On Tuesday 26 March, a group had a conducted tour of Southampton's Mayflower Theatre, literally from top to bottom. The tour was led by Holly and Gemma who took us from the orchestra pit to the fly loft, via the stage and wardrobe department. Our guides provide an insight into how the theatre operates, from washing all the costumes after every performance to the fact that no one travels in a backstage lift before or during a performance. It was clear that while we sit in one of the 2270 seats enjoying the show, the production can only occur through the skills of the backstage staff, so in the future, we will perhaps take more note of those members of a company listed in small print at the back of the programme!

Thanks to Sue Keith for organising the tour.