The Phantom of the Opera has been part of London’s West End since 1986, and even after thousands of performances it still manages to make audiences wonder how some of its biggest moments are done.
Away from the stage, there is a huge amount going on. Costumes are being changed, make-up repaired, scenery moved and performers quietly put into position for their next entrance. Here are five backstage details that make the show even more interesting.
1. The chandelier is far more complicated than it looks
The chandelier is probably the most famous piece of scenery in the show.
It contains thousands of beads and has to move above the auditorium before making its dramatic descent. What looks like a few seconds of theatre is actually a carefully timed combination of rigging, lighting, music and stage management.
It is one of those moments that feels effortless from your seat, even though a lot of work is going on behind it.
2. The Phantom starts getting ready long before the audience arrives
The white mask is only a small part of the Phantom’s appearance.
The actor also needs prosthetics, a bald cap, make-up and a specially fitted mask. Former Phantom Ben Forster has spoken about beginning his make-up roughly an hour before a performance.
Earlier versions were even more demanding. When Michael Crawford first played the role in London, the transformation could take several hours.
So while people are arriving at the theatre, buying programmes and finding their seats, the Phantom is already being created backstage.
3. There are hundreds of costumes to look after
The wardrobe department has one of the busiest jobs in the building.
The production has used more than 200 costumes in a single performance, and the Masquerade scene alone shows just how elaborate some of them are.
There are gowns, uniforms, cloaks, wigs, hats and masks, as well as plenty of quick changes that have to happen while the next scene is already under way.
The audience sees the finished result. Backstage, dressers are working at considerable speed.
4. One spectacular Phantom entrance has involved a forklift
This is perhaps the best backstage story of them all.
Former Phantom John Owen-Jones revealed that his entrance at the top of the staircase during Masquerade involved being lifted into position by a forklift.
The huge Red Death costume made simply walking into position difficult.
He also recalled that if the machinery was not available, the alternative involved climbing a ladder while wearing the costume, including its high heels and enormous cloak.
Not quite as mysterious as it looks from the stalls.
5. Playing the Phantom can be a surprisingly lonely job
There is something rather fitting about this one.
Because of the make-up, wigs and costume changes involved, the actor playing the Phantom can spend much of the evening with a small backstage team rather than the rest of the company.
Make-up needs checking, prosthetics may need touching up and costumes have to be prepared for the next appearance.
In some ways, the actor playing the Phantom really does spend much of the evening hidden away behind the scenes before suddenly appearing in front of the audience.
See The Phantom of the Opera in London
The Phantom of the Opera plays at His Majesty’s Theatre on Haymarket in London.
If you have already seen it, knowing a little about what is happening backstage gives you something new to watch for. And if you have never seen it, the chandelier alone remains one of those classic West End moments that is best experienced from inside the theatre.
Official tickets:
The Phantom of the Opera London
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