Company Stage Manager (on book) – BABY
Brixton House · Direct employer
Reports to: Producer, Production Manager, Director
Responsible for: Assistant Stage Manager (ASM); day-to-day running of the production
Department: Technical & Production
Fee: £650/week (£4,550 for the contract, plus holiday pay and pension)
Location: Clean Break (Kentish Town) and Brixton House (Brixton), London
Contract: Freelance – 7 weeks
Hours: Full time – evening and weekend work required
Artform: Theatre
A Brixton House and Clean Break production
Brixton House is a community hub where creativity thrives and everyone is welcomed, empowering undervalued, unheard and excluded communities through our creative spaces, rooted in the history of Ovalhouse Theatre. Core values: welcoming, radical, progressive, collaborative, and proud of our identity.
Purpose of the role
Brixton House and Clean Break seek a Company Stage Manager (on book) for the 2026 premiere of BABY, written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti and directed by Milli Bhatia. The CSM oversees the show's operation through rehearsals and production, bridging creative, technical and admin duties. As a one-woman show, the CSM will lead a small team with an ASM, be on book throughout rehearsals, and operate sound and lighting.
About the show
A provocative play about one woman's desire to survive even though she hasn't got a chance in hell. Baby's bright, beautiful and has had it tough – now she has to solve a problem, and you're part of her solution. BABY premieres at Brixton House, Autumn 2026.
Content warnings
The play contains: criminalisation, imprisonment, probation; adverse childhood experiences (neglect, sexual abuse); separation of mother and child through imprisonment; foster care; sex work; abusive relationships; drug and alcohol use; self-harm.
A dramatherapist will support the company across rehearsals and the run. Both venues have safeguarding leads and duty of care structures in place, and Clean Break works to a trauma-informed practice which the whole company is inducted into. The CSM is a first point of contact day to day but is not expected to hold sole responsibility for wellbeing; clear routes for escalation and support are in place.
Who can apply
Open to women (including cis, intersex and trans women) and non-binary people. Clean Break is a women's theatre company providing gender-specific services to women, so all positions are open to women and non-binary people only (exception under Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, part 1). The Kentish Town building, where week one of rehearsals is held, is a trauma-informed women-only space.
Clean Break has historically operated as a trans and intersex inclusive women's service. In light of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of 'woman' in the Equality Act 2010 and the recently adopted Statutory Code of Practice, we are currently unable to operate our Trans Inclusion Policy, and send solidarity to trans and intersex communities at this challenging time. Non-binary people wanting to work in a space centring women's experiences are welcomed; this is a personal decision. Contact us for more on our women-only status or policy.
Key details
- Engagement: Mon 14 Sep – Sat 31 Oct 2026 (7 weeks)
- Rehearsals: Mon 14 Sep – Fri 2 Oct 2026 (week one at Clean Break, then Brixton House)
- Tech: Mon 5 – Wed 7 Oct 2026
- Previews: Thu 8 – Sat 10 Oct 2026
- Final preview (Pay What You Feel): Mon 12 Oct 2026
- Press night: Tue 13 Oct 2026
- Run at Brixton House: Wed 14 – Sat 31 Oct 2026
Show operation
- Operate sound and lighting for the show
- Maintain the director's vision: performance quality and consistency, notes as needed
- First point of contact for company welfare: schedules, sickness, wellbeing
- Run the rehearsal room: bookings, schedules, liaison, daily reports
- Connect cast, creative team, backstage crew, front of house and producers
- Daily performance reports: incidents, show times, technical notes, absences
- Maintain the director's vision throughout the run, noting changes
- Write and distribute the show schedule, including rehearsal and technical maintenance calls
- Ensure backstage and onstage safety protocols are followed
- Coordinate risk assessments with the Production Manager and ensure adherence
- Company Stage Manager (or Company Manager, Stage Manager or DSM) experience on a professional production
- Confident on book, with experience running a rehearsal room and producing rehearsal/show reports
- Experience operating sound and lighting live, or confidence to train into operation with the technical team
- Organised, able to work under pressure and autonomously, and to manage/support an ASM
- In-depth knowledge of Health and Safety and good knowledge of union agreements
- Proven track record supervising productions at the highest artistic and technical level
- Ability to work sensitively with women affected by the criminal justice system, supporting equal opportunities across race, culture, religion, sexuality, gender and other protected characteristics
Visit our website: join the team | Brixton House. Include: your CV; letter of application (max two sides A4, size 12 font) on what attracts you to the role and how you meet the criteria above; names and contact details for two employment referees (contacted only if offered the job); and a completed Equal Opportunities monitoring form.
Applications open: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Closing date: Tue 1 Sep 2026
Interview dates: Wed 2 – Fri 4 Sep 2026
Fast-turnaround call out as rehearsals begin in September – please apply as early as you can. We will be in touch with all applicants promptly after the deadline.
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract
Salary: £650/week (£4,550 for the contract, plus holiday pay and pension)
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