It involved two spring leaves that parted under pressure and immediately reclosed. The Vampire Trap was invented for James Planché's 1820 adaption of Polidori's The Vampyr. Cast and crew members often just want to go home when they leave their workplace.Ī grave trap is a lowered rectangular section used in Hamlet etc.Ī cauldron trap is a simple opening through which items can be passed into a cauldron on stage.Ī star trap is a set of triangular sprung flaps in the stage floor through which an actor can be propelled from a lift below stage.Ī diaphragm trap can close around an object allowing it to penetrate a previously solid wall with no visible gap around it.Ī pivot trap is a doorway or opening with a central pivot which enables it to rotate (like a revolving door). It's important that the audience respect the performers' needs to leave work and get home in a timely manner, and while some shows (particularly those active on social media) have well-established 'photo opportunities' with cast, there should be no expectation that a particular performer will want to participate. Some popular shows have large groups of audience gathering around the stage door after the show to meet the cast, and to take photos with them. Some venues operate a signing-in system, and the stage door noticeboard is an important reference point for information about local accommodation, union membership and rules particular to that theatre. There's normally a separate phone line to the stage door, and calls can sometimes be put through to dressing room phones. Large theatres normally have a stage door keeper, who takes messages for performers and acts as a security guard for the entrance. STAGE DOOR The backstage entrance to the theatre, usually on a different side of the building from the public entrance. Padded dance floor rolls are available to provide some shock absorption if it's not possible to work on a sprung floor.ĭance work on non-sprung floors is not recommended for long periods. These floors are especially loved by dance companies, however, there sometimes needs to be additional structural support under the floor to enable it to carry a heavy set. Sections of the floor are locked together to ensure the floor surface moves without opening up gaps or creating trip hazards.Ī fully sprung floor is common in many theatres, and is an entirely wooden structure where the floor is supported by long joist beams across the stage, so the floor naturally flexes. This kind of floor is common in rehearsal studios and sports venues (it's also known as a Sports Floor, and is termed 'semi-sprung' if it has rubber pads). SPRUNG FLOOR Usually, a permanently installed wooden floor which has rubber pads underneath it to enable the floor surface to absorb the shock of a performer dancing or jumping on it. The line on the stage where the fire curtain drops, usually a short distance from the downstage edge of the stage, is known as the FIRE CURTAIN LINE and cannot be obstructed by any fixed scenery.Īlso known as FIRE CURTAIN, IRON or ASBESTOS.

The musical Billy Elliot uses a false iron as a scenic device with a pair of doors in it, which would not be permitted for a real iron.

Some Safety Curtains are painted - the iron at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has a beautiful design with the text 'For Thine Especial Safety'. Usually made from sheet metal and electrically operated, these curtains were originally of iron construction faced with asbestos and lowered by gravity using a hydraulic damping system.

The regulations also require that it is raised and lowered at least once in view of each audience (usually during the interval). SAFETY CURTAIN A fireproof 'curtain' that can be dropped downstage of the house tabs in a proscenium theatre to separate the audience from the stage in the event of fire.Ī Safety Curtain is required by most UK licensing authorities for theatres of traditional design.

Fashion show runway aisle seated legs