Don't Lose the Plot! Stay in Control of your Cues with this Game Changing Hack
- The Panto Jukebox
- Oct 13
- 2 min read
If you’ve ever worked on a pantomime, you know the rehearsal period can be chaos. Panto has so many moving parts — quick entrances, musical stings, sound effects, underscoring — and somehow it all has to land in perfect sync to bring the magic to life.
And let’s face it… when you’re juggling 100+ sound cues, things can slip. How many times has your villain strutted on from stage left — only to be greeted by complete silence on opening night?
Not fun.
And when it’s your head on the chopping block with the director and stage manager, the stress can be overwhelming.
I've been creating pantomime soundtracks for over 15 years, and I can tell you that the best way to beat the mayhem is to Get Organised.
Get yourself one step ahead of the rest and find a way to keep track of the million moving parts that make up your production.
What's My Secret?
This is why I created the Sound Cue Organiser sheet — a simple but powerful tool to keep you in control from day one. I use this sheet to organise and plot my cues throughout the production and rehearsal process before diving into the complex workflows of cue software. I can track changes and design cue sequences, making workflows easy to manage even if the production doesn't use specialist software to run cues. This is my North Star for staying in control. Best part? You can grab it FREE when you join The Panto Jukebox mailing list.
Why you’ll love it
Think of this sheet as your backstage assistant — it keeps every single sound cue organised, so you never miss a beat. Here’s what’s inside:
🎭 Scene & page columns – instantly pinpoint each cue in your script.
✅ Status tracking – know exactly what’s ready and what still needs work.
📂 File & version tracking – never lose an audio file again.
📝 Cue line reminders – lock in your timings with dialogue or visual notes.
🎚️ Fade-out prompts – so your music ends smoothly, not abruptly.
Collaboration - Not Frustration!
One of my favourite things about this sheet is being able to share it instantly with the production team in the form of a Google Sheet. Everyone can see the latest changes instantly without endless back and forth update emails. No more multiple file versions!
Sounds Good to You?
👉 Ready to keep your sanity this year? Click below to download your free cue organiser and join the mailing list. Your next panto workflow will feel effortless.
My Sound Cue Organiser has evolved through 14 seasons of panto magic. For me, it’s the difference between scrambling under pressure… and running a smooth, professional sound design that wins over cast, crew, and audience alike. I hope that it can do the same for you!
Break a leg!
Ben @ The Panto Jukebox
