Props Master - Lynda Smith

For Lynda, being backstage isn’t simply something she does for CAST — theatre has been part of her life since she was 11 years old.

Her parents were involved with Aquarius Theatre Company, and as a child Lynda was already working behind the scenes. At Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip, long before modern backstage communication systems, one of her jobs was being a runner, finding performers and letting them know when they were needed on stage.

Over the years she has been involved with theatre at venues including the Beck Theatre and the Compass Theatre in Ickenham, but one thing has remained constant:

Lynda never wanted to tread the boards herself. Backstage was always where she wanted to be.

Years later, theatre became a family affair again. Her daughter Tasha joined CAST at the age of 11 to appear in Annie, and Lynda became involved with the Academy crew. A couple of years later, Steve asked her to help with props and costumes — and the rest, as they say, is CAST history.

Today, Lynda is our Props Master, helping to create the countless objects and details that bring our productions to life.

And she certainly doesn’t make everything on her own!

One of Lynda’s great talents is getting the rest of us involved. Cast members regularly find themselves cutting, painting, sticking, building, recycling and transforming unlikely objects into exactly what a production needs.

Some props can be found or borrowed. Others need adapting. And sometimes there is simply nothing suitable available — so Lynda works out how we can make it ourselves.

It means that prop-making at CAST is often a wonderful team effort, with Lynda at the centre of it, encouraging everyone to have a go.

From an 11-year-old backstage runner to CAST’s Props Master, Lynda has spent a lifetime helping to create the magic that happens behind the curtain.

And that is exactly where she has always wanted to be.

Fancy helping Lynda?

You don't need to be an experienced prop-maker. If you enjoy crafting, painting, building, recycling, problem-solving — or just don't mind being handed something unusual and hearing “Can you make this look like…?” — there is always room for another pair of hands!