Megan Taylor: 'My first job taught me that the only silly question is the one you don’t ask'

My first job was as a casual technician supporting touring shows at the Manchester Opera House when I was 21, the first show being Jersey Boys. I had been working front of house at the venue and had been able to speak to some of the back-of-house team. I mentioned that I was studying technical theatre at university and had been told about the opportunity to apply through the ATG website for an open position.

I was working a bar shift one day when the head of stage approached me and asked if I had ever followspotted before as they were looking for someone for the tour of Jersey Boys that we were about to host. It was daunting at first, I had never even heard of a followspot let alone touched one, so I was going in entirely blind. I got through my nerves by reassuring myself that everyone has to start somewhere, and my existing knowledge of other lighting practices would support this new venture. I reminded myself that the only silly question is the one you don’t ask and made sure to make as much of the learning opportunity as I could, asking as many questions as I could at every opportunity.

My advice to anyone starting out is to take every opportunity you can get your hands on with everything you’ve got. Never shy away from asking questions and really getting stuck in. Look everywhere. You don’t have to shoot straight for the highest rung on the ladder, take a look at local theatres and amateur dramatics for casual roles to build your knowledge and confidence. Always know your worth and be confident in yourself, but also don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know things – everybody has the opportunity to learn something new no matter how far into their careers they may be. Make connections and reach out to people currently working in the industry to see if you can speak with them about their journey or possibly shadow their work.

Most importantly, remember to have fun and don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s – everybody’s journey in this industry is different and that’s what makes it so special.

Megan Taylor

Age: 23
Training: University of Salford
Theatre includes: casual tech (Manchester Opera House), venue technician (Edinburgh Fringe, Assembly), venue technician (Sadler’s Wells), stage crew (Les Misérables, Sondheim), followspot operator (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Ambassadors), lighting technician (Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park)