Backstage Secrets: There's Something in the Air...

Let's sneak behind the scenes and see what theatre magic and mysteries we can delve into with Company Manager, Fleur Beeley...

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it's a well-known breakfast cereal!

You'll all have seen MANY things falling from the ceiling in the Round at the SJT, from dust to snow and petals to slime. And whatever drops from the ceiling has to be non-slip, safe and non-toxic.

Petals are usually made of material; this gives them a wonderful flutter as they fall to the stage. Different sizes and colours make a multitude of different petals. 

Snow and ash are recycled from polythene bags or paper, ripped into tiny pieces. White for snow, black and grey for ash; they all come in different sizes to give different effects, and with some cunning mixing together they can make all sorts of effects. 

Slime is a tricky beast: getting the consistency right so it doesn't (a) fall like a bowling ball or (b) splatter the front row from head to toe can involve a lot of trial and error. In Treasure Island, we ended up putting an actor underneath it on a very large flag to break its fall and make the clean up easier (although getting it out of his costume was no mean feat every show – twice on Thursdays and Saturdays!)

In The 39 Steps a character shoots a pistol in the air inside a theatre. To give this some reality, the director and designer asked for a dust drop as if it had punctured the roof. That in itself is quite easy: a tippable box and a piece of string, or a box with a magnetized lid that can be released through the lighting board. But what to put in it, that isn't a hazard to walk on, or dangerous to breathe in? All things we have to think about around actors doing the show eight times a week – one slip or choke and we can have a cancellation on our hands. 

The answer? The humble Weetabix, crushed to a suitable powder, or left in larger lumps, makes a great plaster and dust drop.

So, next time you see something coming from the sky at the SJT, ponder on what it’s made of and how it’s released on cue!