If you were to go backstage during a performance at the National Theatre, you might wonder what all the people milling about are actually doing. First of all, there will be the actors. Then there are a stage management team and various people responsible for flying scenery in and out or moving sets or doing special effects. There will also be lighting and sound operators, but they will usually be ensconced in their box at the back of the theatre.
The backstage team often outnumbers the number of people you see on the stage. There will be the assistant stage manager who sits at a desk, cueing the light, sound and set changes. There may well be dressers to assist actors with quick changes of costume. Often these are more likely to be in the dressing rooms or the wardrobe department during the actual running of the shows.
The props table will usually be to one side of the stage and will contain the various hand held props used during the show. The actors will sometimes take responsibility for their own props and treat them as part of their costume, but many of the props are actually placed on the table during the show. This is particularly the case when hot food or drinks have to be brought on.
In many ways, the props table and the actual performances are the tip of the iceberg when looking at the work done by the props team. They may have spent months tracking down the perfect props, whether it is a 1920s silver teapot or a 1980s stainless steel one. At Keeley Hire, we are one of the first points of call for many props people. It is not surprising as we have over half a million props in our purpose built warehouse just outside London.