Nathan Rose is a prop maker and sculptor with over 30 years of theatrical experience. He creates sets and props for contemporary and modern plays and has worked for a number of UK theatre companies including Nottingham Playhouse and Leeds Playhouse. Nathan also runs his own forums and takes on placement students where they explore different materials while working individually or collaboratively.
We sat down with Nathan to explore his background and thoughts on the professional creative industry.
Poly-Props:
So Nathan, introduce yourself.
Nathan:
Hi, I'm Nathan. I'm head of Prop at Nottingham Playhouse (has since moved to Leeds Playhouse). I've been here for almost 18 years and I celebrate my 30 years in the creative industry this year.
Poly-Props:
Fantastic. Nathan, tell us how you've got to this point. Previous experience and qualifications.
Nathan:
Right. So a kid that liked making things in his bedroom, always good with my hands. I'm dyslexic. So the thing that I could do and shine was my art. Knowing from being a school kid that my art was going to be something as a career that I wanted to do. I didn't know what but already had plans to go to art college and see where that led to. When I was about 16 or 17, I saw some work that a puppet prop maker had made, and not really considered making that sort of thing. I asked him what he did and his background was theatre design and it was like, that's it, that's the one for me. So, from art college, I went and did a degree in theatre design at the Royal Walsh College of Music and Drama From graduating. I was freelance for 10 years working in all sorts of relevant and similar industries. So I was working in opera, television, film, animation, architectural model making, point of sales, and whatever I could pay the rent with. And then in 2004 this job at the Playhouse where I'm currently at, was advertised. I applied for it, I got it, came back to my hometown. I've been here ever since.
Poly-Props:
Tell us about a project, a big project that you're most proud of.
Nathan:
Ah, so it's always the last project. Okay. It's always the last project, but this summer I had a sabbatical from work and went to be the in-house prop maker for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. So that was the biggest, that was the opening and closing ceremonies. So the biggest project I've ever worked on had the most amount of people and the largest budget. And so at the moment, that's where my proud ego is at the moment until maybe I open the next show, which is pantomime for Nottingham Playhouse.
Poly-Props:
Tell us some hard lessons that you've had to learn within the industry.
Nathan:
It's the dedication versus time and budget to get things done. So we all want to do the best for ourselves for our job. And you are not necessarily always got the time and the budget. You will produce something that the customer will see and they'll think that's amazing. But to get to that point sometimes has been a hard journey. Making sure that you are keeping your physical and mental health that's looked after as much as your career, and your professional pride.
Poly-Props:
What advice would you give someone entering the industry?
Nathan:
I think the advice that my dad gave me is always work hard and people appreciate that. And then the skills and the talent will come because people will give you time if you've got the dedication, people will invest in that dedication and then you will get your skills and your knowledge.
Poly-Props:
And what sort of starting point would you advise someone new?
Nathan:
I think the route that I took is still a route that people are taking. It's more expensive now. I wasn’t lucky enough to get a student grant. So I didn't have that. I had financial worries, but not like young people entering education now. There aren't really any apprenticeships for prop making as yet, but there will be I think maybe in a few years’ time.
Go to art college, get a good foundation or a B Tech. So if you find a B Tech, the general art, and design, you will be painting and sculpting and using fabrics and using metals and plastics and things like that. That's the core of prop making. There are a lot of theatre degrees out there. They're all different. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. The courses will cover all of the creative production skills. So that's wardrobe, construction, prop making, scene painting, and design for the performance itself.
Poly-Props:
Give me one industry secret that everyone should know.
Nathan:
<Laugh> poly props, poly props,
Poly-Props:
<Laugh>. And just to finish off, what's your favourite poly props product?
Nathan:
Oh, I think I hexflex is my most, well, hexflex and plastazote. HexFlex has amazing coverage so it’s always my go-to.