Job Opportunity
WHAM Artist for Small Island
Application deadline: 12pm noon Friday 23 January 2026
- ContractFull-time, Fixed-term
- SalaryPlease see details below.
We are looking for a Wigs, Hair and Makeup Artist to join us for our upcoming co-production of Small Island.
Small Island is a co-production between Leeds Playhouse and Birmingham Rep and Nottingham Playhouse and is in association with Actors Touring Company. The production will open at Leeds Playhouse.
We are looking for a Wigs, Hair & Makeup Artist to be part of the WHAM team at Leeds Playhouse from Monday 2 March 2026. You will be in Leeds throughout the Leeds Playhouse run and then will go on to Birmingham and Nottingham to deliver the shows there. It will be a 10-week contract over 11 weeks in total including a one week break.
The post will be one contract with Leeds Playhouse for the duration of the production.
The fixed-term contract run from Monday 2 March 2026 to Sunday 17 May 2026, with a break w/c 20 April 2026.
Pay is £675 per week PAYE, paid monthly. Subsistence of £235 per week at Leeds Playhouse subject to location of home address.
Touring Allowance of £300 per week at Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse subject to location of home address. Rate after 5 April 2026 will be subject to UKT/Equity agreement.
Before applying for the role, please read our job pack below. This includes the full details of the role, including the list of responsibilities, person specification and information about Leeds Playhouse and our recruitment process.
To apply:
- Fill in bothforms below.
- Send your CV to production@leedsplayhouse.org.uk
You must complete all three of these before the application deadline.
The closing date for applications is 12pm noon Friday 23 January 2026.
Interviews to be scheduled for between the week commencing 26 January 2026.
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For more information about this role please contact Head of Costume & Wigs, Victoria Marzetti Get in touch
How to apply
For more information about this job, please download our job pack
About the show
Journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in Small Island.
A powerful and intimate portrayal of Andrea Levy’s multi award-winning novel, adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson. Directed by Matthew Xia, and designed by Simon Kenny, this bold staging offers a fresh perspective on a world shaped by empire and entitlement, caught between belonging and unbelonging, disappointment and hope.
Four unforgettable characters bring this Windrush story to life: Hortense and Gilbert, determined Jamaican migrants in search of belonging and respect; Queenie, an Englishwoman who defies convention; and Bernard, her husband, struggling with change. Together, they discover love across culture, colour and class – and the fragile hope of a shared future.
Spanning decades and continents, this brand-new production draws on the joyful rhythms of calypso and the harsh realities of postwar Britain to explore the emotional truth of our collective history, brought vividly to life through music, striking visuals and a compelling story you will never forget.
The Production will open at Leeds Playhouse before transferring to Birmingham Rep and on to Nottingham Playhouse.