My year as a Stage One apprentice

The Stage One apprenticeship scheme aims to create outstanding entrepreneurial apprentices who develop their knowledge through hands-on experience and increase their commercial contacts. Another aim is that the apprentice helps and supports the host venue to be more ambitious.

The term ‘apprentice’ can be taken in many different ways. Some see it as junior position, some as an assistant, others as glorified tea person. However, right from the start the team at The Mercury were very clear about my role as Apprentice Producer: I was to be a key member of the producing team. I was someone who would need a little guidance and help along the way, but certainly someone who was on the right path and in a strong place in their development as a producer.

I was extremely fortunate that I was working alongside Producer Tracey Childs – my guide, my mentor and ultimately my friend – and we were very lucky that we clicked from day one. We work in very similar ways and also have a similar sense of humour, which definitely helps when working in such close proximity for extremely long hours.

The responsibilities of a producer are wide and varied and I was always made to feel an important part of these processes

The responsibilities of a producer are wide and varied and I was always made to feel an important part of these processes. I worked on everything from securing rights and casting to budgeting and contracting. What some people may not realise is that at theatres such as the Mercury, producers have to be aware and have oversight of everything that goes in to making a production, and also programme all the visiting work for two spaces.

Surprise at the panto

There have been so many highlights from the past year but one specifically springs to mind: the open dress rehearsal for the pantomime. I had never previously worked on a panto in any capacity and genuinely did not think it was for me.

How wrong could I have been? After all the work we’d done, from reading the first draft of the script to having the first white card model meeting and being in the room for the castings, meeting the cast on day one of the rehearsal, watching the beautful set get built and the rise and rise of ticket sales – it was a dream.

We began work on panto in April, just after I started, and when it all came together I was absolutely blown away by what the show was doing to me and how magnificent it had become. To know how much every single person had put into it and to see everyone’s hard work on stage in a show that I hadn’t expected to be my cup of tea, but most certainly was, was incredible and an experience I’ll never forget. Aladdin 2015 will be forever etched in my memory.

A new role

This year has already helped me and will certainly continue to do so for the rest of my producing career. The number of commercial contacts I’ve gained from being here is huge; we did two commercial co-productions in my year and took one of our own shows out on a tour. It was produced and general managed completely by us, and putting both the Mercury and ‘Made In Colchester’ brand out there for the rest of the country to see is something that I am immensely proud of.

Looking ahead, my short-term future has already been decided. I must have been doing something right in my time as Apprentice Producer because The Mercury created an Associate Producer role in order to keep me here, a role that I am very much enjoying.

Nathan Brine is Associate Producer at The Mercury, Colchester.
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk