The Barn Bible

Please note: The Barn Bible has not been updated for 3 years, and therefore a lot of the details are out of date. We are working to update it, until then please treat the information in here with caution!

The Drama Barn

You will only be able to use the Barn in the week before your production. You will need to contact a Barn Manager at the Open Meeting before your production week to arrange when you want to do the “get-in”, where one of the Barn Managers will show you around the Barn, make sure you have everything you need, and explain some Health and Safety issues. You will also need to arrange with them the “get-out” time after your production, when they will come back with you and check that the Barn has been left in a satisfactory state.

The Director and Producer’s names will be on the key list during production week. Keys can be obtained 24hrs a day from Vanburgh porter's lodge. You will be asked to give them your University Card as security, and to sign the key issue list. Committee members are also on the key list, but should ask production teams if they intend to use the barn during the week before your show. THE KEY MUST ONLY BE WITH THE PORTERS OR AT THE BARN, NOWHERE ELSE (as it may be needed by Security in an emergency.)

All those who use the Barn must be members of the society before their production week for insurance purposes; this is vital because if there is an accident you will not be covered. Please ensure that all members of your cast and production teams are members (any Committee member can organise membership for you).

There is strictly no smoking in the Barn. If any characters in your play are required to smoke then this must be included in your risk assessment and this must be agreed by Pete Kidd, YUSU Health & Safety Worker.

Fire Exits must be kept clear at all times and the internal fire doors should be fully open when the barn is in use. All aisles and gangways both backstage and in the main entrance should be clear at all times. Exit signs must be operational during performances and gangways must have a minimum width of 1.10m.

All tools and painting equipment are stored in the cupboards backstage. When using the tools use the appropriate masks and goggles provided. Rollers and trays must be cleaned as soon as they have been used, don’t let them dry out as this completely ruins them.

You cannot expect to find usable brushes and rollers in the Barn so you must buy these from your budget. Only wash them out in the sink below the stairs. Please look after the smaller items of the tool cupboard such as drill bits and chucks, they are essential and it will slow your production down if they are lost. Also you will have to pay for them to replaced.

Keep the barn tidy! Bins should be lined and litter cleared away. Full bin bags should be taken to Vanbrugh bins and bins should be re-lined for the next production. Don’t use gloss paint without asking a Barn Manager, it’s difficult to paint over. Also don’t use nails or other fixings in the walls of the Barn, only Estates can do this.

Get-ins/get-outs

This will be at a prearranged time on Monday morning, you must attend it no matter how perfect you believe your get-out to be. The Barn Managers have a checklist which you will be asked to sign to show its accuracy (see Appendix 1.1 on page 15). Along with the corresponding technical check, this will form the basis of whether or not your Barn cheque should be cashed.

The system for Barn Cheques is as follows: If your get-out is not satisfactory at the time the Barn Managers have arranged with you on Monday morning then half your Barn Cheque
will automatically be cashed. You will then be given a chance to clear up, if it’s not passable by 4pm then 2/3rds will be cashed. If the Barn is still not in acceptable state by
the time Experimental starts (usually 7pm) then the whole Barn Cheque will be cashed. I know this sounds harsh but it is vital that the Barn gets left clean and tidy as it seriously
affects the next production if it is not. It is really not as hard as it sounds to leave the Barn in a reasonable state.

What does DramaSoc provide me with?

Bin bags for the bins and toilet roll for the toilet. If you run out then please replace them and give the receipt to a Barn Manager.

• Black paint, printing credit, PVC (LX) and Gaffa tape are now included in production budgets, so DramaSoc will charge you based on how much you use. It is not acceptable to use tape or black paint from other sources as this may not be suitable for theatre use.
• Hazard tape is available to highlight hazards. N.B. It is expensive.

What the get-out entails

• Take down your set! All flats should be replace neatly back into the partitions provided. Please mend them if they are damaged.
• No items of furniture should be stored above head height.
• Nothing should cover the white-hatched lines marking out the fire escape.
• Items taken from the storage container should be returned to storage. Any large pieces of timber, MDF or hardboard should also be stored in the container.
• The barn must be repainted black unless a Barn Manager tells you otherwise (e.g. the next production want a coloured floor); it is sensible to do this on the Sunday night so that it has time to dry. Black paint is now included as part of your budget.
• All used brushes, rollers and trays must be cleaned and put back in the cupboard.
• Tools should be tidily and safely put away (i.e. no jigsaw blades sticking up in the air!) .
• All bins should be empty and relined.
• The floors should be swept, the lavatory cleaned, entrance hall tidy and all surfaces cleared.
• Hired furniture should be returned/picked up.

Am I allowed to paint...?

• Walls and Pillars? Yes, except...
• Fire-proof wall? No
• Flats? Yes
• Blocks? Yes
• Side heating ducts? No
• Electrical sockets/other plastic items? No
• People? No
• Set Items/other stuff? Ask the Barn Managers

Set, Costume and props

We highly recommend that each production has a stage manager involved before their production week arrives as this will relieve a lot of pressure and involves even more people. The Society provides bin bags, toilet roll and hazard tape. Anything else you require should be allowed for in your budget request. There is much costume and set in the Barn already, which you are welcome to arrange a time with your mentor to have a look at. Anything you use/make should be checked in your health and safety meeting. Please only use the upstairs sink to remove make-up. Ensure costume rails are kept tidy at all times. Two rails are provided for permanent storage and the third is the use of the current production. This rail should be left empty at the end of your production.

Money (Budgets etc.)

You will need to arrange a meeting with the society treasurer to discuss your budget in more detail. They will explain the rules about spending it, and help you to set a realistic figure depending on what set and costume is already available in the barn, and on how much money the society can offer you. Please bear in mind that your budget cannot be used to pay for alcohol/tobacco products, or for script photocopying.

In exchange for your Budget cheque, you give us Security Cheques, which make up the total value of your budget in £50 sums. (e.g. If your budget is £215 you give us four cheques for £50 and one for £15) This is simply so you can’t run off with our money!

In addition to this, we require a £50 Barn cheque. This is a deposit on the use of the Barn. We will cash this if your Get Out is not of an acceptable standard, or in other exceptional circumstances. Whether or not we cash your Barn cheque is a committee decision under advice from the Barn Managers and Technical Directors.

All cheques should be made payable to YUSU and have your cheque guarantee card number, and “Drama Soc” written on the reverse.

During the production, keep receipts for everything you buy for the show. If anyone other than the producer pays for something then the producer should reimburse them and keep the receipt.

Bring your receipts to the FIRST open meeting after your production, and hand them to the society treasurer, with a breakdown containing any explanations and totals as necessary (e.g. costume, set, P&P...).

The treasurer keeps all the cheques safe until after your production. Anything which you buy with your budget belongs to DramaSoc and must stay in the Barn.

Your P&P allocation is non-transferable, so will have to be refunded if not spent on posters, flyers and programmes. Check with the treasurer before going over your budget or moving spending between areas (e.g. cutting tech to spend extra on costume), we may be able to help you out.

If you have to buy anything for your production which ought to be provided in the barn (such as bin bags or toilet paper), then keep your receipts and we will refund your money from the DramaSoc funds, rather than your budget.