Making sure the show goes on while touring around the world

Behind every successful show is a technical director who keeps things going behind the scenes. David Li is exactly that, particularly the touring deputy technical director for The Phantom of the Opera. For the last nine years, he’s been building shows from scratch, and making sure the entire production runs smoothly, especially on the move. While he’s based in Singapore, his touring schedule takes him on the road for one to two months at a time, sometimes even up to a year.

David describes himself as a “typical neighbourhood boy from Choa Chu Kang who had no idea about the arts” until he fell into it by accident. He took a quiz in which he realised he was most suited for technical theatre. And just like that, he left his tourism course in Polytechnic to learn technical theatre at LASALLE College of the Arts. Little did he know this decision would set him on the path of touring theatre productions.

His biggest break came in 2016, when he answered a call for a bilingual theatre technician for Disney’s The Lion King musical in Shanghai. He has worked in various capacities on productions like the Asian tour of Matilda and La Perle by Dragone in Dubai.

David talks to us about all the different roles he plays and what life is like on the road.

Can you tell us about what you’re currently doing?

I've been the touring deputy technical director for The Phantom of the Opera under GWB Entertainment since 2023. It has taken me to many cities in China, Mumbai and Bangkok.

I'm in charge of the technical and logistical aspects of a production, which includes building the show, and handling the shipment of containers and equipment. I also do the pre-planning to ensure that the show flows smoothly in different venues and cities.

It is a lot of creative problem solving, as you will face different issues between different transfers and venues. On show days, I ensure that daily operations run smoothly, conduct quality control checks and make sure that we put on the best show for the audience.

The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most memorable productions I’ve worked on as it’s the first time I’ve led an entire technical team. It’s also the longest touring show I’ve been on.

What is touring life like?

I’m basically hopping from hotel to hotel, and there’s a different cycle to adapting to a new city. By the time I get used to one place, it’s time to go to another one. And the differences between cities and more rural areas can be so vast, even within China. So what you can get in one place might not necessarily be the same as the next.

It’s very different compared to the time when I was based in Shanghai or Dubai. You’re not really living in a new city but just travelling for work for a long time.

What was the most difficult thing to cope with when you first started working overseas?

There are always administrative matters like opening bank accounts and sorting out visas. Sometimes it gets tedious because they eat into my off days. But it’s one of those things where you have to just do it and hope for the best.

Of course, being Singaporean, food is one of those things that I miss—you can’t eat your hokkien mee, laksa, all that kind of stuff. Luckily in some of the bigger cities, I can still find places that sell Singaporean food like chicken rice.

Work-wise, I’ve also had to adapt to different stage crews with different levels of experience in each city. They might not fully understand what we are doing and our expectations. So I have to facilitate that understanding and ensure a safe environment for things to run smoothly.

What lessons have you learnt from your stints?

Every place has a different way of working, and there are so many ways to do a certain thing. I might be concerned with aspects like safety and aesthetics, but a local might be looking at the solution from a different perspective. So I’ve learnt to be more open to listening to others and incorporating suggestions to have a more collaborative approach to problem-solving. You can’t go into a new place with a know-it-all, better-than-you attitude; it won’t bring you far.

What advice would you give to someone going overseas for work?

Be open to everything you encounter. Go in with an open heart. Take everything as it comes. It’s important to respect the people you work with because what we do is always a collective effort.