— The City Lit Theatre Company are back in the John Lyon's Theatre this July with a new production of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
- We caught up with Kirsty Yeung, Deputy Stage Manager at the City Lit Theatre Company to find out more about her involvement in this production.
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Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: I have been working in Arts Administration and Management within the dance sector for the last 13 years – my current role is with Benesh International at the Royal Academy of Dance. Benesh International is the home of Benesh Movement Notation (BMN), which is a written system for recording movement and has most notably been used for recording dance works.
My background is in words - having completed an MA in English Literature, with a focus on drama. But I have also worked as a singer, notably in Glasgow with a swing/soul band.
Q: What role does theatre play in your life?
A: Theatre plays a huge role in my life. When I was younger, I had originally wanted to pursue a career in acting (and perhaps a small part of me still does…) Favourite performing roles over the years have included: Lucy Brown in The Threepenny Opera, Frasquita in Carmen, and Dabby Bryant in Our Country’s Good. I have also been fortunate to be Assistant Director for Guys and Dolls with Glasgow Music Theatre, and was a teaching assistant at the Redford School of Speech and Drama.
I’ve always had an interest in the behind the scenes of theatre. I had my first taste of being an assistant stage manager (ASM) for a production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with Glasgow Music Theatre, where I was drafted in at the last minute and ‘sight-read’ the show during the dress rehearsal. I think that is when I realised that the organisational and management skills I use in my day job would serve me well in a stage management role.
In recent years, I haven’t been directly involved in theatre as much as I would like, apart from being in the audience, but I’m really enjoying the opportunity City Lit is giving me to get back into it.
Q: Tell us more about the show and your role?
A: Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, arguably the most accessible – and my favourite Shakespeare play. Many moons ago I wrote an essay about the use of ‘you’ and ‘thou’ in Macbeth following a very brief conversation in the early 2000s with Shakespeare experts David and Ben Crystal…
The play is, in essence, about ambition and its effects – in this case disastrous – on the human psyche. Add in the supernatural, a sprinkling of persuasion, some royalty, and quite a bit of death, and that’s the play…! Macbeth is a fast-paced, action packed, dark play, and definitely not one to be missed.
My role in this production of Macbeth, as a student on the Stage Management and Technical Theatre Production course, is Deputy Stage Manager (DSM). The DSM is the ‘go-between’ of the production – working with both the technical crew behind the scenes and with the director and actors in the rehearsal room. In the rehearsal stage, I am present at every rehearsal to note everything and pass specific information onto the sound, lighting and stage management teams. This also allows me to create the ‘book’, or ‘show bible’, which includes every single cue in the production – from which I will call the show for every performance. Slightly terrifyingly, if I don’t give a cue during the performance, it won’t happen… No pressure!
Q: What do you enjoy most about coming to City Lit?
A: The people! It is so great to be around like-minded people – we’re all there because we want to be there and are working towards a common goal.
I feel very lucky in having taken on the role of DSM as part of the Stage Management and Technical Theatre Production course, as it has meant that I not only have got to know the other students on my course, but also the Macbeth cast due to being in every rehearsal. It is also brilliant how knowledgeable and supportive the tutors are – huge shout out to our amazing course tutor Lucy Ellis!
City Lit Theatre Company presents Macbeth
Directed by Jayne Denny
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most accessible tragedies and a perfect introduction for those new to Shakespeare.
14-16 July 2022 in the John Lyon's Theatre at City Lit
Join us!
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