• Question: I want to be able to get a career in the musical theatre industry. What engineering jobs are there to do in a theatre?

    Asked by 884eneq45 to Oliver, Lesley, Leah, Hannah, Graeme, Aleks on 11 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Graeme Burt

      Graeme Burt answered on 11 Mar 2019:

      Special effects, and lighting. Some set designers might be engineers I’m not sure. Acoustics is definately a sound engineer, there is a lot of difficulties in setting up the acoustics just right.

    • Photo: Lesley Colquhoun

      Lesley Colquhoun answered on 12 Mar 2019:

      Agree with Graeme, sound engineering will apply here but you could also possible look at civil engineering to understand and plan the actual design of the staging i.e. where the lights, speakers and props will be mounted and how these can be supported.

    • Photo: Hannah Griffin

      Hannah Griffin answered on 13 Mar 2019:

      I agree with Lesley and Graeme. Lots of opportunities. My cousin works as a lighting engineer and has worked in the West End for several years and around the country. I also knew a sound engineer that travelled the world and was regularly working at Sydney Opera House!

      My second-cousin mainly got into the industry through experience. He did lots of voluntary work for local amateur theatre companies and venues. To “break in” to paid work he started off as an usher in one of the big theatres. Over a decade on he is now highly in demand and can pick and choose his lighting work.

    • Photo: Leah Morgan

      Leah Morgan answered on 13 Mar 2019:

      I agree with everyone haha, make sure you get lots of experience wherever you can. Working in the theatre is awesome work 🙂

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