PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Working on The Prince of Egypt was both technically demanding and creatively ambitious. Translating a beloved animated story into a live production of this scale required precision, trust, and collaboration across every department.
Getting to create new work with composer Stephen Schwartz was a privilege, and it remains one of my most rewarding theatre experiences.
Based on the 1998 DreamWorks animated film, The Prince of Egypt was a large-scale West End musical known for its complexity and scope. The production featured pyrotechnics, a live ring of fire, a stage lift and trap on a stage that tilted up to 120 degrees, sending cast into the pit. Two full-length drapes travelled upstage to downstage and around corners, going against a horizontal rig, performer flying, and large trucks. It was a technically intricate show requiring precise coordination and safety control.
The choreography was physically demanding and integrated closely with automation, projection, and visual effects. Mounted in a short timeframe and staged just before the COVID-19 shutdown, it was a production that required focus, adaptability, and exceptional teamwork to deliver safely.
As Production Stage Manager, I was involved from the workshop phase through to the show’s closing, helping to establish its structure and processes before leading its daily running. After the technical challenges of mounting the production, my focus shifted to ensuring that every performance ran safely and smoothly, particularly with the complex staging, flying, and pyrotechnic elements in play.
With so many moving parts, safety and precision were always the highest priorities. It was a production that demanded focus, composure, and teamwork, and it reinforced how much I value guiding creative teams through ambitious, technically challenging live performance.
