I have had an amazing time at the Unity Theatre for my work experience. As a student studying GCSE Drama I wanted to find a placement where I could learn even more about the world of theatre, performing and even learn about what goes on behind the scenes. With hopes of acting and performing in the future I found that the Unity would be an amazing place to go to for more experience.

In search of a placement for my work experience I contacted the Unity Theatre and the Executive Director Eleanor Mason-Sawko responded positively and was able to accept me coming to the theatre in a few months time for my work experience. As the months were approaching I was so excited to come and start gaining some amazing experience.

The first day arrived and I was a bit nervous as I started arriving to the theatre, but when I met Eleanor, Eli Randle  and the rest of the team I immediately felt comfortable and happy. They all welcomed me with positive energy and warm smiles which made me even more excited to start working. Xenia Bayer Technical Manager then gave me a tour of the theatre and showed me around to where all the rooms and rehearsal spaces where. It was amazing from the dressing rooms to looking inside the control rooms I was so excited and happy to be here at the Unity. Later on in the day I went to observe rehearsals for one of the shows being featured in the Up Next festival called Muddle. I met the actors who were all so nice and kind and then watched them perform their piece. They were all so good and talented and I really enjoyed watching their performance.

On my second day I was tasked with organizing leaflets and programs from the 1980s to 2025. It was really interesting to see and read the old programs from over 40 years ago. I then went to see rehearsals for the show My Dead Nans Box Room. This show was one of my favourites to watch as I loved the story and all the ideas that went into it. I also loved the actors roles which were played really well.  Another highlight of my week was later on in the day when I went to see the auditions for the Unity’s Youth Radical Heritage project which was a 10 week course with a show and the end of it. I loved watching this as all the people who auditioned were amazing and it was really fun to see an audition process. I along with other work experience students gave our feedback on the auditions and helped in deciding who they should take on for the project which was fun to be apart of.

On Wednesday we were tasked of going around the area to promote the Unity Theatres shows. We walked into shops and left leaflets on walls and shelves hoping to help the Unity sell out more shows. This experience was really fun as I learned a new skill and also did something I had never done before. After that I then had to read an old script from the 1930s which I then typed up so it could be used in the theatre. Later I then stayed to watch a documentary that was being shown in the theatre called Folktales. I liked watching this as it was very interesting to watch and I loved seeing the content and the Husky dogs.

On Thursday I went to see the rehearsals for the show Knickerbocker Glory. This show was fun to watch as it told a good, funny story and I loved the actor’s roles. I also liked how they multirole into each character which made the show more exciting.

On my final day I saw sound and tec rehearsals for the show Where Have All Our Women Gone? I loved seeing this as it was very interesting to see how much work goes into a show. I loved learning how and where all the lights and sound are controlled to really set the scene of a show and elevate it more. I loved seeing the show come to life with the whole set, lights and sound to really develop it and make it very bold and eye-catching. I absolutely loved seeing this behind the scenes experience with the help of Liz Baker showing me more stuff that goes on behind the scenes. I then saw rehearsals for the show Saint Jason. This show was amazing to see as I liked how the story and the characters linked together to create the scenes with lots of detail and characterization. After reflecting on my week I have had an amazing time here at the Unity Theatre. I am so thankful and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to come here and work with such an amazing and talented team. After having this experience I have more hopes for working in a theatre industry in the future and it has solidified my love for theatre more. I will definitely be back again in the future. Thank you to the Unity team for supporting me and welcoming me as well as making this experience truly amazing and unforgettable.

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