Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 42nd ABTT Theatre Show has now been postponed to Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th June 2021 in the West Hall at Alexandra Palace.

The 41st edition of the ABTT Theatre Show took place last June at Alexandra Palace. Those who attended will have noticed a few changes. As a result of the developments in 2019, the interest shown in the 2020 show was more than we have seen in recent years. The exhibition floor was fully booked for June and we were ‘ready to go’. … and then everything changed.

This shutdown is unprecedented, as will be the process of rebuilding the industry. One of the defining values of our industry is the ‘can do’ attitude that always delivers the show. This characteristic is the key to rebuilding a future for everyone.

Looking back to January 26th this year, we started to work on the main theme of the ABTT Theatre Show for June 2020. It was Re: as in review, rethink and reimagine. The key driver was to address our climate issues with genuine action.

Little did we know that two months later the brakes would be well and truly applied and that the concept of Re: would climb to the top of everybody’s agenda – but for a totally different reason. The shutdown of the entertainment industry has forced us all to consider how we are going cope now and how we will survive these desperate times to enable us to rebuild when we eventually reopen.

Whilst the 42nd outing of The ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace has now been postponed to June 2021, plans are underway for constant and ongoing behind the scenes support with the hope of a collaborative coming together when the time is right.  We know we are not alone and the ABTT will work tirelessly to unite our entire technical community with as many live performance disciplines as possible to consider how to rebuild, how best to create new opportunities and how to play our part in getting theatre back on its feet.

In closing, let’s be thankful for what we have and bless those who are less fortunate than us. Stay safe, stay well and let’s look forward to rebuilding together.

With much hope for a brighter future,

Isobel Hatton
Show Director

The latest edition of Sightline is now being delivered.  This is rather later than scheduled, as postal services are currently being delayed by circumstances beyond our control. 

Our distributors also found it difficult to source paper envelopes, so some copies will have been delivered in plastic wrappers, for which we apologise.  We are already planning for the next edition of Sightline , which we aim to get out in early June as usual, but, again, may find it harder than usual to stick to our schedule. 

The latest edition has articles on the reality of sustainable production; the technology in use on the new musical The Prince of Egypt; past ABTT trainees; the Production Managers Forum; the Sondheim Theatre refurbishment; an appraisal of the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen, Germany; the use of candlelight; updates from ABTT committees and, of course, the essential Technical Standards Update and Safety Matters columns.

The ABTT is still offering Online AutoCAD Courses to ABTT Members, giving you the flexibility to learn when it suits you. The course is specifically tailored to the needs of users in a theatrical environment, assisting you to develop technical drawings for a range of different uses. If you are on the technical drawing side of set or theatre design, this course is for you.

If you have already completed the six study modules for the ABTT AutoCAD for Theatre Technicians remote learning course or you are fully proficient in 2D AutoCAD -  you can now access a FREE 3D Tutorial to further your skills!