There is no escaping the fact that modern touring productions are becoming increasingly complex, with monolithic stage structures and lavish designs now regular features among the world’s leading tours. However, despite this increasing complexity, the time allotted for stage managers and local crews tasked with unloading and assembling these structures is narrowing. Hoping to shed light on this conundrum, TPi tracked down stage management duo, Duncan Ladkin and Jack Dunnett, who have demonstrated that two is sometimes better than one.
In stadiums, crew generally have a day or one-and-a-half days to load-in and build a show, with more space and support loading trucks than would typically be found at arena level. Most stadium crew rosters tend to include site coordinators or advance production managers; however, this isn’t often the case for arena shows – some of which are just as complicated as stadiums, putting an extra strain on crew.
“Arena days can be just as long if not longer than stadiums because if you’re loading-in and -out on the same day, you can easily clock a 20-hour day,” said Dunnett, who shares the stage manager role with Ladkin on Shawn Mendes and Harry Styles tours, with each bringing differing approaches and expertise.
In addition to the technical and logistical demands associated with the role of a stage manager, Dunnett believes the ability to deal with strong personalities as well as being the bearer of bad news to make decisions that benefit the wider crew, and the production, is of equal importance.
While Dunnett has an extensive technical background, having worked in almost every touring role possible, Ladkin, a Backline Technician in his past life, is a self-confessed “people person” – something Dunnett believes is an “invaluable” skill. “ Although we’re chalk and cheese, it works,” Dunnett remarked, describing their stage management dynamic.
Ladkin joined the conversation: “I’ve learned a lot from Jack when it comes to having difficult conversations and ways to talk to people to progress the work,” Ladkin said, sometimes adopting the age old ‘good cop, bad cop’ dynamic to get the best out of the crew. “The most enjoyable and difficult aspect of being a stage manager is dealing with people. It’s about understanding people and their needs.”
Although he is not as outwardly enthusiastic as his stage management counterpart, instead, Dunnett underlined the importance of keeping morale high during these difficult moments.
“It’s important to not portray any negativity on those difficult stretches because although you may be struggling, any murmurs of discontent can spread throughout the crew. It’s vital to keep morale high and work collectively,” he noted. “If you don’t have a solid plan, then it affects morale. If you have a bad load-out, it makes you feel low.”
So, what is preventing production managers from investing in two production managers? “Budget,” the duo said. “A stage manager isn’t cheap, and most arena tours can be done with one stage manager, however, shows are becoming increasingly complicated. If it’s a production that also requires a stage manager to be involved during the show, in addition to dealing with the support act with a large changeover of set, production managers should be looking to hire two stage managers.”
Conversely, they believe that stage managers should know what they’re signing up for. “It’s an incredibly complex and rewarding job, but there aren’t always going to be two of you, nor should there be if it’s not a hugely complicated tour,” Dunnett said.
However, for anything with lots of automation and show cues, the duo believes there should be two dedicated individuals overseeing stage management responsibilities. “It is hard taking four or five trucks into academy venues with little to no storage, but it is how you earn your stripes. Not every day should be a hard day – it’s super important to go into situations that you leave succeeding or failing, because you learn from those moments,” Dunnett said.
According to Ladkin, high-level arena touring is relentless and with shows becoming more complex, redundancy is key because without it, productions are going to “break” people. He elaborated: “With the advancements in technology, you need more people to check in on people, because you can’t be everywhere at the same time. It’s important to also have the support of your peers in the production office, crew chiefs and site coordinators.”
Acutely aware that there is a bottom line to hit, the duo is passionate that people should come first. “Touring is brilliant, but it can be a lonely and isolating place when you’re on your own,” Ladkin concluded. “We’ve been fortunate to approach difficult situations collectively on prior tours as a united front but learning from your mistakes is key, and with two stage managers collaborating on a complicated production, it not only guarantees the safety of the production it also prevents burnout.”
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Jack Dunnett and Duncan Ladkin
