Volunteers

The Vibe: Warm, welcoming, and at the heart of every show night. You’re the friendly face that greets our audience, pours the pre-show drinks, and ensures everyone finds their seat for a brilliant evening out.

Time Commitment: 2.5 to 3.5 hours per shift on performance nights (typically 6:45 PM – 10:00 PM). Choose as many or as few shifts per production as fits your schedule!

Experience Needed: None at all—just a friendly smile and a love for people. Full, easy-going training is provided.

Choose Your Role:
Audience Usher & Stewarding

• What you’ll do: Welcoming patrons at the door, checking tickets, handing out programmes, helping people to their seats, and staying in the auditorium during the performance.
• Best bit: You get to watch the show for free while on shift!

Refreshments Team

• What you’ll do: Serving interval drinks, ice creams or teas and coffees in our vibrant lounge bar, handling cash and card payments, and keeping the foyer looking tidy.
• Best bit: Fast-paced, fun social environment working alongside a great team.

Box Office & Meet-and-Greet

• What you’ll do: Staffing the front desk, printing ticket collections, answering quick venue questions, and putting first-time visitors at ease.
• Best bit: Being the very first positive impression for our patrons.

“I joined the front-of-house team after moving to Retford knowing nobody. Within two shows, I’d made firm friends and felt right at home. It’s the best way to spend an evening.” – Sarah, Volunteer Usher

Ready to Join Us?
No long interviews or complicated audition processes – just email volunteers@rlt.org.uk and our Volunteer Coordinator will invite you in for a quick cup of tea and a tour of the foyer before the next production!

The Vibe: The ultimate captain on show night. Cool, capable, and confident, you’re the trusted leader keeping the venue running smoothly, looking after our volunteers, and ensuring every single guest has a safe, memorable evening from doors open to final applause.

Time Commitment: Around 4 hours per shift on performance nights (typically 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM). You choose the performance dates that work best for your calendar!

Experience Needed: Great communication, a calm head under pressure, and a passion for hospitality. Full side-by-side training and safety briefings are provided so you feel totally supported before taking the reins.

What You’ll Do
Lead the Evening’s Team

• What you’ll do: Welcoming your Front of House crew (ushers, refreshments, and box office), running a quick pre-show briefing, and keeping everyone coordinated and happy throughout the night.
• Best bit: Being the go-to leader who sets the warm, energetic tone for the whole theatre.

Keep the Show on Schedule

• What you’ll do: Liaising directly with the Stage Manager backstage to signal when the audience is seated, ring the foyer bells, and give the green light for the curtain to rise.
• Best bit: Feeling the buzz behind the scenes as you orchestrate the transition from foyer chatter to showtime!

Ensure Safety & Guest Comfort

• What you’ll do: Being the primary point of contact for customer queries, managing access requirements, and overseeing venue and audience safety pre and post show.
• Best bit: The pride of knowing a 100+ audience went home safe, happy, and thoroughly entertained.

“Stepping up to Duty Manager was the most rewarding move I made at RLT. You get to see the whole magic of show night come together, work with fantastic volunteers, and ensure the audience leaves with big smiles.” -Mark, Duty Manager

Ready to Lead the Team?
If you love organized environments and taking care of people, we’d love to have you on board!

Email volunteers@rlt.org.uk and we’ll arrange a casual chat and shadow shift with one of our experienced Duty Managers.

The Vibe: The creative wizards behind the curtain. You’re the person who sets the atmosphere, transforms the stage with light, pulls off dynamic soundscapes, and ensures the magic on stage hits every single beat without a hitch.

Time Commitment:

• Tech Week: 3–4 evenings during technical and dress rehearsals (to practice and plot the show).
• Performance Week: 3 hours per shift on performance nights (typically 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm). You can cover full show runs or split dates with a co-technician!

Experience Needed: None required! Whether you’re a complete novice curious about pushing buttons or an experienced techie, we offer full, hands-on training on our lighting desk, sound systems and software.

Choose Your Specialty
Lighting Operator and Designer

• What you’ll do: Rigging and plotting stage lights during rehearsals, or running the lighting desk during performances—triggering scene cues to set the mood for every moment.
• Best bit: Having the best seat in the house from the control booth while literally painting the stage with light!

Sound Operator and Audio Design

• What you’ll do: Setting up and queuing sound and music and firing off crisp sound effects (thunderstorms, telephone rings, dramatic stingers) right on cue using digital playback software.
• Best bit: Delivering the audio punch that makes audiences jump, laugh, or hold their breath.

