Rylee McDaniel – Production Assistant
Join us on a journey of discovery, where we go behind the scenes into the life of a Production Assistant
Rylee McDaniel has worked at Glyndebourne for 3 years.
In her role, as Production Assistant, she works closely with designers and makers to bring set designs to life.
Photo by Alun Callender
The Barber of Seville, Autumn Season 2026. Photo by Craig Fuller.
When a designer is hired for a production, we send them a specially built model box that reflects the exact dimensions of the Glyndebourne stage – at a 1:25 scale.
Once they have finalised the design, the designer will send it back to us and we will figure out how it can be made in real life, working closely with our in-house team and contractors.
Though the production managers and assistants will have been to see the set being made many times, it’s the first time the stage crew will see the scaled-up version of the set.
It’s really important for everyone to understand how it all fits together and make sure everything is right. So, it’s an important part of the process – but a really exciting one too.
Ariadne auf Naxos, Festival 2026. Photo by Tistram Kenton
The Merry Widow, Festival 2024. Photo by Tristram Kenton
The set from The Merry Widow from Festival 2024, was so incredibly detailed, particularly the palace in Act II.
This Autumn Season, I’ve been working on the brand-new youth opera Spark so I’ve been working really closely with the designer Ryan Dawson Laight to bring his vision to life.
Go to the theatre and see live performance as much as you can!
Look out for apprenticeships, too. It’s so important to get hands-on experience.
Billy Budd, Festival 2026. Photo by Tristram Kenton
