What is a Technical Rehearsal?

A technical rehearsal (often called a tech) is a rehearsal focused on the crew, where every lighting, sound, video and set cue is run and fixed before the show opens. It is standard in theatre and is used for conferences, award shows and big concert productions too. Performers take part, but the aim is to get the technical side right. Techs are slow by design, as the team stops to fix each problem before moving on.

How a technical rehearsal works

A tech usually runs in this order:

  1. Prepare: designers plot their cues and the stage manager writes them into the book or cue sheet.
  2. Work through: the show is run in order, stopping at each cue to set timing and levels.
  3. Fix: problems are solved on the spot, such as scene changes or missing cues.
  4. Cue-to-cue: later, the team jumps between cues, skipping dialogue or music in between.
  5. Dress rehearsal: finally, the full show runs without stopping, as on opening night.

Tech rehearsals are a major part of the schedule at theatres and opera houses, where Crescat helps every department plan around them.

Technical rehearsal vs cue-to-cue

A full technical rehearsal works through the whole show, stopping as needed. A cue-to-cue skips from one cue to the next, so the crew can practise transitions quickly. Cue-to-cues are useful when time is short, or for a quick refresh before a show returns after a break.

What a tech rehearsal checks

  • Lighting cues and timings
  • Sound cues, levels and microphones
  • Video and screen content
  • Scene and set changes
  • Entrances, exits and quick changes
  • Safety, such as flying and pyrotechnics

Frequently asked questions

How long does a technical rehearsal take?

For a theatre show, it can take several days, often called tech week. A conference or award show might do a tech in a few hours on the day before or the morning of the event.

Who runs the tech rehearsal?

The stage manager or show caller calls the cues, while the director and designers make decisions. The production manager keeps it on schedule.

Do concerts have technical rehearsals?

Large tours do, often called production rehearsals, before the first show. See production rehearsal for how these work.

Related terms