Job Description

Do you have the leadership qualities to thrive in a busy theatre backstage environment helping to supervise a team of technicians and look after on stage show arrangements? Can you creatively solve problems to ensure a show happens to the highest standards? If so, this could be your ideal next role. We are looking for a person with proven experience to join our current team of Shows & Events Co-ordinators (Stage Management) in two of the region’s premier entertainment venues – the Grade II listed Ipswich Regent Theatre and the Corn Exchange & Town Hall complex. These venues host more than 200 high quality, popular and diverse performances each year. We are passionate about delivering great quality entertainment and Co-Producing Pantomimes at Christmas time. We’re looking for talented Stage Managers to join our Team to supervise everything from West End musicals to the biggest names in comedy, music, dance, and family entertainment.

An exciting opportunity

This is a very exciting time to join our team. You will play a central role in looking after all aspects of stage and backstage management of our celebrated and historical venues, helping to look after our team of Assistants and Technicians and ensuring the highest standard of stage support to our visiting shows.

Ipswich Regent Theatre is the largest theatre in East Anglia with seating for 1535 people with a rich history dating back nearly 100 years. The theatre has a varied programme of shows including touring musicals, music, comedy, tribute, and specialist shows and is the region’s foremost provider of high quality, popular, unmissable and iconic large-scale live theatre entertainment.

The Corn Exchange is linked with Ipswich’s impressive Town Hall. We have an ever increasing number of shows in the Grand Hall that has a seating capacity for 783 people and 1,025 for standing performances.  Recent investment allows us to host a varied programme to compliment the Ipswich Regent Theatre including standing music gigs, comedy, and family entertainment.

Day to day

Assist in the operations of Ipswich Theatres and hold delegated responsibility on behalf of the Technical Manager for the efficient and safe running of backstage areas maintaining high standards including creating a clean and safe working environment, ensuring that all health and safety systems, policy and guidance are complied with at all times by our staff and visiting companies.

Ensure the successful production of shows and events by effectively liaising with visiting hirers to provide all the services detailed in a show’s production specifications, including provision of staff, equipment, facilities, and resources (lighting, sound, rigging, electrical requirements etc.).

Providing practical and organisational support to the Technical Manager with responsibilities including monitoring and evaluation of operations, report writing, scheduling staff, production of manuals and schedules and monitoring of financial information.

Candidates will require relevant hands-on professional experience in stage management, the ability to work under pressure, have good interpersonal and communication skills as well as strong organisational and time management qualities.

About you

An exceptional individual with proven organisational and leadership skills to help deliver and develop a highly professional back of house service aiming for the very highest standards.

Key communication skills to engender a team spirit and a pro-active approach to bringing people to together from both in house and visiting personnel.

A professional with previous relevant experience in theatre and entertainment is essential, a candidate who is very competent in liaising with visiting show promoters and technical departments.

Someone with a passion for theatre and entertainment who has an innovative, creative, and proactive approach to service development and has a great work ethic willing to work unsociable hours to suit the needs of incoming productions.

A person experienced in managing operational risk effectively and able to work under pressure, with excellent knowledge of H&S compliance, fire, security, and emergency procedures.

What is it like to work here

Working for Ipswich Theatres as part of the Commercial Development Department is an invigorating and rewarding experience.

Our business runs on 4 core beliefs at our venues and in our programming and customer service – we pride ourselves on being welcoming, spirited, flexible and striving for excellence.

Our specialisms are broad, so you will learn and grow with us.

Our teams are fabulous people to work with – we encourage friendly supportive behaviour which is deeply enveloped around our attention to excellent customer care delivery.

We always expect our staff to positively express their views, to listen to ours, to listen to each other and to be part of decision-making processes.

We are proactively committed to diversity and equal opportunity for all.

We are very supportive of our staff achieving a happy work-life balance.

As well as a good salary, we offer a career average pension scheme, generous holiday and sick pay entitlements, subsidised parking, public transport discounts, free swimming, cycle purchase scheme, plenty of personal and professional development opportunities, flexible working, hybrid working opportunities, Employee Assistance Programme and the opportunity to work with great colleagues.

For more information about this role please contact Abbie Farnworth (Technical Manager, Ipswich Theatres) via email at abbie.farnworth@ipswich.gov.uk

To find out more about the Job Description please click on the link below: Job description and Person specification

The assessment interview process will be carried out remotely via Skype for Business, Microsoft teams or in person.

Early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to interview candidates who meet the essential criteria prior to the closing date and / or to close the opportunity to applicants once we receive sufficient applications.