Greg Morss

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit:

I can use:

About me

Since setting myself up as GRMSolutions, I have been working with a variety of companies offering Stage Management, on site exhibition management, logistics, general crew, a/v and lighting support and a touring cinema projectionist. For this I have my own Transit Van and a full clean driving licence. I have experience of transporting actors, managing them making sure they are where they need to be on time, managing their breaks when needed. I have experience of touring to small scale venues, theatres, schools, outdoor venues and adapted spaces.
I feel that my varied work gives me a lot of useful skills.
I have worked closely with a company called Highly Sprung Performance. I did multiple get ins at schools for their show Commotion which had the aim of enthusing primary children to learn and be excited by science. My role was to transport the set from storage safely to the school, liaise with caretakers/site service managers and teachers to find out where I was able to load/unload and where they wanted the performance to take place. I will be working with them for a new project called the Travelling Treasury that will be touring the country over the summer aimed at family audiences. I find that working on projects designed to engage children very rewarding, but can also present new challenges and I am aware of the necessity of keeping up to date with current legislation.
I have worked with Talking Birds on many different projects and for the most part been both transporter and stage manager for their unusual touring theatres. My role includes prepping, packing, touring them and managing the actor team. I was also responsible for maintenance as they had to remain both road worthy and presentable to the public. After each gig I would do a report on how the day went. Shows included The Whale and The Oak.
The Whale is an outdoor theatre project that gets towed to its venue which have included such venues as the Cardiff Millennium Centre but also schools and festivals throughout the country. Being the representative for Talking Birds whilst on tour my role included everything from, logistics to mentoring the actors, washing the costumes, liaising with on site contacts, maintaining The Whale and props, social media via Twitter and Facebook and using flyers to market face to face. Also securing any paperwork needed, retaining receipts looking after petty cash and collecting cheques where necessary.
The National Trust- Oak Mobile, designed, built and managed by Talking Birds. The aim of the project was to engage with people living in City Centres, with a particular focus on Birmingham's multi ethnic communities.
My role was similar to The Whale, to ensure the smooth running of the tour, responsible for the actors, but also ensuring the inclusivity and accessibility of the communities we visited.
I am also regularly a driver and on-site manager for Commbus, driving double decker exhibition buses which tour around the country, primarily to schools to promote University, this was on behalf of Hertfordshire University and Anglia Ruskin University. I was required to have the exhibition set up by a specified time, make sure the a/v equipment was working along with the generator and to address any issues that occurred during the day. I would liaise with the site services manager and teachers to find out where they wanted the exhibition set up, and ensure the space complied with current child protection policy.
I would have to say that my route into stage management has been unconventional, but I am committed to ongoing professional development having recently completed the Association of British Theatre Technicians course held at the Royal Centre for Speech and Drama and have arranged for some ad hoc light training at The Belgrade Theatre and some QLab training. Although I have limited lighting experience within theatres, I do have a good working technical knowledge from using sound and projection equipment and lighting rooms using LED par cans daisy chained together and using a control board. I have also assisted LX designer Arnim Friess with his lighting design for Trevor Goose and the Tempest. I do have the ability to pick things up fast.
One of my other clients is Live and Local for who I am the primary projectionist for The Big Picture Show: a touring rural cinema. My responsibility is to transport, get in and set up the full cinema. Working out positioning for optimum capacity, whilst still aiming to maintain a good viewing position. This has multiple challenges as venues don't always lend themselves to having a cinema inside, the equipment includes a professional amp, projector and we use a laptop to display adverts before the screening.
I have also worked on a casual basis for the last ten years for Imagineer Productions and Vortex Creates. Mostly I have been general crew and driver, but occasionally I have had to help with set building, painting re-upholstery and repair. I am a quick learner who can turn his hand to anything.
In a previous job, I was a team leader of 15 business retention advisers, for a large insurance company. My role involved motivating them, coaching and monitoring performance, organising weekly and monthly meetings, making sure they adhered to their schedules, problem solving and taking complaints. Being based in a call centre means that your communication skills have to be strong and effective as your primary ways of communicating are via email or on the phone not face to face and people can misunderstand if you are not clear. Time management was everything in call centres as time is money so I had to coach advisers on communicating quickly and effectively which meant I had to have good interpersonal skills. All of these skills have been invaluable working in the Creative Industries over the past 18months. As I was their HR person as well, this gave me a good working knowledge of regulations regarding work and the health and safety at work act. Having reviewed the ITC/Equity guidelines for contracts and conditions they are not to dissimilar.
Working for myself and owning my own vehicles I have to be aware of all relevant laws and insurance including Goods in Transit and Public Liability. I have a Tachograph fitted and use it when needed, I have all the straps to make sure whatever is in the van is secure. Last week I had £100k worth of glass artwork to move as Imagineer moved offices. Having worked in Motorsport I have an In depth knowledge of vehicle maintenance and I also have an Advanced Driving qualification.
For Christmas this year, Talking Birds put on a production called Trevor Goose at Ego Performance Space. Along with the designer we transformed the blank studio space, building a stage, set, lighting and decorating the whole venue.
My clients list my strengths as being calm in all situations, flexible, adaptable and most of all professional at all times. Because of the varied work, I have spent some tours on my own and others as a team sharing everything. I am highly motivated and always find a solution, the show must go on!
I have been fortunate enough to work at various large venues which include The Houses of Parliament, Birmingham MAC and the Cardiff Millenium Centre. I have been lucky to have found a career that indulges my passion for theatre.


Referees:
Janet Vaughan
Director
Talking Birds
Institute for Creative Enterprise (ICE)
Coventry University Enterprises
Puma Way, Coventry
CV1 2NE
removed

Sarah Worth
Director
Highly Sprung Performance Co.
Unit 4.
Sandy Lane Business Park.
Coventry.
CV1 4DQ
removed

License & Passport

Skills

Secondary Job Title	Director
Job Titles	Director, Stage Manager, Production Support, Sound Operator / Engineer, Lighting Tech / Operator, Events Management / Support, Theatre Technician
Years in industry	6+ years
Organisations / Memberships	ABTT (UK)
Work Permits	EU