FOH Assistant - Usher & Bar
Our Front of House Assistants provide a high quality experience for customers of The Old Vic. As front line staff, Front of House Assistants welcome and help our visitors; control entry into each space; supervise the audience during performances and events, serve drinks from the Theatre Bars, and ensure the smooth and efficient running of all the public areas of the Theatre.
Please note that this is a rolling job posting and we may not have live roles available when you submit your application.
Where a mainly Bar or mainly Usher vacancy arises, we may prioritise experience on either to fill the vacancy.
A full job description can be found below.
Terms
We operate Minimum Shift Contracts (MSC). The key terms of MSCs are:
- You will work a fixed number of shifts each performance week. Please note that as we are a producing theatre, we have a number of dark weeks throughout the year to allow productions to change over. Therefore, you will not be guaranteed shifts in this time, but there will be shifts available to pick up, and two paid training sessions.
- Our rota is fortnightly and is shared for the entire run (usually 8-12 weeks ahead) in advance of the start of the production
- You will work the same days each week
- You may work in either Bar or Usher positions for these shifts
- You may request accrued holiday if you are unable to work a shift in advance
- You may be able to pick up additional shifts on top of your MSC as overtime
- You will be paid on a monthly basis
What’s great about working at The Old Vic?
- Access to interest free travel schemes including Cycle 2 work and Season Ticket loans after your probation period
- Free therapy from our therapy partner SelfSpace
- Mental health support via our in house Mental Health Champions
- Two complimentary tickets to a preview performance per production
- Pension scheme with The People’s Pension
- Enhanced sick pay
- All staff social events
- Staff discount in The Old Vic bars as well as discounts in local bars and restaurants
- Opportunities to get involved working groups such as the Inclusion Working Group and Sustainability Working Group
- Commitment to learning, education and development
The job
Assistants must have full knowledge of the House evacuation procedures and perform all duties to a high standard of customer care in attitude, approach and appearance.
Areas of responsibility
- Working as part of the Front of House team (Bar and Usher)
- Welcoming patrons in a polite and enthusiastic manner
- Proving patrons with accurate information, correct directions and effective assistance and help, as required in all parts of the House
- Assisting customers with access requirements
- Contributing to the health and safety of our customers by playing an active role in emergency evacuation procedures where necessary
- Sales reconciliation
- Assisting with events, specific access performances or other responsibilities (show specific) as required
- Maintaining a customer friendly and safe environment in which the public can enjoy the performances
- Contributing to the delivery of a great audience experience by providing outstanding service, enhancing our reputation
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and the Theatre's management may, at any time, allocate other tasks which are of a similar nature or level.
Person Specification
Essential
- Previous experience of working in a theatre or similar venue in a customer facing role (bartending and/or usher).
- A proven ability to provide a high level of customer service at all times.
- A proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
- Able to demonstrate proactivity and initiative.
- Ability to adapt to changing priorities and demands.
- Availability to work evenings, matinees and/or weekends
How to apply
We understand that everyone is different and we want you to apply in whichever way you feel best shows your skills and experience. There are a range of ways that you can apply with us:
- Sending a short video file of yourself (no longer than two minutes in length), detailing your experience, why you are applying for the role and what about working at The Old Vic interests you (have a look at the person specification in the job description).
- Sending a short audio file of yourself (no longer than two minutes in length), detailing your experience, why you are applying for the role and what about working at The Old Vic interests you.
- Completing our application form.
- Uploading your CV and covering letter, explaining why you are interested in the role and working at the Old Vic.
We will always endeavour to interview candidates who identify as disabled and meet the criteria, however in the event that we have a high volume of applications all of whom meet the criteria and identify as disabled, meaning it is not practicable to interview everyone, we may apply a weighting to the shortlisting criteria, or add an additional shortlisting stage before any interviews take place. In all cases we will take care to ensure that any criteria or weightings do not disadvantage disabled applicants.
All appointments are made subject to satisfactory references and proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
Following your application
Applications are reviewed on a regular basis, and we will be in touch with you if we have a position available that we would like to interview you for. Where application numbers reach 500, we will pause accepting applications until all applications have been reviewed. This is so that we can ensure due time has been given to all applications. We may reopen the advert at a later date.
