When the curtain rises in Bury St Edmunds on Snow White at Theatre Royal, not all the stars are on the stage

They are the ones the audience hardly ever sees … but without them the stars would be unable to shine.

As panto season roars into full swing the spotlight is on the actors, singers and dancers bringing joy and laughter by the bucket-load to fans young and old.

But behind the scenes is an army of people, who in the words of one, work in the shadows. From the music and dance moves, to sound, lighting, designing, scene shifting and wardrobe their role is crucial to making the magic happen.

At Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds the backstage team for 2023’s pantomime Snow White have been working flat out for weeks to make sure everything runs like clockwork.

While some have moved on to other jobs now the show has opened, others are there for the whole seven weeks - often two shows a day.

They keep the production on track, deliver the music and technical elements, watch out for glitches and do running repairs … if Dame Dusty Crevice splits a seam, it will be wardrobe helpers to the rescue.

Theatre Royal senior technician Chris Last says: “We live in the shadows. A lot of people don’t have any idea how much work goes on behind the scenes - and neither should they. A good show is where no-one knows what I have done.

“My day to day job is a bit of everything. There is a technical team of four, manager Dave Thwaites, me, and two technicians. Between us we cover all the tech roles, sound, lighting, staging.

“Sound is my specialist subject,” said Chris who has been at Theatre Royal for six years, and in the entertainment industry for 20. “For Snow White I was the person who went to record Dame Judi Dench who is the voice of the magic mirror.

“We set up in her study and she sat down with the script and recorded various versions of the lines and we dropped them into the show. She is a thoroughly lovely person,” he adds.

“But in the panto I spend my time on the stage. Me and another technician, Sky, take care of scene changes and have to work out how all that is going to work during the rehearsal period.

“We bring a curtain down and change the set behind it. The acting goes on at the front of the stage. The biggest change is during the ‘happy birthday and shout out’ to the audience. But depending on how long that lasts we could have one minute, or three.

“In rehearsal we spend a lot of time changing it all so it runs the same every day, like a well-oiled machine. We have a tiny little bit of light to work with. I usually have a head torch as well so I can use both hands.

“Everything we have that isn’t on wheels is a two-person lift,” said Chris who cut his teeth on school productions at Stowupland High School, going on to begin his career at Ipswich Regent.

Theatre Royal’s Snow White has been transformed by writer Chris Hannon into an original take on the fairy tale. It is set in the 1940s, and the heroine - inspired by the late Queen who as Princess Elizabeth was a wartime ATS mechanic - rides a motorbike.

Finding authentic props is one of the tasks of assistant stage manager Tabitha Dodds, who is freelance but often works at the theatre. As ASM during rehearsals my main job is to source the props, working from the script and list given me by the designer.

“I have an eye on the budget, making sure we keep within that, and have to get those items into the rehearsal room as soon as possible so we can see any issues. In the run up to the show it takes over your life a bit.

“This theatre has a prop store. We’re lucky to have that. Some things we have to buy or borrow. For this show Ipswich Transport Museum has lent us a vintage steering wheel for free. Other things can be borrowed from family members … and me.

“There is a bit in the opening where Gladys comes in with an old wireless. That belongs to my grandparents’ neighbour in Leicester. He found it in the attic when he was growing up in Ireland in the 1950s. The trolley it stands on is my bedside table.

“Sometimes we have to make things. The TNT plunger - one of our team made that. I made the clues for the treasure hunt, and the set of medals the queen wears.”

Space backstage is limited and everything needs to be super-organised. “The props table is set out backstage,” said Tabitha. “Everything has its place so the cast knows where they are.

“There is a nine pages-long setting list, so you can read through and know everything is where it should be before the show.

“Here a lot of the technical team cover each other’s roles. Duty stage manager is the role I tend to cover. They’re the one looking at the script and calling the cues as required. We all wear headsets called cans so every member of the team can talk to everyone else.

“In between shows I also keep an eye on maintenance issues and safety,” said Tabitha, who studied production arts at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from where she graduated in 2022.

Owen Calvert Lyons - the theatre’s artistic director and CEO who is directing the panto - says: “The team working back-stage are just as important as those performing on the stage.

“It takes a very special kind of person … they tend to be incredibly focused people, because of the level of concentration and detail needed in their jobs.

“From my experience, the defining aspect of backstage teams is their camaraderie. Working in the dark, very quietly and in a fast-paced environment leads to everyone bonding very closely.

“Our team are really friendly, relaxed and welcoming, which creates a really positive vibe backstage and creates an environment in which everyone can do their best work.”

Snow White was choreographed by Jess Ellen Knight, who also works on Strictly Come Dancing.

