If you go to any stage show, or watch any film, drama or play on television, you will be looking at ‘properties’, or PROPS as they are better known by. There are a few different types of ‘props’…
Personal Props – these are items used or carried by the individual actors, on their person. It might perhaps be a wallet, mobile phone or handbag used by the actor at different times when they are on stage.
Specialist Props – could be the sonic-screwdriver for Dr Who, or the pumpkin in Cinderella. They are usually items that are difficult to find or maybe have to be made especially for the show.
Practical Props – these are things like a cup of tea on a silver tray bought into the study by the maid in Downtown Abbey or into Uncle Quentin’s study, which is then drunk by an actor.
Rehearsal Props – are props used during the rehearsal period, but not necessarily in the actual show. They are representative of the actual prop to be used, and a similar size and shape. For example, a flat book with a polystyrene cup on it could be used to represent the silver tray with a cup of tea on it when the maid takes it into Uncle Quentin’s study.
Set Dressing Props – additional props, which are not used by the actors during the play but are arranged to add interest to the background and make the stage or set look good. For television, some props may be described as ‘out of focus’ props and not seen too clearly, but they are there to add to the general picture.
The Props Team:
- The props team for any production need to have a very clear picture of all the props/and items required by the show director and designer. They must have all the necessary information and understand the style, use, colour, material a prop is made from, and how is it to be used.
- For a specific or unusual prop, it might mean the props team will have to search on-line, visit a museum, go to a reference library, an art gallery, also a visit to an antique shop or charity shop may help find a prop
- Props requirements sometimes change during the rehearsal period, and even once the show is up and running, so the props team is always alert and busy!