Experiencing Theatre Production: A Placement Reflection

Placement Reflection & Evaluation Document As part of my studies I was required to go on placement for a month of term. I chose to go on placement this term as I thought there were more opportunities over the Christmas period. For two weeks of my placement I worked for Rocket Scenery, Because of Rockets reputation for high-quality theatre scenery. Based in Nottingham rocket scenery has 2475sq meters of workshop space which is used to create sets, storing and touring sets overseas. The aim of Rocket Scenery is to create stress free sets for persons or organisations, achieving the most demanding of set designs.

When my placement at Rocket Scenery had finished, I worked with a designer called Nettie Scriven on the production of Cinderella at derby theatre.

Over the course of my placement I wanted to gain skills that would help me with future designs and drawings. I wanted a basic understanding of construction and sewing in a working environment.

On my first day at Rocket Scenery I found it very hard to find the location, once I had arrived I was shown around the entire workshop and given a brief health and safety talk. Then I helped to build a flat for the set of never-land designed by Helen Davies, to be performed at lakeside festival. Due to the previous day’s events I was still unwell and for health and safety purposes my placement authorised my absence.

For the duration of the week I was told I would be working with Ian, after an introduction I was handed a cutting list. At first I was nervous as I hadn’t used the metric system in a few months and had only been practicing it within the past year. However, once I got going and had a system I made all my cuts correct. Once we had built the skeleton of the walls it was then time to layer 5mm sheet of wood on top to then be canvased and sent to the paint