Show Day Roles and Comms

01Who is who on show day

On a small job one person wears three of these hats. The hats still exist. Know which one you are wearing when you make a call.

02The crew briefing

Every show starts with a briefing, even a three-person job. Ten minutes. Standing up. Phones away.

1. The show: what it is, who the client is, what matters most to them tonight.
2. The times: doors, start, breaks, finish, strike.
3. The roles: who is on what, who covers breaks.
4. The comms: which radio channel, who calls cues, hand signals for when comms fail.
5. The risks: anything unusual. A late VIP, a surprise video, effects, weather.
6. Safety: exits, first aid, who is the safety contact (Module 13).
7. Questions. Ask now. Not during the CEO's speech.

03The run sheet

The run sheet is the show written down, one line for every moment. Time, what happens, who is on stage, and what sound, lights and video each do.

• One version. The latest version number is on every page. Old copies go in the bin.
• Mark it up. Highlight your own cues. Write mic numbers next to names.
• Changes go through the event manager, then to everyone, not just the person standing closest.
• Keep a torch and a pen. Phone screens light up your face in a dark room.

04Standby and go

A cue is an instruction to do one thing at one moment. Cues are called the same way every time so nobody has to think.

• On standby you stop talking. The channel belongs to the caller.
• You act on the word "go", not on the sentence before it.
• Never say "go" on comms unless you are calling a cue. Say "carry on" or "proceed".
• No caller? On small shows you take your own cues from the stage. Watch the MC, not your phone.
• Missed it? Do it now, cleanly, and move on. Do not explain on comms.

05Radio discipline

1. Think first. Know what you will say before you press the button.
2. Press, wait one second, then speak. The first word is lost if you talk as you press.
3. Who you want, then who you are: "Sipho, Sipho, this is Thandi."
4. Wait for "go ahead".
5. Say it short. One message. What, where, what you need.
6. Finish with "over" if you expect an answer, or "out" if you do not.
7. Repeat back anything with a number, a name or a time.

06How you look and act in the room

The client buys the show. What they remember is the crew. You are on show from the moment the first guest walks in.

07When it goes wrong

Something goes wrong on every show. The audience forgives a ten-second problem handled calmly. They remember panic.

• Have the spare ready before you need it. Second mic on, muted, at the side of the stage. Backup music on a second device.
• Do not run. Walk fast. Running tells the room something is wrong.
• Do not blame on comms. Fix it, report it, move on.
• Someone hurt or in danger: the show stops mattering. Call the crew chief and the venue, use the emergency numbers (Module 13).
• Tell the truth after. "Mic two died at 19:12, swapped in ten seconds, cause was a flat battery."

08Handover and debrief

The last ten minutes of the job decide whether the next one goes better.

1. Thank the client contact
   The event manager does this. Crew stay polite and keep working.
2. Radios back and counted
   Batteries on charge, earpieces wiped.
3. Quick debrief
   Five minutes: what worked, what broke, what to change.
4. Faults written down
   Item, what happened, when. Into the repair log.
5. Run sheet and notes handed in
   With real times and any client comments.
6. Venue signed out
   Room checked with the duty manager, nothing left behind.