Enough: Sharon Mackay’s Assistant Director Blog #2

News 31 Jul 2019

[3 minute read]

In her second Enough Assistant Director blog, Sharon gets to grip with the demands of tech week and what makes it both so terrifying and exciting.

Tech week!

It’s hard to believe that we are about to go into our second preview, the time has passed so quickly! The journey we have been on with this script is remarkable. I have loved exploring the rhythms and dynamics of each section and watching it come to life as we refine and refine. Very quickly it went from a brilliant script into the creation of a world, in which we discover things about Jane and Toni, but also about ourselves and the way we view each other.

The thrill of coming together

It was so exciting getting into the theatre and putting all the different elements together. We got a chance to see what the other creatives had been working on and discuss how all of the individual elements would come together to tell the story. (No photos this week as I don’t want to give too much away!). The moment the cast put the costumes on and walked onto the set it immediately changed their physicality and shaped how they interacted with the space. This, paired with sophisticated and intricate sound and lighting designs made for an exhilarating week.

Calm amongst the challenges

It’s not a secret that tech week can have its challenges. It’s often long hours and requires a lot of patience to repeat and adjust things in order for everything to fit together. However, I am very grateful for being in such a calm and understanding environment. Everyone supported and respected each other and their ideas and would do whatever they could in order to help. This was down to having a cast and crew who were open and saw things as a challenge and not a problem.

Getting hands on

As Bryony was liaising with the technical team I was given the responsibility of making the most of that time with the actors. We would go over parts which had been changed or clarify things in the new space so that when we were ready to move on everyone felt confident.

I feel very lucky to be working with such a brilliant director, cast and crew that respect and value each other. I am grateful for every day I get to spend in a room with these wonderful people and I can’t wait to share this show with all of you!

Sharon Mackay is the Assistant Director on Enough. Her placement is supported by The Robertson Trust.