Chris Peterson, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Assistant Stage Manager, writes from Granada, where the Company are performing this week. With the Spanish heat, the performance is taking place at 10.30pm, and the three hour difference in start times is having some curious knock-on effects to the rest of the working day…

Morning!

Last night we started early evening. The stage staff finished building the Coppélia set, and when it got dark, the lighting team started focussing the rig. After a BBQ dinner at 1:30am, focussing continued, and then a light session under the stars and a beautiful full moon until the sun came up.

Back to the hotel for a nightcap of scrambled eggs and sausages before bed. It’s now half past 3 in the afternoon and [Lighting Technician] Andy Russell and I are catching up on a bit more sleep and catching some rays by the pool before we start work again this evening.

The stage crew are in at 6:30pm to lay the lino for class as it can’t be left out all day as it will melt or warp in the sun. Class is 7.30pm til 8.30pm then there’s a Copppélia rehearsal 9pm until half past midnight! Then might have to do some more lighting afterwards. Hopefully done by 2am tonight fingers crossed.

The performance tomorrow starts at about 10.30pm. That’s then followed by a changeover to our triple bill [Take Five, The Grand Tour and The Dream] which includes a full refocus and more lighting, so that will be another 7am finish x

Chris P.