People Features

You have probably walked passed Pete and Gary in the streets and not given them a second thought, but without these two men, productions would not go ahead at the Hall for Cornwall.

Pete and Gary are two essential pieces of the jigsaw at the venue. They are flymen, who ensure that the scenery, backdrops and lights are all in the right position, at the right time, during a play or a concert.

BBC Cornwall's Matt Shepherd went along to meet Pete and Gary.

"The job of the flyman is to operate all the bars which would have scenery and lighting rigged on them, and to make sure no one gets hurt on the stage below," explains Gary, one of the HfC flymen.

Flyman's ropes and handbrakes in the Gods

Working as a flyman is not just limited to theatre, it can also be a job on sets of television and film productions.

In the past ex-sailors would take on the role of flymen as they were physically fit and used to heaving ropes to raise sails.

The many duties of a flyman include loading and unloading scenery, as well as maintaining and repairing the flying equipment and scenery.

Before the curtain goes up on a performance the flymen may well have been working since 8am getting the stage set up.

Gary and Pete then work the stage bars with their scenery and lighting on throughout the performance, and finally de-rig well after midnight.

Watching the flymen in action on stage

"It's very hot work," explains Gary. "You're talking about 1200 watts of heat being thrown out of every lamp, and there are lots of those."

Pete has been involved in theatre since the '60s, as a performer, and now working as a flyman at the Hall for Cornwall.

"The flyman job is fascinating," says Pete. "This is live theatre, that's what I love about it. Anything can happen, hopefully all nice. The thrill you get from being part of a live production makes it all worthwhile."

"When you're doing a show for a long run, you tend to get a bit relaxed about it," smiles Pete. "You get to a point when you're a bit locked out of the show, as you're reading a newspaper. Don't let anyone tell you that hasn't happened in live theatre, it has. There really are times when it's a heart stopping moment."

Pete loves his job because it's a sum part of the whole theatre. 

"What you do is you become a part of the big picture. Everyone who is involved in the show is important. Whether you're the person buying the sandwiches, or you're the star on the stage. All of those people make it happen. With all the cogs working smoothly, that's what makes the show work."

So the next time you're at the Hall for Cornwall enjoying a ballet, play, musical or concert, think of people like Pete and Gary who are working up above your head in hot conditions ensuring the show takes to the stage smoothly everytime.