Our people

The people who make this place tick

We are super passionate about our theatre. But we’re even more passionate about our people, because they’re the ones who make everything we do possible. We could sing their praises from the rooftops all day, if only it didn't annoy the neighbours.

We believe in the power of collaborative working and diverse perspectives to boost creativity. In fact, we all work in the same shared office space, which is wrapped around the Festival Theatre stage. So we’re always connected to the theatre and the work that drives us forward.

The magic formula? We live by our values of being creatively ambitious, community driven, champions of inclusivity and sustainably minded. And it’s the recipe for our success; we turned 60 in 2022 (but we’re told we don’t look a day over 30).


Meet our people

Find out more about each of our teams and if you see any of us around the building make sure you say hello!

Trustees
Directors' Office

Justin Audibert, Artistic Director

Kathy Bourne, Executive Director

Helena Berry, Heritage & Archive Manager
Sophie Hobson, Creative Associate
Hannah Joss, Associate Director (Literary)
Patricia Key, Executive PA
Aimée Massey, Diversity, Inclusion & Change Consultant
Julia Smith, Company Secretary & Board Support

Building & Site Services

Chris Edwards, Maintenance Engineer
Lez Gardiner, Duty Engineer
Daren Rowland, Facilities Manager
Graeme Smith, Duty Engineer

Costume

Jess Bolton, Dresser
Beau Brett, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Manager
Isabelle Brook, Wardrobe Assistant
Lily Eugene-Kelly, Dresser
Aly Fielden, Wardrobe Manager
Helen Flower, Deputy Head of Wardrobe
Lysanne Goble, Wardrobe Assistant
Abigail Hart, Wardrobe Assistant
Dee Howland, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant
Amy Jones, Dresser
Cecilia Martinez Carlevaro, Dresser
Natasha Pawluk, Deputy Head of Wigs
Andy Robinson, Dresser
Freya Scobie, Wardrobe Maintenance
Roseby Willow Scovell, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant
Isobel Shackleton, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant
Hannah Sinclair, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant
Lucie Smith, Wardrobe Manager
Loz Tait, Head of Costume
Colette Tulley, Wardrobe Maintenance
Rachel Usher, Wardrobe Assistant
Eloise Wood, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Manager

Development

Nick Carmichael, Development Officer (Corporate & Trusts)
Julie Field, Friends and Memberships Officer
Sophie Henstridge-Brown, Head of Philanthropy
Liz McCarthy-Nield,  Director of Development
Leo Powell, Trusts and Foundations Manager
Charlotte Stroud, Senior Development Manager (Corporates)
Karen Taylor, Development Manager (Individuals)
Megan Wilson, Senior Development Events Officer

Finance

Alison Baker, Payroll & Pensions Office
Victoria Clarke, Finance & Commercial Director
Rob Bloomfield, IT & AV Technician
Sally Cunningham, Purchase Ledger Assistant
Mandy Fletcher, Finance Analyst
Krissie Harte, Finance Officer
Anna Hutchings, Management Account
Katie Palmer, Purchase Ledger Manager
Simon Parsonage, Finance Consultant
Protozoon Ltd, IT Consultants

Learning, Education & Participation (but you can call them LEAP)

Matthew Downer, Cultural Learning & Participation Apprentice 
Zoe Dawson, LEAP Co-ordinator
Sally Garner-Gibbons, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator
Matt Hawksworth, Head of Children & Young People's Programme
Hannah Hogg, Senior Youth & Outreach Manager
Shari A. Jessie, Creative Therapist
Kate Potter, Youth & Outreach Co-ordinator
Louise Rigglesford, Senior Community & Outreach Manager
Dale Rooks, Director of LEAP
Angela Watkins, Youth & Outreach Projects Manager

Marketing, Communications & Sales

Josh Allan, Assistant Box Office Manager
Caroline Aston, Audience Insight Manager
Becky Batten, Head of Marketing
Laura Bern, Head of Audiences
Emily Biro, Box Office Assistant
Jessica Blake-Lobb, Marketing Manager
Cara Branley-Jones, Marketing & Press Assistant
Helen Campbell, Box Office Systems Manager
Jessica Frewin-Smith, Box Office Assistant
Lorna Holmes, Assistant Box Office Manager
Stephanie McKelvey-Aves, Marketing & Communications Officer
James Mitchell, Sales & Marketing Assistant
James Morgan, Head of Sales & Ticketing
Lucinda Morrison, Head of Press & Publications
Brian Paterson, Distribution Co-ordinator
Kirsty Peterson, Box Office Assistant
Catherine Rankin, Box Office Assistant
Luke Shires, Director of Marketing & Communications
Jenny Thompson, Social Media & Digital Marketing Officer
Grace Upcraft, Box Office Assistant
Josh Vine, Box Office Assistant
Claire Walters, Box Office Assistant
Isobel Walter, Marketing Manager
Joanna Wiege, Box Office Manager
Jane Wolf, Box Office Assistant