Applications will be reviewed based on the gaps we have to fill in our rota and as such, please do let us know what days you are looking to work as part of your application.
We will aim to review your application as soon as possible, with a maximum limit of 3 months.
Equal Opportunities
We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of the global majority, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse and disabled candidates.
We may take positive action, in cases where candidates are equally qualified, to increase the employment of under-represented groups at The Old Vic.
In the event that we ask you to attend the theatre for a conversation and you are struggling financially, we may be able to reimburse you for any reasonable travel costs.
We partner with a range of inclusive organisations, to find out more please read our FAQs.
FAQs
Read our recruitment and selection and equal opportunities FAQs here.
- Our teams
- Front of House
- Locations
- The Old Vic
The Old Vic
About The Old Vic
The Old Vic, 103 The Cut, London SE1 8NB. oldvictheatre.com
Already working at The Old Vic?
Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.
Commercial Sales & Event Manager
Department/Team: Business and Backstage Team
Responsible to: Head of Commercial Event Sales
Contract: Permanent
Location: Mix of home working and from The Old Vic, 103 The Cut, London, SE1 8NB (min 4 office days)
Hours: Full-Time
The Old Vic offers the ability to work these flexibly under the guidelines in our Hybrid Working policy. Additional hours may be necessary in order to fulfil the requirements of the post
Salary: £35,000 - £38,000 per annum
Direct Reports: No direct reports
Benefits
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Hybrid working for eligible teams and a company culture that promotes good work/life balance
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Enhanced annual leave, starting at 25 days per year, increasing by one day per year up to 30 days (plus bank holidays). Opportunity to switch statutory bank holidays to mark a religious event or festival
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Complimentary tickets for you and a guest to Old Vic preview productions
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Discretionary invite to Press Night performances and parties
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Free therapy from our therapy partner SelfSpace
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Mental health support via our in-house Mental Health Champions
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Salary sacrifice scheme with The People’s Pension and enhanced employer pension contributions
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Festive day – one discretionary additional paid day off around the festive period for a collective pause
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Time to volunteer – one day per year to support a charity or project of your choosing
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Commitment to learning, education and development
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Enhanced sick pay
-
Access to interest free travel schemes including Cycle 2 work and Season Ticket loans after your probation period
-
Family friendly policies and enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental pay
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All staff social events
-
Staff discount in Penny and The Old Vic bars as well as discounts in local bars and restaurants
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Opportunities to get involved with staff clubs and working groups such as the Inclusion Working Group
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Buddy schemes including New Starter and Parental buddies to support your induction and return to work after parental leave
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Death in Service Benefit
Role Summary
The purpose of the post is to manage the delivery and growth of commercial venue hire and events at The Old Vic, maximising income through proactive sales activity and delivering high-quality, well-managed events that reflect the theatre’s brand values and commitment to excellent customer service.
Your Team
This role sits within the Commercial Events team and works closely with colleagues across departments, including Operations, Technical, Food & Beverage, Finance and Marketing. The role involves regular liaison with external suppliers, clients, producers, contractors and hospitality partners.
Areas of responsibility
The Role will be responsible for:
Sales & Client Liaison
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Acting as the first point of contact for all venue hire, filming and event enquiries.
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Proactively generating and responding to event sales leads, providing accurate information on spaces,capacities, rates and facilities.
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Developing tailored proposals and quotes that meet client needs while maximising income and upholding The Old Vic’s brand values.
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Managing client relationships from enquiry through to contract signature, delivery and final invoicing.
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Preparing and issuing hire agreements, ensuring compliance with The Old Vic’s policies, licensing regulations and insurance requirements.
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Maintaining accurate records of sales pipelines, bookings and income to support reporting and forecasting.
Event Planning & Coordination
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Leading on the detailed planning of each confirmed event, producing schedules and operational booking documents in line with client requirements.
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Overseeing all food and beverage arrangements for in-house catering, confirming menu choices and guest numbers.
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Liaising with internal teams (Technical, Operations, FOH, Finance, Business, Marketing, Production) to ensure clear communication of all event requirements.
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Managing relationships with external suppliers, such as caterers, production companies and equipment hire firms, ensuring delivery to agreed standards, budgets and timelines.
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Ensuring all health & safety, access and licensing requirements are met, completing risk assessments and documentation as required.
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Maintaining accurate event information across internal systems, updating changes in real time.
On-the-Day Event Management
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Working as the Event Duty Manager as required, or working closely with the Event Duty Manager, overseeing setup and delivery.
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Leading briefings with staff, contractors and volunteers to communicate event plans, timings and expectations.
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Providing professional, calm and welcoming support to clients and guests, resolving any issues swiftly.
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Managing event timings, hospitality and guest experience, maintaining The Old Vic’s high service standards.
Administration & Reporting
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Managing hire agreements and financial administration, including raising invoices, processing payments and reconciling event costs.
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Evaluating events post-delivery, gathering client and internal feedback to inform continuous improvement.
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Supporting the wider team in meeting annual commercial income targets.
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and the Theatre's management may, at any time, allocate other tasks which are of a similar nature or level.
Person Specification
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Previous experience of venue sales and event management, ideally within a theatre, heritage or cultural environment.
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Experience of managing budgets of up to £200k
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Strong sales acumen with the ability to convert enquiries into bookings and maximise income opportunities
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Adept understanding of event operations, logistics and health & safety procedures
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Exemplary organisation skills as well as written and verbal communication skills.
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A positive ‘can do’ approach and strong relationship building skills across departments
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Acute attention to detail.
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A proven ability to work effectively and efficiently.
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Excellent customer service skills with a people-centric approach.
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A skilled team player.
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IT literacy, with good experience of the Microsoft Office suite and Excel in particular. (Training will be given on software programs as required.)
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Ability to work to deadlines and prioritise tasks.
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Strong networker and able to bring innovative ideas into the team
How to Apply
We understand that everyone is different and we want you to apply in whichever way you feel best shows your skills and experience. There are a range of ways that you can apply with us:
-
1. Sending a short video file of yourself (no longer than two minutes in length), detailing your experience, why you are applying for the role and what about working at The Old Vic interests you (have a look at the person specification in the job description).
-
2. Sending a short audio file of yourself (no longer than two minutes in length), detailing your experience, why you are applying for the role and what about working at The Old Vic interests you.
-
3. Completing our application form.
-
4. Uploading your CV and covering letter, explaining why you are interested in the role and working at the Old Vic.
As a Disability Confident employer, The Old Vic has made a commitment that all applicants with disabilities who meet the essential criteria for this job will be invited to interview. However in the event that we have a high volume of applications all of whom meet the criteria and identify as disabled, meaning it is not practicable to interview everyone, we may apply a weighting to the shortlisting criteria, or add an additional shortlisting stage before any interviews take place. In all cases we will take care to ensure that any criteria or weightings do not disadvantage disabled applicants.
All appointments are made subject to satisfactory references and proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
The Process
The recruitment process for this role will be two stages:
-
1st stage virtual conversation
-
2nd stage in person conversation
-
You may be asked to complete a work based skills assessment or challenge.
The closing date for this role is 5 January 2026. First Conversations are likely to take place w/c 12 January 2026.
Equal Opportunities
We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of the global majority, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse and disabled candidates.
We may take positive action, in cases where candidates are equally qualified, to increase the employment of under-represented groups at The Old Vic.
In the event that we ask you to attend the theatre for a conversation and you are struggling financially, we may be able to reimburse you for any reasonable travel costs.
We partner with a range of inclusive organisations, to find out more please read our FAQs.
FAQs
Read our recruitment and selection and equal opportunities FAQs here.
- Our teams
- Business
- Locations
- The Old Vic
- Remote status
- Hybrid
The Old Vic
About The Old Vic
The Old Vic, 103 The Cut, London SE1 8NB. oldvictheatre.com
Already working at The Old Vic?
Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.