Taking care of the props business

The mechanical dog before Nina Ross got to work on it. Photo / Nina Ross

From posters to wheelchairs and music boxes, the props list for Phantom of the Opera, being performed by Amdram Theatre at the Royal Whanganui Opera House in September, is a long one.

In our case, the list started with the director, Graham Dack, who painstakingly went through every scene, and wrote down everything that needed to come on and off the stage. Having seen the show performed in London, and a number of times since, he knew exactly what he needed.

The props team works in with the set designers, who take care of producing the larger items, but props add another layer and level of detail to a production.

"We want people to be immersed in the show," says Graham, "and getting the details right adds to the experience."

Julian Annear-Charlton, who has been cast as one of the managers in the show offers an actor's perspective: "In the shows I've done before, I've found that getting hold of the props can really help with developing the character — interacting with things on stage makes it feel more real, and helps you to become more natural in the role you are playing."

Phantom of the Opera has well over 100 props on the list, and we are still looking for people to help with sourcing, finding and making props. We need people who are resourceful and handy, because if you can't find something, you have to make it!

Nina Ross has been working on an iconic piece, the music box in the shape of a monkey, since last year.

"During a production meeting, the idea was mentioned to try pulling apart a mechanical toy and use the basic structure to make the famous monkey on the box. A well known Whanganui model maker, who is also an artist for Weta Workshops, had suggested the plan," says Nina.

"After rummaging through my children's toy box and coming up empty, I decided to turn to the interweb to see what I could find. I quickly came upon a puppy dog that clapped his hands, so I snapped him up.

"Once he arrived on my doorstep, I soon discovered that his mechanisms were going to be a challenge. Not only did his hands clap (extremely fast), but so did his ears and he sang 'if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands' very loudly.

"I pulled all the insides out, while my partner frantically tried to save the soft toy surrounding the mechanics, and sewed him all back together. I slowly removed screw after screw, making sure I knew where each one went. I began removing the wires and some of the extra bits that wouldn't be needed. Then disaster struck! I was momentarily distracted by my kids, and I turned back to my project, only to snip the wrong yellow wire!

"The next step is to solder this back together, slow down the hands when they clap and then begin making a moveable mould in the shape of a monkey."

The internal workings of a mechanical dog, ready to be repurposed. Photo / Nina Ross

This show has already been a huge community effort, we have managed to cast locally from the amazing pool of talent that Whanganui has to offer, sponsors are starting to come on board, and we have partnered with some brilliant artists, so keep an eye out for further opportunities to get stuck in!

"We are so lucky to have such talented people to link up with, living right at our doorstep," says Graham, "and we look forward to getting to know even more."

If you have any ideas or expertise, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Jess Annear-Charlton on jess@amdramwhanganui.co.nz.