Dresser and Wardrobe Maintenance Assistant in Plymouth

Forming a key part of our Technical Department, the Wardrobe team delivers a high standard of professional costume support across productions on both The Lyric and The Drum stages. The team takes pride in maintaining excellence across all performances, ensuring costumes are performance-ready and supporting the smooth running of every show.

The role of a Dresser is both fast-paced and rewarding. Responsibilities include supporting performers with quick costume changes side of stage, often under pressure and in low-light environments, as well as pre-setting, tracking and maintaining costumes throughout performances.

The role of a Wardrobe Maintenance Assistant involves laundering, sorting, ironing and steaming costumes in preparation for performances. This is a practical, hands-on role that can be physically demanding and fast-moving, including the use of industrial laundry and steaming equipment.

No formal qualifications are required; however, previous professional experience as a Dresser or within wardrobe maintenance/laundry is desirable. Successful candidates must be available to work full show calls, typically across full production weeks, including technical rehearsals and matinee performances. Dressing calls will generally include Thursday and Saturday matinees.

These roles are offered on an ad hoc/casual basis, with work dependent on the requirements of each production. Full in-house training will be provided. Candidates must be available to attend an induction on 26 June, after which shifts and work opportunities will be allocated accordingly.

This is a zero hour position within the Wardrobe department as a Dresser and Wardrobe Maintenance Assistant, forming part of the wider Technical team at Theatre Royal Plymouth. The role plays an important part in supporting the delivery of high-quality productions and ensuring a smooth backstage experience for performers, creatives and audiences alike.

Dressing calls are predominantly evenings and will also include matinee performances, typically on Thursdays and Saturdays. Acceptance of a dressing call will usually require availability for the full production run, typically between 1–2 weeks, although some productions may run for several months. Technical rehearsal periods can involve full-day calls, often around 9 hours per day.

Wardrobe Maintenance calls are generally morning shifts of approximately 4 hours, Monday to Saturday, with an expectation of regular availability and consistency where possible.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Support performers in a professional and reassuring manner during costume changes, often in fast-paced backstage environments.
• Pre-set and re-set costumes, including the collection, preparation and distribution of costumes for technical rehearsals, evening performances and matinees.
• Carry out wardrobe maintenance duties including hand and machine washing costumes and pressing and steaming garments to a high standard within tight timescales.
• Remain calm under pressure, work collaboratively within a large backstage team and demonstrate initiative and quick thinking during live performances.
• Undertake temporary costume repairs where required to support the smooth running of performances. Basic hand sewing skills are desirable but not essential.
• Follow detailed dressing plots and assist with creating or updating written dressing plots during technical rehearsal periods.
• Support the smooth running of productions and associated backstage activity, including occasional loading and unloading of wardrobe equipment, costume rails, wigs equipment and other related items.
• Attend rehearsals, training sessions, departmental meetings and other associated meetings as required.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, organisation and safety within all wardrobe and backstage working areas.
• Be aware that overtime may occasionally be required, particularly during technical rehearsal periods.
• Provide occasional support to wigs, make-up and props departments where needed. This may include wig dressing, with training provided.
• Accurately record hours worked, maintain punctuality in line with call sheets and report absences with as much notice as reasonably possible to enable cover arrangements.
• Uphold Theatre Royal Plymouth’s values of Collaboration, Creativity, Quality and Diversity.
• Wear appropriate full-coverage black clothing during rehearsals and performances in line with backstage working requirements.
• Work in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, Theatre Royal Plymouth policies, departmental risk assessments and safe systems of work.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience dressing within a professional theatre environment.
• Experience creating or maintaining dressing plots during professional technical rehearsal periods.

Please note: Due to the nature of this role, we are only able to accept applications from individuals aged 18 and over.

The Person

Our Values are at the heart of everything we say and do, and our people demonstrate these values in every aspect of their work. To be successful in this role, you should be able to demonstrate the following skills, experience, and behaviour in line with these values.

Quality: Taking pride in achieving excellence. We take responsibility for and pride in what we do, recognizing each other’s good work. We set consistently high expectations and ensure that everyone has the skills to achieve excellence.
Collaboration: Valuing each other in the way we work, communicate, and spend time together: We communicate regularly with each other, listening to and understanding people’s needs. We value and respect the relationships we have with colleagues and partners; we celebrate shared successes.
Creativity: Being imaginative in everything we do: We use our knowledge, experience, and judgement to explore doing things differently. We aim to empower everyone in the organisation to adopt a flexible, open-minded, and imaginative approach.
Diversity: Embracing the diversity among our people and community: We embrace and value differences and individuality treating everyone as equally important. Together we are stronger and more effective.

We’re here to talk! We’re available to speak to you before you make your application so, if you’re not quite sure if your skills match the role, want to talk about how flexible working could support you, or just check any of the details in this document, please do email us on recruitment@theatreroyal.com with subject line ‘Dresser’ to arrange a chat.

The Company

As the largest and most well-attended regional producing theatre in the UK, we present diverse productions on our three stages: The Lyric, The Drum, and The Lab. With a regional audience of over 2.1 million, we employ over 300 dedicated staff, including leading artists and craftspeople, and attract over 300,000 annual audience members. Theatre Royal Plymouth is a registered charity, inspiring a lifetime of creativity for audiences, artists and participants throughout Plymouth and the wider region.

As the principal home of performing arts in the South West, we engage and inspire many communities, creating memorable experiences for people from all backgrounds. We do this by creating and presenting a breadth of shows on a range of scales, with their extensive creative engagement programmes, by embracing the vitality of new talent and supporting emerging and established artists, and by collaborating with a range of partners to provide dynamic cultural leadership for the City of Plymouth.

Inclusion & Diversity

We are committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion at TRP with a workforce, participants and audiences that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. The collective power of each team member’s life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent creates the very best environment for us to achieve our ambitions and lead the sector. In recruiting for our team, we recognise the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

The Benefits

• On Site Dining Facility
• Local Business Discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme