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. Many of us 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
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
Jay Godwin, Facilities Assistant
Daren Rowland, Facilities Manager
Graeme Smith, Duty Engineer

Costume

Beau Brett, Wardrobe Manager
Izzy Brook, Assistant Wardrobe
Jess Bolton, Dresser
Sarah Coates, Dresser
Phoebe Firth, Wardrobe Manager
Helen Flower, Deputy Head of Wardrobe
Lysanne Goble, Assistant Wardrobe
Abbie Hart, Assistant Wardrobe
Caroline Hannam, Wardrobe Manager
Dee Howland, Assistant WHAM
Emily Hunter, Assistant WHAM
Lily Eugene Kelly, Dresser
Hayley Kent, Head of Costume
Foxer Morgan, Costume Technical Apprentice
Roseby Scovell, Assistant WHAM
Izzy Shackleton, Assistant WHAM
Loz Tait, Head of Costume
Colette Tulley, Wardrobe Maintenance
Rachel Usher, Dresser
Zoe Walker, Dresser 

Development

Chloe Apps, Head of Individual Giving
Nick Carmichael, Senior Corporate Development Officer 
Julie Field, Friends and Memberships Officer
Liz McCarthy-Nield,Director of Development
Lindsay Walrond, Trusts and Foundations Manager
Charlotte Stroud, Senior Corporate Development Manager (maternity leave)
Karen Taylor, Development Manager (maternity leave)
Juliana Travassos, Senior Corporate Development Manager (maternity cover)
Josh Vine, Individual Giving Officer (maternity cover)
Megan Wilson, Development Events Manager

Finance

Victoria Arthur, Finance Assistant
Alison Baker, Payroll Manager
Victoria Clarke, Finance & Commercial Director
Rob Bloomfield, IT & AV Technician
Sally Cunningham, Purchase Ledger Assistant
Krissie Harte, Purchase Ledger Officer
Anna Hutchings, Management Accountant
Katie Palmer, Purchase Ledger Manager
Margarita Payne, Purchase Ledger Assistant
Protozoon Ltd, IT Consultants

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

Zoe Dawson, LEAP Co-ordinator
Sally Garner-Gibbons, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator
Lucas Gill, Cultural Learning & Participation Apprentice 
Matt Hawksworth, Head of Children & Young People's Programme
Hannah Hogg, Senior Youth & Outreach Manager
Kate Potter, Youth & Outreach Co-ordinator
Louise Rigglesford, Head of Community Outreach
Dale Rooks, Director of LEAP
Jasmine Thomas, Community Outreach Trainee
Angela Watkins, Head of Schools Programme

Marketing, Communications & Sales

Josh Allan, Assistant Box Office Manager
Becky Batten, Head of Marketing
Emilie Barton, Digital & Insights Manager
Laura Bern, Head of Audiences
Emily Biro, Box Office Assistant
Cara Branley-Jones, Marketing Officer
Helen Campbell, Box Office Systems Manager
Jessica Frewin-Smith, Box Office Assistant
Stephanie McKelvey-Aves, Marketing & Communications Manager
James Mitchell, Sales & Marketing Assistant
James Morgan, Head of Sales & Ticketing
Lucinda Morrison, Head of Press & Publications
Kirsty Peterson, Box Office Assistant
Catherine Rankin, Box Office Assistant
Lorna Sanders, Assistant Box Office Manager
Fleur Sarkissian, Box Office Assistant
Luke Shires, Director of Marketing & Communications
Jenny Thompson, Social Media & Digital Marketing Officer
Grace Upcraft, 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 (maternity leave)
Shari A. Jessie, Creative Therapist
Annie Thomas Bent, People Operations Manager (maternity cover)
Gillian Watkins, People Co-ordinator
Alfie Whitchurch, People Administrator & Volunteer Manager