People

Paula Biggs, Head of People
Naz Jahir, People Operations Manager
Annie Thomas Bent, People Administrator
Gillian Watkins, Recruitment & Training Co-ordinator

Production

Keshira Aarabi, Projects & Events Co-ordinator
Jake Bartle, Senior Producer
Angela Buckley, Projects, Events & Green Book Co-ordinator
Bethan Cave, Production Administrator
Amelia Ferrand-Rook, Head of Producing
Daniel Hill, Nest Producer
Emily Oliver, Accommodation Co-ordinator
Claire Rundle, Production Co-ordinator
George Waller, Assistant Producer
Nicky Wingfield, Associate Producer

Technical

Tracey Ancsell, Stage Technician
Steph Bartle, Deputy Head of Lighting
Megan Bishop, Stage Crew
Hugo Blackwood, Technical Theatre Apprentice
Joseph Bloodworth, Lighting Technician
Chris Boone, Technical Director
Finley Bradley, Lighting Technician
Leoni Commosioung, Stage Supervisor
Ruth Eacott, Stage Crew
Beck Firth, Prop Maker
Zoe Gadd, Multi-Skilled Technician
Jack Goodland, Auto Technician
Laura Hackett, Technical Apprentice
Katie Hennessy, Props Store Co-ordinator
Tom Hitchins, Head of Stage & Technical
Joe Jenner, Production Manager Apprentice
Mike Keniger, Head of Sound
Mollie Kent, Stage Crew
Andrew Leighton, Senior Lighting Technician
Ethan Low, Stage Crew
A J Packwood, Prop Maker
Stuart Partrick, Transport & Logistics Assistant
Neil Rose, Deputy Head of Sound
Ernesto Ruiz, Prop Technician
Max Rushbridge, Stage Technician
Erika Sankovich, Senior Sound Technician
Jenny Sheriff, Technical Co-ordinator
Anna Setchell (Setch), Deputy Head of Stage
James Sharples, Senior Stage Crew & Rigger
Graham Taylor, Head of Lighting
Maria Toase, Sound Technician
Dominic Turner, Lighting Technician
Dani White, Stage Technician
Linda Mary Wise, Sound Technician

Theatre Management

Janet Bakose, Theatre Manager
Judith Bruce-Hay, Duty Manager
Charlie Gardiner, Duty Manager
Ben Geering, Head of Customer Operations
Dan Hill, Assistant House Manager
Will McGovern, Deputy House Manager
Sharon Meier, PA to Theatre Manager
Gabriele Williams, Deputy House Manager
Caper & Berry, Catering
Proclean Cleaning Ltd, Cleaning Contractor
Goldcrest Guarding, Security

Stage Door

Bob Bentley, Janet Bounds, Judith Bruce-Hay, Caroline Hanton, Chris Monkton, Sue Welling

Front of House Assistants

Miranda Allemand, Judith Anderson, Maria Antoniou, Jacob Atkins, Carolyn Atkinson, Ieva Bagdonaite, Brian Baker, Richard Berry, Emily Biro, Gloria Boakes, Alex Bolger, Dennis Brombley, Judith Bruce-Hay, Louisa Chandler, Jo Clark, Gaye Douglas, Stella Dubock, Amanda Duckworth, Clair Edgell, Lexi Finch, Suzanne Ford, Suzanne France, Jessica Frewin-Smith, Nigel Fullbrook, Barry Gamlin, Charlie Gardiner, Lyla Garner-Gibbons, Caroline Hanton, Justine Hargraves, Joseph Harrington, Joanne Heather, Marie Innes, Joan Jenkins, Pippa Johnson, Julie Johnstone, Ryan Jones, Jan Jordan, Jon Joshua, Grace King, Sally Kingsbury, Alexandra Langrish, Judith Marsden, Janette McAlpine, Fiona Methven, Chris Monkton, Ella Morgans, Susan Mulkern, Chris Murray, Isabel Owen, Martyn Pedersen, Susy Peel, Helen Pinn, Barbara Pope, Alice Rochford, Sian Rodd, Fleur Sarkissian, Derren Selvarajah, Janet Showell, Lorraine Stapley, Sophie Stirzaker, Angela Stodd, Christine Tippen, Charlotte Tregear, Andy Trust, Hannah Watts, Sue Welling, Gemma Wilcox, James Wisker, Dawn Wood, Donna Wood, Kim Wylam.

Volunteers

We acknowledge the work of those who give so generously of their time as our volunteers in the following areas:
Ambassadors
Audio Description
CFT Buddies
Chaperones
CFYT
Heritage & Archive
Theatre Tours

If you are interested in volunteering for CFT, pop over to our Get closer page.