout a production. But more than this, there are so many responsibilities that the director cannot do alone. The key task of Assistant Director is to support the Director in carrying out some of the admin and delivering their vision of the production, while keeping them from going insane!

The constant sharing of ideas (and deciding that Vicky is right!), organising logistics (moving tables in small rooms!), correspondence and making sure that cast and crew are happy (and turn up on time!) are just some of the many tasks that we have. All of this hard work is done in our spare time for the love of theatre and radio and results in a fun production for cast and audience. The main joy that I get from this role is seeing how the cast develop and knowing that all of the work that we do in the background enables them to have fun and concentrate on delivering the best performance they can.

As I have a big passion for radio, it’s always a joy to be involved in a radio play and the favourite part of my role is organising foley! The job of the Foley Team is to provide live sound effects and stealing most of the laughs from the crowd! Jackie, Jess and Sam have been hard at work with great enthusiasm and skill, organising and testing equipment to replicate the sound of clanking cell doors, galloping horses and bludgeoning of flesh! Do you know how many ways to make a sound? 768. That’s the mathematical answer based on the number of items our Foley Team have for the Scarlet Pimpernel, multiplied by the combination and variety of their uses.

You can see the fun results of the many hours of administration and organisation on 30 November and 1 December at Mungos! Hopefully at that point, I’ll be wearing my ‘relaxed’ hat and all the plates will be organised in a pile.

Assistant Director, Kevin White

The University of Kent Players will be writing weekly blog posts throughout the rehearsal and production period of The Scarlet Pimpernel. If you are interested in joining the University of Kent Players, finding out more about a specific role, or have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us at players@kent.ac.uk

Tickets for The Scarlet Pimpernel are on sale here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-scarlet-pimpernel-radio-play-by-the-university-of-kent-players-tickets-50396456157