Helping children's theatre company Eco Drama find their sound
06/03/19
At Charcoalblue we contribute a portion of our time, skill and profit to support causes across the theatre industry that share our vision to make theatre a better place. We recently worked with educational theatre company Eco Drama to find an affordable, portable sound system to take with them on tour. Matt went to lend them a hand...
![](https://cdn.charcoalblue.com/uploads/images/News/Blue-Team/_full/3695/Eco-Drama-Whirlybird.jpg?v=1698772902)
Eco Drama's new theatre production The Whirlybird. © Eco Drama.
Eco Drama is an educational theatre company who's roots are ethically and ecologically deep, and who aim to plant a similar seed with the younger generations of Scotland, literally! Eco Drama's recent productions include recyclable, biodegradable and edible living scenery where the plants on stage were grown from seed by children, and audiences had the opportunity to nibble on plants, smell herbs and sample drinks made from the set!
The team of theatre-makers, actors and stage management tour productions all across Scotland (in their bio-diesel van of course) to schools, nurseries, village halls and theatres with shows that have an eco heart to them.
Now Eco Drama's family has new blood, in the form of composer Greg Sinclair who joins the creative team on their new production for children, Whirlybird, for which he's composing a soundtrack of music and sounds to accompany the live action onstage.
![](https://cdn.charcoalblue.com/uploads/images/News/Blue-Team/_full/2.-Charcoal-Blue-Q-Lab-Tutorial-Whirlybird-Eco-Drama.jpg?v=1698772906)
Eco Drama reached out to us to help them in their venture into recorded sound, seeking help navigating the minefield of equipment choices and assist in a purchase that would do the job they needed with the budget available.
The Blue Team picked up the call and saw the mission of Eco Drama a worthy cause indeed, offering support by means of a donation towards a playback laptop and volunteer expertise to help specify and put together a mini touring sound system of speakers, cabling, stands and accessories.
![](https://cdn.charcoalblue.com/uploads/images/News/Blue-Team/_full/3.-Charcoal-Blue-Cable-Tutorial-Whirlybird-Eco-Drama.jpg?v=1698772909)
On the first day of rehearsals for The Whirlybird, Eco Drama un-boxed a shiny new pocket-sized sound system with a punch, and with a little bit of help from us, learnt how to assemble, break down and program the thing (as well, of course, the right way to coil the cables!)
We look forward to hearing Greg's creations come to life on tour and wish them well at the beginning of a new department.
![](https://cdn.charcoalblue.com/uploads/images/People/Single/Bristol/MH/_sectorListingImage/CB_headshot_MH_2018_lowres_3.jpg?v=1698772911%2C0.5%2C0.4588)
Meet Matt
When he's not working with organisations as part of our Blue Team, Matt is a working his magic on technical systems design for projects including The Factory in Manchester and New College, Oxford. With over 12 years’ experience of producing theatre, Matt has worked in an extensive variety of backstage roles, most recently as Head of Production at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, before which he was Deputy Head of Sound at Chichester Festival Theatre. He has worked all over the UK as a systems engineer, designer and operator and has designed sound for over 60 productions throughout his career to date.