Meet Vero Gonzalez Soto Fanjul – Automation Number 1, London

How did you get involved with Phantom and how long have you been working here?
Well I started on Phantom as a member of the crew where I spent a couple of years before starting on the perch. I’ve been here for the last 16 years so I know most aspects of the show.

Can you give us a brief description of your role?
We operate a console and we move parts of the scenery that are motorised. We fly people in and out, we open flying pieces of the scenery and close them and we raise all types of machinery from under the stage – for example, the candelabra’s that rise up in the Phantom lair – all those kind of things.

Can you describe your typical day?
I work with a second operator and he will begin by working on the console to check its safe before the show which takes about 30 minutes, while I check everything is clear. There are lots of safety checks – everything has to be checked before every show. There are two of us in the team but we also have another 3 people who cover us when one of us is on holiday. It didn’t take long for me to learn the automation as I knew a lot about it by working on the crew so it only took me a couple of weeks to learn the automation and now it’s second nature really.