One of her roles for the panto was working out routines for the young company - 14 local youngsters who are selected to act in two groups of seven as the chorus in the show,

“I have an audition where I have a look at all the young chorus and assess their ability,” says Jess. “The you company are amazing this year - probably the best I’ve seen in my four years doing the Theatre Royal panto.

“I prep everything at home first - but not completely. I like working under pressure so leave some of it to be done in the (rehearsal) room. It’s quite intense.

“I won’t have met some of the principal cast before. I create an outline but I’m always open for people to say ‘this is difficult for me' and I’ll arrange to suit them..

“The young company doesn't join us until after school. Some have done four years with me now, and they just know what to do.

“This year we have a boy in the company. We would really like more boys to come along next year if they see it’s a cool thing to do.

“I finished in Bury after opening night then went into preparation for Strictly,” said Jess who worked on routines for the popular TV show including My Fair Lady for musicals week.

She also works with Strictly pro-dancer Johannes Radebe on his solo show. “He is 6’ 5” and I’m 5’ 2” but he has a knack of being able to dance with anybody so the height difference (when we’re working out routines) doesn’t matter, but they would never team him with someone my height on the show.”

Once Jess had left, responsibility for the panto’s young company passed to dance captain Lizzie Buckingham.

It is just one of three cleverly-integrated roles Lizzie takes on during the show. She understudies Snow White, and Gladys the female comic lead, learning the lines for both parts and sitting in on rehearsals ready to step in at a moment’s notice.

She also appears on stage as Corky the Corgi, a non-speaking part which means her voice stays in peak condition. “It has been very cleverly done. I’m on vocal rest for six hours a day so my voice will be good.”

But her antics as Corky also provide a great cover for her dance captain role - keeping an eye on the young chorus and spotting any problems.

“I have always got a side eye as Corky on what’s going on,,” she explains. “I can see if there’s a need for extra rehearsals, or anything needs tweaking, and making sure everyone is comfortable dance wise.

“Some of the young company are 11 or 12 years old so need more support. They are brilliant and mature - very on top of it. They come to me with really good questions.”

“This is my first show here,” said London-based Lizzie, who also runs a dance school. “The team here are fabulous- really open, you can always give an opinion and make suggestions.”

Music for the show - adapting popular songs to fit the action - has been arranged by Francis Goodhand, back at Theatre Royal 20 years after he was musical director, songwriter and arranger there.

“I really learned my craft, then went away to work on bigger, commercial pantos,” says Francis, who has worked closely with musical director Ben Garnett.

“My job this time was to help with the auditions, and help choose the songs. then once that was done arranging them for this show.

“Now a lot is pre-recorded. More and more technology is involved. I’m always trying to make it sound traditional because the theatre lends itself to that.

“What’s been lovely about this show has been working with Ben, Owen and the choreographer with lots of to-ing and fro-ing even up to opening night.

“Everything I do with big juggernaut shows is micro-managed because it’s a brand. With this show there is so much creativity, and it’s such a team effort.”

Francis, whose album of original music, Lights, topped the UK Easy Listening Chart in 2020, says his favourite song from Snow White is based on Dance the Night Away by Dua Lipa. “It’s such a catchy number, it has driven me mad. The dame does it at the end of the show dressed as Barbie.

Although he is available to be consulted, he is not in the theatre for the shows. “This will be only my second Christmas off in 25 years,” he says.

Musical director Ben Garnett has multiple roles. “The one that’s the most visible is conducting the show, sitting at the keyboard in the pit with my head poking up at the front of the stage,” says Ben. He and a drummer, usually Joel Mulley-Goodbarne, are the only musicians that play during the show.

As well as conducting, Ben has to fire click tracks for cues, and a metronome which delivers beeps via headphones to him and the drummer so they play in time. “There are over 70 musical cues in the show and 18 songs,” he says.

He also wrote all the underscores - music that helps the action along - during rehearsals, and taught the cast the songs.

“It did involve some long rehearsal hours,” he says. “After rehearsal the music for the underscores is just in my head then I write it out later.

“It’s a complex job but I’m very lucky to share the responsibility with Francis, we work as a team.”

Ben’s other responsibility is maintaining the show. “Because it’s such a long run I have to help manage the cast’s vocal health, and also make sure the music is as good as it was at the start all through the run.

“I’m the musical ears in the building on a daily basis. I’ll help with people who feel unwell vocally. Could we make something a little less demanding for them, or temporarily have a duet partner do more?

“This is my first time in Bury. It’s such a brilliant team to be a part of. It feels like a big family, “said Ben. “Last year I was in Norwich as assistant musical director. This is a much bigger role for me.

He feels it is the perfect job for him. “I like working with people, I love music, and like being in charge. I’d say 10 percent of my job is music and 90 percent is people.”

Snow White is on at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds until January 14. To book go online to theatreroyal.org, email booking@theatreroyal.org or call the box office on 01284 769505.