Lisa Fairfield

I worked with Lisa for 3 years on a range of theatre projects in Brighton, Edinburgh, London and at Glastonbury.

She was initially with us as a performer, quickly moving on and taking on a range of producer-stage manager-team leader roles over the period that required a range of important competencies and emotional intelligence due to the range or pressures and challenges that performing live theatre and hospitality present.

As a professional performer she was top class in all respects, well prepared, reliable, punctual, and a great 'team player' - personable, friendly, warm and gently assertive when required. The shows she helped develop and perform were top quality, helping the team win a shortlisting for the premier theatre award at the Edinburgh Festival.

In addition to performing, she quickly and proactively involved herself in all aspects of the leadership and management of the group.

This included developing and running the catering we would provide on our shows - sourcing supplies, organizing food preparation, serving the public.

She also took on the role of organizing the housing for our teams, sourcing accommodation, dealing with agencies, negotiating contracts, as well as setting up and organizing sleeping arrangements to host guest and create revenue for the group to help boost incomes for team members.

She also took a lead role in stage managing/supervising live high pressure show environment with big audiences. This required dealing positively and assertively with sensitive under pressure performers. Her ability to get things done through potentially 'difficult' people was very noticeable.

She would also handle public contact with audiences calmly and positively, serving breakfast to hungry demanding crowds at high speed and with great customer service.

Her roles including researching and sourcing props, costumes and equipment from a range of suppliers, keeping clear financial records, as well as ensuring everything was transported to venues, and when on location, ensuring the team put and kept everything in its right place.

She was always willing to take on any responsibility that needing doing - with energy and calm, often leading other people, winning their support, getting and keeping them on board with company procedures and plans. She was very effective in organizing housing for entire teams, dealing with the landlord and agency, setting up and coordinating plans and schedules for room sharing to raise additional income for the group.

She was always ahead of other members of the team on preparation and organization, and was always positive, polite and warm even when under very high pressure and demanding work schedules.

Our experience was one of a woman of energy, focus and dedication, who can handle people with warmth and politeness, as well as being gently and assertive, dealing with some very potentially 'difficult' characters under intense pressure, and making sure a wide range of responsibilities were executed professionally. We won several award nominations, awards and 5 star press acclaim for our work during the time Lisa was on our team.