RESIDENT PRODUCER
Part-time; self-employed
July – December 2017
Jermyn Street Theatre was established in 1994 in the basement of a London restaurant, now Getti. It was
converted into a 70-seat studio theatre in the heart of the West End. Over the past 23 years it has become
London’s leading studio theatre of its scale. It sits uniquely between the fringe theatres above pubs and in
railway arches, and the major subsidized studios such as the Donmar Warehouse.
In our programming, we balance new work against rediscoveries. In recent years, we have produced UK
premieres of plays and musicals by Samuel Beckett, Henrik Ibsen, Stephen Sondheim, Terence Rattigan,
Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams, while also taking risks on brilliant debut plays by a range of writers.
We have recently been the Stage Fringe Theatre of the Year, and won and been nominated for numerous
OffWestEnd and Critic’s Choice Awards. Several of our productions, including Trevor Nunn’s production
of Beckett’s All That Fall, Anthony Biggs’ production of I Loved Lucy, and Tom Littler’s of Saturday Night,
have transferred to the West End, Broadway, or both.
Sir Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, David Warner, Joely Richardson, Danny Lee Wynter, Imogen
Stubbs, Christopher Timothy, Sara Crowe, Jasper Britton, Issy van Randwyck, Dame Eileen Atkins, Imogen
Stubbs, Danny Lee Wynter, Jimmy Akingbola and many more have starred at the theatre.
But even more importantly, hundreds of young actors and writers have started out here. Some of them,
such as Rosalie Craig (Evening Standard Award Winner), Joanna Christie (Narcos) and Tuppence Middleton
(War and Peace) are internationally visible. Others have had their careers enhanced by this intimate theatre.
The theatre is signed up to the Equity Fringe Agreement, guaranteeing a fair wage for all actors, creatives
and stage management, and is now also signing up to the 50/50 campaign, ensuring 50/50 gender parity
across each year both on and off stage.
Historically the business model has been that the theatre produces about two productions per year running
for about four—five weeks. The rest of the year has been occupied by high-quality visiting productions
brought to us by a range of experienced and developing producers, many of whose careers we have
nurtured. Our small seating capacity means that productions are usually subsidized. Depending on scale,
box office income amounts to between 30—65% of their overall budget, with charitable donations
providing the remainder.
The General Management of the theatre is undertaken by its co-founder, Penny Horner. Its other cofounder, Howard Jameson, continues as Chair of Trustees, and takes an active role in fundraising from the
corporate sector. Anthony Biggs, Artistic Director since 2013, is handing over to Tom Littler, who has
produced/directed six productions at the theatre, this summer.
Tom Littler is an experienced director and producer. He ran the award-winning Primavera from 2006—
2016, producing work in London and regionally. He has also been Associate Director of the Peter Hall
Company, and Associate Director at leading new writing venue Theatre503. As a freelance, he directs all
over Europe and the UK for theatres including Theatre Royal Bath, the Menier Chocolate Factory, the
Gate, and many more.
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST
Strategic objectives
Under Tom Littler’s leadership the theatre is entering a period of transition, away from its previous
existence as a receiving house with occasional in-house work, towards becoming a producing theatre with
a distinct identity.
This autumn features two in-house productions and two co-productions, one with Theatre by the Lake,
Keswick, and one with English Theatre Frankfurt. In the spring, we expect to programme some visiting
work but maintain a firm grip on programming and quality.
The autumn season features:
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The Blinding Light, by Howard Brenton. World premiere. Jermyn Street Theatre production.
Directed by Tom Littler.
Anything That Flies, by Judith Burnley. World premiere. Jermyn Street Theatre production. Directed
by Alice Hamilton.
Miss Julie, by August Strindberg in a new version by Howard Brenton. World premiere. Jermyn
Street Theatre co-production with Theatre by the Lake. Directed by Tom Littler.
The Hound of the Baskervilles, by John Nicholson and Steven Canny. Jermyn Street Theatre coproduction with English Theatre Frankfurt. Directed by Lotte Wakeham.
Our short- and medium-term priorities are:
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Fundraising – building a network of 25 major donors and a wider network of smaller donors,
alongside Trust and Foundation applications.
Marketing – we are bringing all marketing in-house, producing a season brochure for each fourmonth season, employing a PR, imposing a tighter house style on all our print and online material,
creating more digital marketing opportunities.