Production

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

Technical

Tracy Ancsell, Stage Crew
Steph Bartle, Deputy Head of Lighting
Hugo Blackwood, Technical Theatre Apprentice
Joe Bloodworth, Lighting Technician
Chris Boone, Technical Director
Sam Cole, Venue Technician (The Nest)
Leoni Commosioung, Stage Supervisor
Lily Cottingham, Technical Apprentice
Joe Culpin, Stage Supervisor
Daniel Edwards, Stage Crew
Beck Firth, Prop Maker
Fuzz, Senior Sound Technician
Bryn Gadd, Stage Crew
Zoe Gadd, Multi-Skilled Technician
Olivia Garner, Assistant Production Manager Apprentice
Jack Goodland, Stage Automation Technician
Katie Hennessy, Props Co-ordinator
Tom Hitchins, Head of Technical & Stage
Mike Keniger, Head of Sound
Andy Leighton, Senior Lighting Technician
Ethan Low, Stage Technician
Zoe Lyndon-Smith, Stage Technician
AJ Packwood, Prop Maker
Stuart Partrick, Logistics Driver
Natalie Richeux, Lighting Technician
Neil Rose, Deputy Head of Sound
Ernesto Ruiz, Prop Technician
Max Rusbridge, Stage Technician
Erika Sankovich, Senior Sound Technician
Jenny Sherriff, Technical Co-ordinator
Anna Setchell (Setch), Deputy Head of Stage
James Sharples, Senior Stage Crew & Rigger
Maria Toase, Sound Technician
Graham Taylor, Head of Lighting
Dominic Turner, Lighting Technician
Josie van Deelen, Creative Venues Technical Apprentice
Issy Walker, Lighting Technician
Linda Mary Wise, , Sound Technician

Theatre Management

Judith Bruce-Hay, Duty Manager
Louisa Chandler, Duty Manager
Clair Edgell, Duty Manager
Charlie Gardiner, Duty Manager
Ben Geering, Head of Operations
Dan Hill, Deputy Front of House Manager
Will McGovern, Theatre Operations Manager
Sharon Meier, Operations Administrator
Gabriele Williams, Front of House Manager
Caper & Berry, Catering
Proclean Cleaning Ltd, Cleaning Contractor
Venture Security Manager, Security

Stage Door

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

Front of House Assistants

Miranda Allemand, Judith Anderson, Maria Antoniou, Jim Apted, Jacob Atkins, Carolyn Atkinson, Ieva Bagdonaite, Brian Baker, Ev Bell, Molly Berry, Richard Berry, Emily Biro, Gloria Boakes, Isabella Bristowe, Dennis Brombley, Judith Bruce-Hay, Christy Callaway-Gale, Louisa Chandler, Jo Clark, Gaye Douglas, Stella Dubock, Amanda Duckworth, Clair Edgell, Leah Ellinor, 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, Elly Johnson, Julie Johnstone, Ryan Jones, Jan Jordan, Jon Joshua, Alexandra Langrish, Judith Marsden, Janette McAlpine, Fiona Methven, Chris Monkton, Ella Morgans, Susan Mulkern, Chris Murray, Jude Newark, Isabel Owen, Martyn Pedersen, Susy Peel, Helen Pinn, Barbara Pope, Arwen Rayner, Ada Richardson, Alice Rochford, Sian Rodd, Fleur Sarkissian, Derren Selvarajah, Janet Showell, Lorraine Stapley, Sophie Stirzaker, Angela Stodd, Christine Tippen, Stephanie Treagust, Charlotte Tregear, Andy Trust, Hannah Watts, Sue Welling, James Wisker, Dawn Wood, Donna Wood, Jessica Woolridge, Kim Wylam.

Volunteers

We acknowledge the work of those who give so generously of their time for Chichester Festival Theatre, including:
CFT Buddies
Heritage & Archive Volunteers
Prologue and Workplace Ambassadors
And our Volunteer Audio Description Team:
Janet Beckett, Tony Clark, Robert Dunn, Geraldine Firmston, Suzanne France, Richard Frost, David Phizackerley, Christopher Todd, Joanna Wiege.

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