20th July 2015
Three apprentices from the School for the Performing Arts & Technical Theatre got the chance to play their part in the Queen's recent.
Overcoming their nerves, the apprentices provided sound, lighting and technical support and helped ensure the royal visit ran smoothly – an important job for such important guests.
The Queen and Prince Philip were visiting Barking and Dagenham to celebrate the borough’s 50th anniversary and open the new Abby Leisure Centre. As part of the visit, they took the time to meet and greet well-wishers and enjoy a well-deserved lunch at The Broadway Theatre.
The group were led by Cameron Murray, the Technical Operations Manager for the theatre, and a former Barking & Dagenham College student himself.
21 year-old Max Webster-Green, from Dagenham, a Broadway Theatre apprentice training with the College, acted as the technical lead for the day. He commented:
“It was an honour to lead the technical support for such a prestigious event.”
Mark Corbet, 18, from Stratford, who operated the sound for the event, said:
“Today has become and will probably remain, one of the most memorable days of my life. I never thought I would meet a member of the royal family, let alone the Queen and Prince Philip!”
Charlie Mann, 18, from Hornchurch, was in charge of operating the lighting for the event and added:
“It’s been an honour to be able to do the job I love for such important people.”
Both Mark and Charlie are apprentices with the Barbican and Guildhall and train with the College as part of their apprenticeship.
The event was a fantastic opportunity for the apprentices to get real-life experience of running the technical support for such a prestigious event. However, there was no time for them to relax and enjoy their achievements after the event had finished. As soon as the royal party left, the apprentices went straight back to work, preparing the Broadway for an evening show.
As Mark Civil, Executive Venue Manager for the Broadway Theatre commented:
“Such is the nature of working in a professional theatre environment!”
