"I enjoy working with the technicians as they are great people when they’re in a good mood!"

Hometown
I am originally from Falkirk in central Scotland and now live in Newcastle/Gateshead

What do you do?
Administration assistant (technical) for Northern Stage

How long have you been at it?
Fourteen months

What was your very first role in theatre?
Box office customer service adviser for Macrobert in Stirling

What else have you done in theatre?
Customer service adviser, Macrobert and administration assistant/ office manager, National Theatre of Scotland

Have you got qualifications?
A degree in English studies with film and media studies

What did you do before you worked in theatre?
I spent a year working full-time in a multiplex cinema when I was about 18. Other than that just the usual part-time bar jobs to get me through university.

How did you make the move to working in theatre?
Cinema customer service and theatre customer service are quite similar so I had the skills to move from one to the other. It wasn’t a conscious decision to move to the theatre industry, it just seemed like an interesting and fun place to work as I was a theatre-lover already.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Something different every week! I remember wanting to be a waitress, a policewoman, an archaeologist, a writer and a music video director.

What do you do all day?
My tasks include doing invoices, entering timesheets, running errands for the technicians, answering the stage door, taking deliveries and meeting visitors.

I try to gather as much information about the visiting companies as I can, including plans, tech riders, staff calls etc and bringing more staff in if needed. If a new company is arriving I show them round, make sure they have security passes and answer any questions they have.

I may have to go to a meeting, deputising for the production manager or technical manager if needed. I may receive enquiries about hiring the theatre which I will check availability and quote for.

I gather information about other hires and make sure everything is prepared. I also enter details into the theatre booking system which lists everything that is happening in the theatre and out on tour. There are many more little things as well.

What’s the best thing about your job?
I enjoy meeting all the visiting companies and welcoming them to the theatre. I’ve met so many different and interesting people. I also enjoy working with the technicians as they are great people when they’re in a good mood!

And the worst?
Sorting through piles of invoices and trying to do all the calculations for the technicians’ timesheets. It gets very complicated and it’s sometimes hard to concentrate in the technical office.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I would love to work on the more creative side. It would be great to end up as an executive director or executive producer of a large theatre company.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
* Start at the bottom and work up. It may not have been the best paid or stimulating job but working in a box office was great fun and it introduced me to all the other areas of theatre
* Always work to your own skills and strengths. If you really fancy a job as a stage technician but work in a bar, don’t just apply on the off chance
* Try to get some unpaid work experience or take a course. Even better, get a box office or bar job in the theatre and make it known that you’d love to work as a stage technician, they might just offer you the chance!