Paging system

A theatre Paging System is a system of linked speakers, controllers, outstations and amplifiers which allow Front of House Staff, the Stage Manager or Deputy Stage Manager and Theatre Management to make PA announcements to the public in the building. These announcements are typically used to welcome the audience and alert them to the opening of the show or the starting of the second half. In rare cases the paging system can also be used to alert persons in the building to emergencies, fire alarm tests and situations where electricity has to be cut to parts of the building.

A paging system will typically have several 'zones' or areas that can be individually & separately paged by the user from the outstation (the control point they are using). For example, there might be a Backstage zone to page the dressing rooms and green rooms, a FOH zone to page the box office and bar areas, and an Emergency zone to page the entire building: backstage, front of house, the auditorium itself and outside areas in the yard/street.

The ADC Theatre has a strict code of conduct for paging announcement that you will be taught if you train as a SM or DSM. This is taken quite seriously and wilful flagrant abuse will likely result in the individual being sanctioned be the theatre's management staff, and in sever circumstances the case being referred to the individual's college tutor.