By Betty Ding (25A01B), Cayla Goh (25A01B) and Meryl Lim (25S05A)

Have you ever noticed what goes on behind the spotlight? 

On November 13th, Press had the opportunity to visit the Star Performing Arts Centre for an exclusive backstage tour. We were given a tour of the different venues the Star Theatre offers, the huge stage, and the many many seating options. 

What we did not notice at first, however, were the control rooms. 

In fact, the design of the control rooms reinforced the idea of being out of sight: neatly tucked away into corners that seem to escape our gaze, with the walls painted black to seamlessly blend into the ceilings.

Which makes perfect sense of course! After all, that’s what most control rooms and backstage crew members have been trained to do: run the show discreetly from behind the scenes. 

During our visit, we saw many workers toiling away, repairing the stage for future performances. There were roughly 10 workers– hunched over drilling nails into the stage floor, or sawing new floor panels to fit onto it. 

If you were to watch a performance, I’m sure many of us would not stop to think about who made the stage. We would be more engrossed with the performance, excited for the songs that would be played, the outfits that would be worn, and focused on having a good time.

We were also shown the broadcast room, the “brainchild” of the whole theatre, where a team of employees would edit live footage on the spot before it was live streamed. 

 The broadcast room also adds the final touches needed, such as calibrating the visuals to true colour. The many screens allow the crew members to see if any camera is obstructed, and if it happens the room is armed with various communication devices to liaise with the members manning the cameras.

But what happens for our own school performances?

Allow us (Meryl and Betty, also Raffles Crew members) to provide a perspective that’s closer to home: our school’s very own backstage crew – Raffles Crew! For the incumbent and old RI students Raffles Crew may sound unfamiliar, but that’s because Audio Visual Unit (AVU) was merged with Film Society as of 2025! 

While AVU no longer DJs and hold raves in school, our main job stays (and will continue to stay) the same — to support events and performing groups to provide the best possible showcase experience for the audience and performers. 

That doesn’t mean we’re runners though. We’re more than that: lighting directors, sound technicians, and backstage crewmen.  

Raffles Crew does the same work as the technicians do at the Star Theatre. Though we do it to a smaller extent, our work is essentially the same. Members behind the lights, sound, and backstage all work together to ensure a seamless experience, a team that works in tandem with the performers to ensure they shine on stage.

It’s a weird feeling. We’re not really performers, but we do perform. We’re not really a part of the audience, but we do watch. We have to be immersed in the performance to do our jobs, but not in the same way as the audience. 

In the control room, it’s not just the audio quality or distance from the stage that makes our experience unique. The crackle of the walkie talkie relaying backstage cues, or the creak of the table as the member on audio duty pokes their heads out of the window to fine-tune the sound — it’s these little cues that remind us we’ve still got a job to do. Communication is key, and every member of the crew is like a cog in the wheel, ensuring the production runs smoothly. 

The best kinds of backstage work are the kinds you don’t notice. 

After all, you’ll only be aware of their existence when something goes wrong and the crew goes on stage to fix a microphone or a loose connection. It’s only when the lights go off on the wrong beat or when you hear a loud “screech” of the mic then you’d realise that someone had messed up. When the show goes smoothly, all the attention is on the performers. Yet, just as important are what frames and projects them.

What you don’t notice are the hours that the crew has spent to make sure the best show is put on for both the performers and the audience. Hours spent deciding the lighting colours and effects, hours spent tweaking the mixers to produce the optimal sound, and more hours spent practicing the placement of various equipment layouts.

Let us (Cayla) also provide an alternate perspective from the audience. 

Audio-Visual work is the blood that keeps the heart of the stage beating. The point of the backstage crew is in the name: to remain backstage and unnoticed. Even if that’s true, there’s value in noticing.

During Vocal Delights 2024 – Chorale’s annual year end concert — Meryl and Betty told me one thing: ‘pay attention to the lights.’ Paying attention to the singers on stage was a given, with their tantalising harmonies and fantastic skits. However, their request gave me a new pair of glasses to see the performance in. 

When the curtains were drawn, I started to notice the different colours of the lights. I saw how they harmonised with the harmonies on stage, colours changing along with the beat. I saw the subtle differences in effects between each song, and how well timed they were during the skit portions. 

Even without the technical knowledge, it felt like being let in on a secret that only those in the control room shared.

Now, I can bring that extra pair of glasses with me in every performance, noticing the unnoticed – finding value in what is meant to be hidden and subtle. This, along with the visit to the Star Theatre, made me realise just how much work goes on behind the scenes. Every show wishes to tie itself together with a nice ribbon, now I know what goes into the seams of it. 

Overall, this experience at the Star Theatre further deepened our appreciation for the intricacies and effort that goes into a show, and it was a unique experience for the Press members to learn more about all of it. 

So, the next time you watch a performance, give some love to those working behind the scenes too! Watch how the spotlight moves and you might find yourself appreciating the concert a bit more, putting a spotlight on the spotlight. 

You can support our very own crew @raffles_crew and @auspiciummeliorisav on Instagram and get a glimpse on the behind the scenes to make your favourite school event possible.