Front of House

The Front of House (FoH) team act as the face of the theatre whenever we have an audience.

The FoH team are all members of the Southport Dramatic Cub and are there to ensure that the audience can attend all the productions at the Little Theatre – plays, pantomimes, musicals, comedy nights etc. – in a safe and friendly environment. They also act as a first point of contact for any questions or comments.

The team is led by a trained Duty House Manager (DHM). The DHMs have the responsibility for managing all activities in public areas. They work with the Stage Manager to ensure the safety of everyone at the Theatre whenever or wherever a performance is taking place.

The DHM is supported by a team of trained Stewards. The Stewards greet our audiences, ensure tickets are valid, guide people to their seats, help with the lift and assist wherever they can.

In the event of an emergency, the Front of House team are responsible for ensuring the safe evacuation of the theatre and liaising with the Emergency Services. Some members of the team are also trained in the use of EVAC chairs should the need arise.

Getting Involved

If you are comfortable in dealing with the public and calm should things go wrong, you would make an ideal Steward. Training can be done on the night or you can come down and observe beforehand.

In general, Stewards must be at the theatre from 6:30pm to open up for the public, remain at the theatre throughout a performance and stay to around 10:30pm to close up. These times will vary depending upon the start time and length of show. We do not expect you to volunteer for every performance of a particular show – unless you want to! If you can only manage one performance per show or only a couple of times a month then that is fine – we are flexible. We do not have a uniform (only a badge), we just ask that you look smart as you are representing the Theatre and the Club to the public.

If you would like to join the current band of Duty House Managers then we would like to train you. The best path to becoming a DHM is to be a Steward first, then shadow the DHMs before swapping roles. Don’t worry – you won’t be left in charge until you are ready.

The Little Theatre has resumed its busy schedule and there are an increasing number of short and/or daytime lettings in our future. These will also require FoH staff. Join us and be part of a very important team. Contact the Membership Secretary at memsec@littletheatresouthport.co.uk for an Application pack.

Lindsay Haywood

FOH Managerfoh@littletheatresouthport.co.uk