The Witch Trials have attracted hundreds of people who enjoy an eerie guided walk around the Doddington Hall gardens gathering witches before sending them to trial in an immersive theatre experience.
Production Arts students working on the project have designed and built sets, lighting, costumes and special effects to create a unique Halloween attraction with tickets selling out before the launch night.
Production Arts student Steph Mitchell has been working as Production Manager on the attraction, she said:
“This has been an exciting project to work on, it allows us to experience working on a real show that is open to the public. They expect a professional production so it is quite a task!
“My role has been working with the whole production team, problem solving, organising and distributing supplies and props, and making sure the events run smoothly.
“This hands-on work experience has taught me so much, I have learned management skills and really built my confidence; organising such a large team of students who are my friends and peers has been a challenge but definitely worthwhile.”
Production Arts Lecturer, Howell Thomas, said:
“This is an exceptional learning environment for our students; being a public production, the responsibility is heightened.
“This production is sold as ‘Doddington Hall presents’ so there is a real expectation of quality and professionalism. The owners of the hall and gardens have described the production as ‘very Doddington’ which is testament to the hard work and creativity of our students.
“Their work-load for this project has been huge and I am proud of their resilience and determination.
“The Production Arts course is employer-led and gears students towards a career at the end of their studies, providing the skills needed for this exciting industry has become the culture of everything that we do.
“All of the students deserve a huge well done for their work in design, planning, prosthetics, costume, make-up, lighting, pyrotechnics, special effects and performance.”