“I started at RLT operating the lights in 2017. I am now the lighting manager and design and rig the lights for plays. I also teach new operators the ropes. Operating lights is a great way to get involved anyone can do it and you get the best seat in the house for FREE!” – Cody, Tech Crew Volunteer

Ready to Master the Controls?
Got an eye for detail, a love for gadgets, or just want to see how the backstage magic works?

Email volunteers@rlt.org.uk and we’ll invite you up to the control booth for a cup of tea and a tour during our next rehearsal!

The Vibe: The heartbeat of every production. You’re the organized, creative crew operating behind the scenes to keep the actors set, the props in place, and the costumes flawless—ensuring total magic from the wings.

Time Commitment:

• Rehearsal Period: Flexible attendance (typically 1–2 evenings a week leading up to the show).
• Tech and Performance Weeks: 3.5 to 4 hours per shift on performance nights (6:30 pm – 10:00 pm).

Experience Needed: None at all! Whether you love organizing, crafting, styling, or simply staying calm under pressure, we’ll pair you up with experienced team members to show you the ropes.

Choose Your Specialty
Stage Manager (SM) & Assistant Stage Manager (ASM)

• What you’ll do: Calling the cues, orchestrating quick scene changes, managing actors in the wings, and running the show smoothly from backstage.
• Best bit: Feeling the thrill of steering a live production from the wings with total control.

Props & Backstage Crew

• What you’ll do: Sourcing or crafting vintage and unique props, setting up prop tables in the wings, and ensuring actors have the right items before going on stage.
• Best bit: Finding that perfect 1920s telephone or antique item that brings a whole scene to life.

Wardrobe & Costume Assistants

• What you’ll do: Helping fit and organise period costumes, managing quick costume changes in the wings, and keeping outfits looking sharp throughout the show’s run.
• Best bit: Transforming actors with incredible outfits and seeing them step into character.

Hair & Makeup Artists

• What you’ll do: Applying stage makeup, styling hair or wigs to fit the show’s era, and helping actors prepare emotionally and visually before hitting the stage.
• Best bit: The instant visual transformation—from aging makeup to glamourous vintage hairstyles.

Prompt (Script Supervisor)

• What you’ll do: Following the script closely during rehearsals and performances, ready to gently throw a line to an actor if they ever lose their train of thought.
• Best bit: Being the ultimate safety net and confidante for the acting cast!

“There’s an incredible bond backstage at RLT. Whether we’re helping with a 30-second costume change or hunting for vintage props, being part of the backstage crew feels like being part of a tight-knit family.” – Claire, Backstage Team Member

Ready to Bring the Stage to Life?
If you want to be right in the centre of the action without being on stage, we’d love to welcome you aboard!

Email volunteers@rlt.org.uk and we’ll invite you backstage during a rehearsal to meet the crew.

The Vibe: The master builders and visual artists. You’re the practical, hands-on team that turns a blank stage into Victorian living rooms, 1920s speakeasies, or mysterious forests—building the physical worlds our stories live in.

Time Commitment: Extremely flexible! Workshop sessions typically run on Tuesday mornings and can include other days if you’re available during production builds. Contribute as much or as little time as your schedule allows.

Experience Needed: All skill levels are welcome. Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker, a DIY enthusiast, a painter, or just handy with a paintbrush and tape measure, there is a task for you. Full guidance and safety equipment are provided.

Choose Your Speciality
Set Construction & Carpentry

• What you’ll do: Building flats, doors, staircases, and raised platforms using timber, power tools, and smart modular designs under the guidance of our lead set designers.
• Best bit: Stepping back and seeing a sturdy, complex stage structure built completely from scratch.

Scenic Painting & Decoration

• What you’ll do: Painting backdrops, applying faux finishes (like stone, brick, or wood grain), distressing furniture, and adding those fine artistic details that make sets look authentic.
• Best bit: Using creative techniques to trick the audience’s eye and create incredible depth on stage.

Get-In & Strike Crew

• What you’ll do: Helping assemble the heavy set pieces on stage before a production opens (“Get-In”), or dismantling and safely storing materials after the final curtain call (“Strike”).
• Best bit: High-energy team sessions with a huge sense of accomplishment at the start and end of every show run.

“I retired a few years ago and missed working with my hands. Joining the set building crew at RLT gave me a great social outlet, a fantastic workshop to build in, and the thrill of seeing our work under the stage lights.” – Jim, Workshop Volunteer

Ready to Grab a Tool and Build?
Got a penchant for DIY, painting, or practical problem-solving?

Email volunteers@rlt.org.uk and we’ll invite you down to the workshop for a tea, a biscuit, and a tour during our next build day!