"Don’t believe everything your drama school tells you "

Hometown
London

What do you do?
Freelance technician

What was your very first role in theatre?
A technician for the Canal Café Theatre, a fringe theatre in London

What else have you done in theatre?
* Spotlight operator at Queen’s Theatre ;
* Various individual shows at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
* Technical manager for the Cockpit Theatre in London
* Technical manager for the Sound Theatre in London

Have you got qualifications?
* BTEC national diploma in performing arts
* City and Guilds 181 in theatre and entertainment electrics

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A continuity announcer on the telly

What do you do all day?
The centre of my professional calendar is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where I’m working my seventh year. I do five or six shows a year, usually designing the sound and lighting, sometimes as production manager.

The rest of the year I do a lot of live comedy shows, cabaret and sketch shows as a technical manager.

I also run a scratch night at the Cockpit Theatre once a month, which allows new acts to pay £10 for a 20-minute slot and get feedback from the audience.

What’s the best thing about your job?
The variety. I can’t think of anything worse than being on a West End show for months on end.

And the worst?
The hours can be very long. I have just finished a month of 14-hour days. And I have different sleep patterns from most of my friends because I work evenings.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
My ambition is to be artistic director of my own live venue specialising in comedy and theatre

Got any wise wise for someone who wants to be where you are now?
* Don’t believe everything your drama school tells you
* Get work experience in pub theatres and fringe theatres
* Get out and meet people because everything works by word of mouth. People remember if you turn up and show willing.

Nic’s website