Programming – for 2018 we are especially interested in plays and musicals that relate, in some way,
to one of three broad themes: Europe and European drama; commemorating the end of the First
World War in striking and original ways; the decade of the 1930s.
Alongside our major productions, we intend to make more use of our Sunday nights for literary events and
fundraisers.
Board of
Trustees
General
Manager Penny Horner
Technical
Manager
Front of House
and Box Office
Artistic Director
- Tom Littler
Deputy Director
(part-time)
Resident
Producer (parttime)
Artistic
associates
(advisory roles)
Trainee
Director
(Birkbeck)
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST
Resident Producer job description
We are recruiting a part-time Resident Producer.
The Resident Producer will work with our General Manager, Penny Horner, our Artistic Director, Tom
Littler, our Deputy Director, and our Trainee Director (Birkbeck College). This is a training position and
the Resident Producer will be mentored and guided, but we are looking for someone who brings substantial
talent and experience to the table.
The Resident Producer will work across three main areas:
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Line-producing all of Jermyn Street Theatre’s in-house productions (in autumn these will be The
Blinding Light, Anything That Flies, and to a lesser extent our co-productions of Miss Julie and The
Hound of the Baskervilles). Including contracting, budgeting, accounting alongside our General
Manager, Penny Horner.
Marketing, including distribution of print, booking of advertisements, management of social
media, distribution of ticket offers, organisation of press night and launch parties, and the
preparation of a season brochure for spring 2018.
Fundraising, including prospecting private donors and suitable T&Fs, contacting private donors
and bid-writing for T&Fs. Our fundraising target is £300,000 p.a. – an enormous increase.
In other words, the Resident Producer position provides a full experience of the running of a busy
producing theatre, including line-producing, marketing and fundraising.
Mentoring
We expect you to arrive with a significant skill-set and the aptitude to learn quickly, but we will also provide
mentoring and masterclasses to support you. If you feel you need to develop particular skills, we will do
our best to set up additional masterclasses and mentoring sessions.
Your lead mentor will be Rachael Williams, Executive Director of the Park Theatre (formerly Executive
Director, Improbable; Senior Producer, Gate Theatre; Development Department, English National Opera).
Rachael will meet with you once a month to discuss any problems and challenges.
There will be additional mentoring sessions:
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Theatre finance: Peta Swindall, Senior Management Accountant, Barbican Centre
Evaluation and management: Jane Claire, Executive Director, English Touring Theatre.
Fundraising from T&Fs: Poppy Burton-Morgan, Artistic Director, Metta Theatre
Dealing with press and media: David Burns, West End PR.
Commercial theatre and producing musicals: Peter Huntley, West End and touring producer.
Touring on the mid-scale: Poppy Burton-Morgan and William Reynolds, Metta Theatre.
Marketing, branding and press: Flavia Fraser-Cannon, West End publicist (formerly Producer at
Theatre503).
Negotiating with literary and creative agents: Helen Mumby, Macnaughton Lord Representation.
Person specification
The successful candidate will be someone keen to become the Executive Director, Financial Director,
Development Manager or Marketing Manager of a major building or company one day. You will be an
ambitious all-rounder, willing to get your hands dirty with all the many aspects of being a producer that do
not involve glamour.
You will be quick, friendly, and adaptable to the demands of a variable work environment. A natural selfmotivator, you will be happy and productive working alone, but also a keen team player, able to slot into a
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST
variety of different contexts in the theatre, offices, meetings and rehearsal rooms. You will be excited to
learn about unfamiliar aspects of the job, be confident and take initiative, but willing to ask for help.
You’ll be calm and good-humoured under pressure, a perfectionist who knows that things go wrong
sometimes, and an initiative-taker willing to ask for advice.
Essential:
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A producer of outstanding potential, imagination, and attention to detail.
Substantial experience of producing / general managing / fundraising / marketing in professional
theatre, either in junior positions within larger organisations (subsidized or commercial theatre) or
in making work of exemplary quality on the fringe.
Tact, patience and charm.
Excellent written English and a gifted and confident communicator in person, on the phone, and
in writing.
Ethical commitment to 50/50 gender parity among actors and creatives.
Graphic design skills; Excel; Word.
Experience of applying for T&F funding (including GFTA) and writing funding bids.
