Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? Here are the ones we hear most often.

If yours isn't here, get in touch — we'd rather have the conversation than leave you guessing.

General

  • We are based in Coventry and regularly work across Birmingham, Warwickshire and the wider Midlands. We also have a base in Doncaster where we serve South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. We are happy to travel further depending on the project.

  • We provide sound, lighting, stage management and equipment hire for school productions and musicals, theatre performances, dance shows and recitals, corporate and live events, and outdoor events.

  • Both. You can hire equipment on its own, or choose a full technical production service including setup, operation and support throughout your event.

  • Not at all. Many of our clients come to us without a technical brief. Tell us about your production — the show, the venue, the dates, the scale — and we'll work out what's needed together and give you a clear, honest quote.

  • Yes. There's no minimum booking size. We regularly provide single operators or engineers for individual shows.

  • As early as you can — especially for busy periods like end-of-year shows, pantomime season and summer productions. That said, we understand that theatre doesn't always run to schedule — if you have an urgent or last-minute requirement, contact us and we'll do our best to help.

  • Get in touch by phone or email with the basics: the production, the venue, the dates and (if you have one) a rough idea of your budget. We'll come back to you with questions, ideas and a clear outline of what we'd propose. Most first-time clients find that this initial conversation is where the production starts to take shape technically — we treat it as a creative as well as a practical discussion.

  • We understand that most amateur and community productions work within tight financial constraints, and we've always tailored our work to that reality. When you contact us, we'll ask about your budget alongside your creative vision so we can put together a proposal that achieves what you need without unnecessary cost. We'd rather give you an honest quote that works than oversell you on equipment and crew you don't need.

Theatre & Stage Productions

  • Yes. For larger productions we can take on a full technical production management role — coordinating all technical departments, managing the get-in and get-out, calling or supporting the show itself, and ensuring everything runs to schedule. We've worked across a wide range of venues and production types, and our team can work under significant time pressure without compromising on standards.

  • A get-in is the process of loading equipment into the venue, rigging, cabling and testing everything before the first rehearsal or performance. The time required depends on the complexity of your production and the size of the venue — a simple school hall setup might take a few hours, while a full theatre rig could take a full day or more. We'll give you a realistic get-in schedule when we quote, so you can plan your rehearsals around it.

  • Yes, regularly. Before any production we'll carry out a technical survey of the venue — either in person or using venue documentation — to understand what's already in place, what rigging points or power are available, and how we need to adapt our setup. We communicate with venue technical contacts on your behalf where needed.

  • Yes. Several members of our team have backgrounds in sound design as well as live operation. If you'd like us to be involved in designing the sound for your production — not just running the desk on the night — we can discuss that as part of your technical brief.

  • Yes. Alongside our core technical team, we work with a pool of skilled freelance lighting designers and programmers who we bring in depending on the requirements of your production. If you'd like a fully designed approach to lighting rather than a generic setup, just mention it when you get in touch and we'll include it in your brief.

  • Yes. Video design and QLab programming are within our capabilities. If your production involves projection, video content, or any screen-based element, we can design, programme and operate this as part of a full technical package. Get in touch with your creative brief and we can discuss what's achievable within your budget.

Dance Schools & School Productions

  • Yes — and it's one of the things we do most regularly. We're experienced with the specific demands of dance school productions: large casts, radio mic systems with multiple headsets, music playback combined with live vocals, and venues ranging from school halls to hired theatres.

  • This depends on your cast and how your production is staged. Many schools use between 6 and 16 microphones, rotating them between performers. We'll recommend the right number based on your show and budget.

  • Yes — we can provide full setup and operation, or supply equipment ready to use with clear instructions if you'd prefer to run it yourselves.

  • Start by telling us about the show: how many performers, what kind of venue you're using, whether you have live vocals or music playback only, and roughly how many people will be in the audience. From there we can suggest the right scale of sound and lighting setup, advise on microphone numbers and configuration, and give you a quote that covers everything you need.

  • Yes — quick-change mic management during complex dance shows and school musicals is something we do regularly. We can provide a dedicated radio mic technician who manages the headsets backstage throughout the performance, coordinating changeovers so that every performer is correctly mic'd when they need to be. This takes the pressure off your staff and ensures a clean result for your audience.

  • When our technicians are operating your event, they are trained to resolve issues quickly and as discreetly as possible. Many minor issues — a mic drop-out, a lighting cue missed — can be addressed or recovered from in real time without the audience noticing. We always carry backup equipment for critical items, and our pre-show setup and testing process is designed to catch potential problems before they happen.

  • Yes. All of our technicians who work on school productions and with young people hold an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. We understand how important safeguarding is to schools and dance academies, and we want you to have complete confidence in the people we send to work alongside your students. If you need to see copies of DBS certificates ahead of a booking, just ask and we'll provide them.

Equipment Hire

  • This depends on your audience size and venue. A small hall requires a different setup to a theatre or outdoor event. We'll recommend the right system based on your event — just tell us about the space and we'll advise.

  • Yes — all of our sound systems integrate with radio microphones for seamless performance.

  • Most productions need a combination of stage wash lighting and some effects. We can design a simple, effective setup based on your space, your budget and your performance.

  • Yes — for any equipment hire we can also provide an experienced technician to manage it during your event. This is often the most straightforward option for groups without an in-house technical team.

  • Yes. All equipment in our hire inventory is 100% owned by the company. This means there are no third-party hire markups passed on to you, no dependency on availability from another supplier, and full accountability for the condition and maintenance of everything we bring to your production.

  • Yes. If your venue has capable technical staff and you just need to supplement your existing kit, we can supply equipment on a dry hire basis with delivery, setup guidance and collection. We'll make sure your team knows how to operate everything safely before we leave.

  • Yes. If your production requires something we don't hold in-house, we can source it on your behalf. Get in touch with your requirements and we'll advise on what's needed and factor it into your quote.

Venues & Ongoing Support

  • Yes — venue support is one of our growing areas of work. We work with venues as a longer-term technical partner, providing resident technician cover, seasonal crew, maintenance and technical management support. See our Venue Support page for more detail.

  • As a venue technical partner, we can provide a range of services depending on what you need: resident technician cover on a regular or ad-hoc basis, technical support for hirers and visiting companies, equipment maintenance and inventory management, and seasonal production support for annual events. We work with venues to build a technical provision that fits the scale of their programme and their budget — whether that means one day a month or weekly cover throughout the year.

  • Yes. We provide practical, hands-on training for students, school and college technical staff, amateur theatre groups and venue teams — at your location, using your equipment where possible. See our Training page.

  • We offer practical, hands-on technical training for school and college technical staff, student technicians, amateur theatre groups and venue teams. Training typically takes place at your own venue using your own equipment where possible, so what you learn is immediately applicable to your space and setup. We can cover areas including sound operation, lighting operation, radio microphone management, and general technical theatre practice. If you'd like to discuss a training programme tailored to your team's needs, get in touch.

  • Yes, and this is something we actively encourage. When our team is on site for a production, we're happy to work alongside student technicians, explaining what we're doing and why. Several of our clients specifically value this — it helps young people develop real technical skills in a live environment, with professional guidance. If you'd like this to be a more structured part of our involvement, we can build it into the brief from the start.

Still have a question?

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