ArtsProfessional reveals the career paths of the sectors senior managers.
Artistic Director, Pentabus Theatre Company (2007present)
Pentabus develops new work which tours at a local, national and international level. In the past five years Pentabus has broken the mould for small-scale touring companies. Our work is acclaimed for its high quality, variety of approach and scale of ambition. We are free to go where our artistic vision takes us. Our work is often inspired by our location in Shropshire one of the most beautiful parts of the country, and is always a product of our commitment to collaborating with artists, venues and organisations that inspire us. My role is to lead the company artistically and as one of our board members put it recently just make good theatre.
International Associate, Royal Court Theatre (20052006)
I worked in the International Department of the Royal Court Theatre for one year. Whilst there my role involved working as a dramaturg with a number of international writers on new plays we had commissioned. Projects included running a new writing workshop in Bucharest and directing SmallTalk: Big Picture in collaboration with the BBC World Service.
Freelance Theatre Director (2001present)
My freelance work includes: How Much is your Iron? at the Young Vic; The Hound of the Baskervilles with the West Yorkshire Playhouse; A Dulditch Angel with The Gatehouse; Vienna Dreaming, Sam and Lucy, Let your Heart Break Open, Maps, and The Mum Project' at the National Theatre Studio; The Fire Raisers, sob stories, Refrain, Go the way your Blood Beats and Norman at BAC; Redemption with New Dramatists; The Duchess of Suffolk at Shakespeares Globe; and Carousel and Crazy for You at the Beck Theatre.
Resident Assistant Director, Donmar Warehouse (20022003)
I spent a year at the Donmar courtesy of a Carlton Bursary, working on a range of productions. My duties involved assisting on all the shows, writing copy for the programmes, giving post- show talks, and spending three months in New York overseeing the transfer of Sam Mendes productions of Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Artistic Director, sob Theatre Company (20012006)
I cut my theatrical teeth at sob a small experimental theatre company. We devised and performed at BAC and worked for nothing with the sole aim of making our own work and gaining exposure. Our box office takings just about covered any costs we incurred. To support myself during rehearsals I worked in the evenings and weekends at various youth theatres and community arts centres.
Head of Drama, Dartford Grammar School for Boys (19952000)
My first real job was setting up and running the Drama Department at the Rolling Stones old school. I spent most of my time directing shows and some of my friends who were working in the arts industry thought they were rather good. So, I left teaching and did an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice.