The New Wolsey Theatre, is looking for a freelance Set & Costume Designer with experience of mid-scale touring, for an exciting new musical in Spring 2026.
The production will feature a cast of 10 actor-musicians and will be directed by Douglas Rintoul, Chief Executive/Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre, and written by the Olivier award-winning comedian, writer and composer Vikki Stone.
This production will be the first project from the East Anglian Touring Consortium, a group of diverse organisations in the East Anglian region seeking to support new mid-scale work. Consortium members are: Eastern Angles Theatre Company, HighTide, Landmark Theatres Peterborough, Mercury Theatre Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre, Norwich Theatres, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.
The production will rehearse in Ipswich and open at the New Wolsey Theatre before touring the East Anglian region.
The East Anglian Touring Consortium are committed to following the Theatre Green Book guidance and ensuring environmental sustainability best-practice is incorporated into the realisation and running of this production. The Set & Costume Designer will be expected to work towards the Intermediate Theatre Green Book standard for this production.
Dates:
Exact Design meeting dates are to be negotiated, but we are aiming to start the process with a Green Card/Environmental Sustainability meeting in September 2025.
Rehearsals: Monday 16th March – Saturday 11th April 2026
Build/Fit-up: from Wednesday 8th April 2026
Tech Week: w/c Monday 13th April 2026
Performances at New Wolsey Theatre: Friday 17th April 2026 – Saturday 2nd May 2026
Performances at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch: w/c Monday 4th May 2026 to Saturday 16th May 2026
Performances at New Theatre Peterborough: w/c Monday 18th May 2026 to Saturday 23rd May 2026
Holiday Week/Transfer to Norwich Theatre Royal (this week of the schedule is still TBC): w/c Monday 25th May 2026
Performances at Mercury Theatre Colchester: w/c Monday 1st June 2026 to Saturday 13th June 2026
Performances at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds: w/c Monday 15th June 2026 to Saturday 20th June 2026
Attendance at the first and subsequent transfers is to be negotiated with the successful applicant, but site visits to all venues will be required.
Fee: £5,000 plus expenses (to be negotiated)
About you:
Experience of working on mid-scale touring productions is essential. Experience of working on actor-musician productions is desirable. You do not need to have experience in working with the Theatre Green Book but do need to be committed to exploring Environmental Sustainability within your practice.
We are committed to ensuring that Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is central to all our work. Everyone working on this production is expected to be mindful of and contribute towards these commitments.
We’re keen to receive applications from people of all backgrounds, especially those currently less represented in our industry, particularly from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds, those who identify as D/deaf and disabled people, neurodivergent people, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We are up for exploring support and development needs and are happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable applicants to participate in the selection process, and for the successful applicant to carry out the role.
We are also particularly interested in hearing from individuals with a home base in or originally from Ipswich, Suffolk or East Anglia, but we are open to applications from outside this area.
To apply:
• Please submit a CV or link to your website/portfolio along with a short statement (written, audio or video) telling us why you would like to work on this project and with the New Wolsey Theatre to Sam Bates, Administrator: admin@wolseytheatre.co.uk (click the button at the top of this page)
• Complete our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion online form (click the button at the top of this page)
The deadline for applications is 10am on Wednesday 6th August 2025. We will be inviting shortlisted applicants to a 30 minute meeting either in person or via Zoom, to discuss the role.
If you need us to make any adjustments to allow you to fully participate in this application and selection process please get in touch.
If you have any questions or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Rachel Fitzgerald on rfitzgerald@wolseytheatre.co.uk or 01473 295932.