Bugsy Malone
About the production
Bugsy Malone was Humphry Davy School’s 2026 musical production, performed at The Ritz in Penzance. The cast was made up of a large group of students, while the crew and backstage roles were primarily taken on by staff.
Taking the production to The Ritz meant we were working in a proper theatre rather than at school, with a much bigger technical setup to work with. The show included live vocals, lots of lighting cues and plenty happening on stage, making it a busy but really enjoyable production to work on.
My part
My main role on Bugsy Malone was calling the show, designing and operating lighting, and keeping everything running together during each performance. This meant keeping track of what was happening on stage and making sure lighting, sound and scene changes happened at the right points throughout the show.
Alongside this, I was involved with the wider technical side of the production, helping with technical management throughout rehearsals and at the theatre. Having several responsibilities meant I was involved in a lot of different parts of the show and had to work closely with the rest of the technical and backstage team to keep everything running smoothly.
The main aim for the sound was to keep the vocals clear and consistent while maintaining the energy of the music and supporting the action on stage.
lighting approach and goals
DEFINING EACH SCENE
With limited scenery and props, lighting played an important part in making each setting feel different. Changes in colour, focus and intensity helped separate locations and give each scene its own look.
Keeping faces clearly visible was particularly important during scenes with a large number of cast members on stage. Moving head spots couldn’t always follow everything happening at once, so the wider face light helped maintain consistent visibility.
FACE LIGHT
SUPPORTING THE ACTION
The lighting also needed to follow the pace of the show, from larger musical numbers to smaller dialogue scenes. Changes in colour and intensity helped shift the atmosphere without distracting from what was happening on stage.
CHALLENGE & SOLUTION
The challEnge:
Tech and dress time at The Ritz was limited, so there wasn’t much time to get everything ready before the performances. We also had an issue with some of the moving head position palettes not storing correctly, meaning several positions had to be recalibrated and reprogrammed within a tight timeframe.
The Solution:
I arrived early before the rest of the cast and crew to make sure as much as possible was prepared before rehearsals started. Show backup files helped restore some of the lost positions, while the remaining ones were recalibrated and programmed again. I also worked closely with the technical team and around the rehearsal schedule so we could fix the problems without holding up the rest of the production.
