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What creative careers can you do in the theatre industry?

The theatre industry has a lot to offer in terms of providing creative career opportunities. Some theatre careers are very visible – for example, Actors – however, there are many creative jobs in theatre that you might not have considered but play an essential part in making a show happen.

Acting, directing and playwriting are probably the three most immediate and visible creative jobs within the performing arts industry, but there are many other creative roles that allow shows to run and get made.

If you’re looking for a creative career in theatre, here are six jobs that are good for creative people...

Marketing

Theatre Marketers help make sure that tickets for the show get sold, coming up with a marketing strategy to ensure that audiences come to see the production. This could be through social media, digital ads, physical marketing (such as posters at train stations), and much more. They may work with the Producer and a Designer to create the poster. They may also come up with ideas such as trailers to help advertise the show.

Lighting Designer

A Lighting Designer creates how the lighting looks for the show. They’ll have conversations with the Director to collaborate and come up with a mood and a feeling for how the production will be lit.

Sound Designer

The Sound Designer produces and/or sources all the sound effects and music for the show. They will work closely with the Director to make sure that the sound design they are creating fits with the Director’s vision.

Producer

The role of a Theatre Producer is very varied and involves a mix of creative and less-creative responsibilities. A Producer oversees all areas of a theatre production and often decides which projects will be made. They deal with finances and contracts, but also have input on casting and design.

Set and Costume Designer

Set Designers create designs of how the set and props will look, making model boxes to show the creatives and cast. They may work closely with the Costume Designer, who designs what each of the Actors will wear, making sure the costumes are suitable for the time period and characters.

Dramaturge

Dramaturges help Playwrights achieve the best play possible. They will read the script, give notes and help Writers make changes.

Other important creative jobs include:

See our complete list of jobs in the theatre industry to find even more careers in the performing arts.

A lot of the creative careers within the theatre industry are very collaborative. For example, a Director would regularly interact with other members of the creative team. Within the early stages of a production, the Playwright and Producer would have conversions about the script if it was a new piece of writing.

Conversations between costume, set, props and hair and make-up would take place so there is a sense of cohesion with the visual aspects of the production. In smaller productions, you might find that someone takes on two roles, like Costume and Set Designer or Director and Choreographer.

Often, creative careers in the theatre industry intersect with other industries, such as TV, film, events, and fashion. So although you may start out in theatre, you could find yourself crossing over into other industries to do similar roles and vice versa.

Find creative job vacancies on The Stage Jobs

Written by Asa Haynes

I'm a Playwright and Actor from London. I studied at Mountview from 2015 - 2018 on the acting course.

Blog image: Alex Brenner

Published: 20 April 2022

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