Host (Casual Contract) in Newcastle upon Tyne

Reports to: Experience Host Management Team and Host Supervisor(s)

At Theatre Royal, we’re a bold, creative, and collaborative team. We are always looking ahead – embracing new ideas and delivering with purpose. We’re here to achieve the organisation’s strategy, and we believe everyone plays a part in shaping our success.

Our Values

• Ambitious – We strive for excellence and quality in everything we do.
• Inclusive – We celebrate diversity and welcome different voices and perspectives.
• Collaborative – We build trust and work in partnership to achieve shared success.
• Creative – We nurture creativity and celebrate imagination and originality in everyone.
• Progressive – We’re forward-thinking, embracing change and looking to the future.

Job Purpose

Our Host team are the public face of the Company, making sure that our audiences are at the heart of all we do. They welcome people to our theatre and deliver the highest standards of customer service and safety. Experience Hosts will be allocated duties by the Duty Host Managers and Duty Host Supervisors. Host activities will mainly be focussed in the following areas:

• Door duties: welcoming visitors, checking tickets, conducting visual bag checks, directing to relevant facilities, and assisting with enquiries.
• Sales duties: selling programmes, merchandise, and refreshments across fixed and roaming sales points and upselling to meet sales targets.
• Floor duties: ensuring audience members' safety, security and good behaviour, helping latecomers to their seats, being responsible for evacuating audiences in an emergency, and completing a litter pick‑up post‑show.
• Access duties: welcoming those with additional access needs and ensuring they have all the support they need to use our facilities and enjoy our shows.

Hosts are required to work across all four areas as directed by the Host Management Team in order to deliver a comprehensive, professional and safe experience for all visitors.

Person Specification

• Excel in customer care and be driven to deliver outstanding service.
• Dress smartly, and have a positive and proactive attitude.
• Have an eye for detail and have basic maths skills.
• Be able to handle challenging situations with patience and diplomacy.
• Have a polite and helpful manner with a solution‑based outlook.
• Enjoy working with a broad range of people and be a natural team‑player.
• Be good with heights and working on all levels inside the auditorium, including our highest level.
• Be available for regular daytime, evening, weekend, bank holiday and seasonal (Christmas, Bank holiday) shifts.
• Specific hours needing to be filled are on Friday and Saturday evenings, so candidates with this availability are highly recommended to apply.

As part of this job application there will be the opportunity to apply for fixed hours over our Peak Christmas period. These contracts will be between 10.5 and 25 hours per week.

Duties – Service

• To ensure that the Theatre Royal provides an enjoyable, safe and relaxed environment, open to visitors from all social, economic and ethnic backgrounds and of all ages.
• To provide a proactive and collaborative style of customer service in all public spaces.
• Act as the main point of information, welcoming the public and providing exceptional, positive and accessible service to visitors at all times.
• To maintain an up‑to‑date knowledge of NTRT (Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust) activity – including, but not limited to, our main house programme, learning events and development activity.
• To be alert and vigilant while monitoring audiences during performance times, ensuring their health, well‑being and conduct while inside the auditorium.
• To deal with potential disruption to a performance or an event as required.
• To welcome all education groups, giving appropriate information about the performance and facilities – including offering assistance with seating arrangements and providing information about audience atmosphere, ensuring that students and young people feel at ease.
• To ensure that those with access needs are offered assistance and facilities appropriate to their requirements.
• Effectively, swiftly, and appropriately respond to feedback, comments, suggestions, compliments, and complaints from all visitors.
• To take proactive and immediate action where appropriate to ensure that all public areas are clean and safe. These include but are not limited to toilets, bins, foyer spaces, bars, auditorium and the outside of the building.
• To carry out appropriate cleaning duties as instructed, including post‑show litter picking.
• To undertake other relevant duties as reasonably requested by Experience Management.

Duties – Safety

• To provide support to the Duty Manager in all aspects of safety, security, emergency and evacuation procedures as required.
• To confidently and adeptly facilitate the evacuation of the public in the event of an emergency and/or follow the instructions of the Duty Manager in a major incident.
• To be alert and vigilant, maintaining agreed security standards at all times – reporting and investigating concerns immediately as appropriate.
• To keep up‑to‑date, maintain a good understanding of and implement safety protocols, including licensing, trading standards, GDPR, child protection, food hygiene and relevant health and safety policies and procedures.
• To ensure that any illness or accidents involving the public on‑site are dealt with efficiently and appropriately.
• To promote the security of the venue by carrying out bag and ticket checks, monitoring audience behaviour and taking action as appropriate.
• To assist the Duty Manager in their First Aid duties.
• To assist with the administration of the lost property system.

Duties as a member of the Theatre Royal team

• Carry out your role to a high standard, using your skills and knowledge to help achieve Theatre Royal’s goals.
• Work flexibly, adapting to changing priorities and supporting colleagues as needed.
• Follow all policies and procedures, including health and safety, safeguarding, and data protection.
• Report any concerns or incidents promptly and appropriately.
• Deliver excellent service to audiences, stakeholders, and colleagues.
• Actively engage with opportunities for learning and development.
• Contribute ideas and feedback to help improve our work and processes.

Terms / Contracts

The minimum call is 3.5 hours in line with the UK Theatre/BECTU Agreement, but shifts may be longer depending on the show’s duration. Hours will be fulfilled during performance weeks, as well as other relevant duties as required by management. Hours may vary from week to week depending on when shows are scheduled, so excellent full time availability is desired. Hosts may be required to work during periods where we have no shows to assist with operations including but not limited to Christmas decorating, stock room organisation, food hygiene procedures, housekeeping duties, additional training and forums. All casual contract staff will be rostered on a monthly basis. This is a casual ‘zero hours’ contract. Therefore, there are no minimum contracted hours. There is no obligation on the Trust to offer work to you, or obligation on you to accept work that is offered to you. We ask that those on casual contracts work a minimum of three shifts in an eight‑week period to keep their knowledge of safety policies and working procedures up to date. We ask that those on casual contracts give regular Friday and Saturday availability. Successful candidates will be required to complete 3 days of compulsory induction training and attend twice‑yearly compulsory training forums as scheduled by the Experience Host Management team. Contracts are subject to a 6‑month probation.

Further Information

The role of host requires door security duties, late night working and serving alcohol. Door security roles carry a higher level of risk, including potential confrontation and responsibility for public safety. Due to these factors, candidates must be 18 when the roles would start.

Employee benefits

• Pension Scheme
• Critical Illness and Death in Service Cover
• Employee Assistance Programme available to all staff and their household members
• Discounted Travel Scheme – discounted Metro and bus travel.
• Discounted Tickets – Access to staff discounted tickets for performances, subject to availability.
• NE1 Discount card – Access to city centre discounts and activities.
• NGCV Discounts – Theatre Royal staff have access to discounts across 10 Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues.

Working at the Theatre

We aim to make everyone feel welcome at the Theatre. If you need any adjustments at the time of applying or within the role please let us know at any stage in the process by contacting: recruitment@theatreroyal.co.uk

Accessibility information

Information about access can be found here. Please contact us to discuss any specific needs or requirements.

£13.45 per hour