In the lead-up to the show

1. Budget

One of the first things you will want to get a hold on is the budget! Often the Director will have pitched a budget to Pembroke Players i.e. set out for us how much is expected to be spent and on what (welfare, publicity, costumes etc.), but if not, you may work with them to finalise this. With this budget, you will receive a show contract from the Pembroke Players Treasurer and be required to sign off on this agreement as early as possible. 

Once the budget has been approved, it is your responsibility to keep track of finances internally. A budget template can be found attached to the pre-show email. Quite simply, it will need to track how much is being spent,  and provide proof of purchase in the form of receipts, not bank statements.  We prefer when purchases are consolidated into one account i.e. your Director/Producer may internally reimburse production expenses from their own accounts during the show and then be paid the full amount by Pembroke Players after the show is finished. Though, if this is not something you wish to do for whatever reason, please do not feel that it is imperative. If you have any concerns about pocketing show expenses, extenuating circumstances may allow for the provision of a grant i.e. we pay you and then you return any excess to Pembroke Players. Please communicate this with the Pembroke Players Treasurer when receiving the show contract if this is the case. 

If proof of purchase is deemed insufficient, it is the prerogative of the Pembroke Players Treasurer to not provide reimbursement. 

2. Further Production Recruitment

Producers are part of the core-production team alongside the Director, ADs, and sometimes the Publicist. Your show will likely seek out extended production members further along in the process and it may be up to you to post adverts on Camdram and the Cambridge Theatre Facebook. Generally, you are also responsible for keeping the Camdram up-to-date and issuing show credits. The Director may also play a part in this. 

3. Rehearsal Scheduling and Room Booking

In terms of the cast, the Producer’s role involves devising a rehearsal schedule.  For most shows, you should be aiming to run through each scene at least once prior to full runs/tech/dress rehearsals. To gauge actor availability, websites such as Calltime or When2Meet can be extremely helpful tools. It can be advantageous to set rehearsal dates/times as early as possible so that the cast will work around these times rather than you having to work around them, especially if your show is in Week 3 or 5. As a Pembroke Players show, you do have the opportunity to use Pembroke New Cellars as a rehearsal space. Though this requires contact with your Show Rep far in advance – the specific details regarding this can be found in your pre-show email. College rooms i.e. JCRs, conference rooms, are also functional as rehearsal spaces and may have more last-minute availability, but depend on your college and their regulations. It is up to you to secure these rehearsal spaces.

4. Production Meetings

Moving to the crew side of things, the Producer and Director often play a shared role in organising and leading production meetings to keep everyone on the same page. It is especially important to have an initial production meeting – in person or online – to discuss each portfolio’s creative vision but more importantly for you as a Producer, their specific responsibilities and the expectations timing-wise for these tasks. Try to make things as clear as possible from the offset and ensure that everybody knows what they are doing!

In completing your SPAT reports (see below), you will need to seek out at least a weekly written update from each production portfolio. It is up to you and the Director if you would like to host more regular meetings, but they can be difficult to set up during term-time.

5. Communication with Pembroke Players

It is imperative that as a show, you keep in touch with your Show Rep and update us adequately. This communication is largely your responsibility as a Producer. At a minimum, this will involve the weekly completion of SPAT reports,  the template of which can be found in the pre-show email. We have introduced this formal process/structure to prevent anything from slipping through the cracks and ensure that all parts of the production are progressing well and simultaneously. Please remember that above all, Pembroke Players is a learning space which means that it is a space where mistakes and setbacks are not only inevitable but also will be met only with understanding. If things are going wrong, the worst thing you can do is not communicate that to us through your Show Rep.  As a collective, we have a mutual vested interest in you and your show and will only respond constructively and not with scrutiny. If there is anything that is unclear or any issue is beginning to surface, do not hesitate to be in touch with us. 

Show week!

   1. Stewards

All shows at Pembroke New Cellars require at least three stewards. Without sufficient stewards, your show may be subject to cancellation, so it is important that you do your best to publicise stewarding early on. It is most effective to either rope your friends in, or post on the Cambridge Theatre Facebook.  When stewards cannot be found, you or other members of the production team should step into these roles if available.

   2. Get-in/Get-out

Get-in/get-out are the aptly named processes for the immediate before and after of your show run. Get-in often occurs on the Sunday before your show commences and is a time to set up props/set, run through the show, and all-in-all, make the space yours (as it is for the week). It will essentially be up to you to run this – albeit with lots of help from cast and crew – and it is helpful to come up with a checklist of tasks, a basic delegation, and gauge cast/crew availability and attendance prior to the day.

The aim of your get-out is to leave New Cellars as you found it – neat and tidy! Process-wise, it is simply the reverse of get-out i.e. return everything to its original source whether that be the props store, tech cupboard, or outside of Pembroke, stack up the chairs, sweep-up/mop if necessary. 

It can be helpful, but not necessary, to get in touch with your Mainshow/Lateshow counterpart to organise your changeover. As the space is essentially shared between the two of you for the week, it is important that you are accommodating to one another.