Experience with producing and managing budgets; handling invoices and receipts; authorising and
recording spending.
Experience of print and online marketing.
Experience of using social media for marketing purposes.
A passion for theatre and especially for 19th and 20th century plays and musicals, as well as new
writing.
An impressive work ethic.
Desirable:
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Web skills.
Experience of fundraising from private donors and looking after major donors.
A network of fundraising contacts.
A proven track-record of fundraising success.
Experience of casting, negotiating with agents, and contracting artists.
Experience of organizing classy events, parties, and receptions.
Good relationships throughout the London theatre scene with literary, creatives’ and actors’ agents,
with producers, with writers, with actors, and with creatives.
Experience with contracting creatives and actors.
Fundraising experience including a track-record of successful bid-writing.
Experience of dealing with major private donors.
An impressive knowledge of British and European playwriting, especially from the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries.
Time commitment
We expect a time commitment of 20—30 hours (averaging 24 hours, or three full weekdays per week)
throughout the six months. There will be some evening and weekend work.
We recognise that the Resident Producer will take on other work. It is also natural that some weeks will be
busier than others. You will remain self-employed and responsible for managing your own time, and
although we will contract you on a first-call basis, we will always do our utmost to accommodate your other
commitments. However, we would recommend that you do not take on the producing of another major
production elsewhere during this period.
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST
Remuneration and status
A minimum of £750 each month based on the time commitment above. If, by agreement, you work longer
hours at any point, an additional fee will be negotiated in good faith. You will remain a self-employed
contractor throughout the period and will invoice monthly.
To apply
Please send:
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A covering letter of no more than one page of A4, paying due attention to the person specification
above. Please be as specific as you can about your skills and experience in line-producing,
fundraising, and marketing.
A CV of no more than one page of A4.
The application form.
Please send two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre,
16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6ST, and an email copy to [email protected].
There is also a separate equal opportunities form. This should be sent separately as indicated.
Deadline
Friday 21st April at noon. Any applications arriving after this will not be considered.
Your application will be read by a small panel of producers and colleagues.
We will attempt to process applications and invite candidates to interview by Tuesday 2nd May.
We will do our best to reply to all applicants, but it may take us some time. Feedback will not be offered
on unsuccessful applications.
Interviews
First round interviews will be held in London on Tuesday 9th May.
Second round interviews will be held in London on Wednesday 24th May.
The contract runs from 1st July—31st December.
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST
RESIDENT PRODUCER – APPLICATION FORM
Remember to include your covering letter and CV.
Name:
Address:
Email:
Phone:
Your three most recent theatre jobs:
We want to build a picture of your skills. Please tick/mark honestly to indicate how you feel about the
following elements of running a small theatre:
Very
Very
confident confident
& love it but don’t
love it
Quite
Lots to Fills me
confident learn – with
–
some exciting! dread
experience
Negotiating with agents
Dealing with experienced creatives
Doing accounts and cash-flow projections
Managing budgets
Writing and issuing contracts
Line-producing a production
Casting – using Spotlight
Casting – calling agents
Arranging press nights and fundraisers
Networking at press nights and events
Researching T&F opportunities
Writing funding bids for T&Fs
Researching private donors
Fundraising from private donors
Marketing using social media
Writing marketing copy
Talking to the press and media
Graphic design
Dealing with printers, distribution and ads
Creating programmes of a high standard
Doing formal evaluations for funders
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST
For spring 2018, we are considering programming a one-person show originating from off-Broadway. It
has been directed by an esteemed American director and has strong reviews. It is about a well-known Jewish
modern artist who lived in New York and Italy. The show already exists but would need a new design
(based on the original). The original American actor would perform it. It does not have any attached
funding, but it requires only a short period of re-rehearsal.
What are the principal challenges you might foresee and how might we overcome them – or research them?
(200 words at most):
How might we fundraise for that production, assuming we need to raise £20,000 of subsidy. Who might
be our principal donors, how might we research them and approach them / secure their backing? (100
words at most):
How would you market it? Who would the target audience be and how might you try to reach them? (100
words at most):
Can you suggest any co-producing partners/theatres for this play, in this country or abroad? Or, if you
think it should only play at Jermyn Street Theatre, why? (100 words at most):
Please send your application form, CV and covering letter to [email protected] and send
two hard copies marked RESIDENT PRODUCER to Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6ST