Running WHAM (wigs, hair and makeup) Manager

As Running WHAM Manager for F2027 at Chichester Festival Theatre, you will provide first class support to visiting creative teams and their supervisors. Under the Head of Costume and Senior WHAM Manager you will take the lead with managing the day to day dressing, maintenance and application of wigs, hair and makeup.

Running WHAM Manager

Fixed term for our F2027 season which runs from April to October

£711.00 per week (48 hours)

In February we’ll announce our Festival 2027 programme which runs from April to October, and we’re looking for a brilliant backstage team to join us, with contracts of various lengths and start dates which can be discussed at interview.

The 2027 Festival season promises a fantastic mix of plays and musicals, including world premieres and new writing. We work with some of the UK’s most prominent theatrical creative teams in our two world class theatres, as well as a variety of other spaces across the Festival Season. We bring people – artists and those who support artistic work – together, in an environment where creatively they can flourish and where everyone is valued.

As Running WHAM Manager you will provide first class support to visiting creative teams and their supervisors. Under the Head of Costume and Senior WHAM Manager you will take the lead with managing the day to day dressing, maintenance and application of wigs, hair and makeup.

Full details of the role and the JD can be found on our website https://www.cft.org.uk/jobs

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter, or video, to recruitment@cft.org.uk by the deadline, quoting job reference: 2610WHAM in the subject line. In your covering letter or video, please let us know why you are applying for the role, what excites you about joining CFT and how your experience and skills match the person specification.

We’d love to hear about what makes you a great fit in your own words. We encourage candidates not to rely on AI for their applications, as a more personalised approach gives us a better sense of who you are.

Please email recruitment@cft.org.uk if you’d like to arrange for an informal chat about the role before applying. We appreciate this may be a busy time – if you need more time to submit your application, please let us know.

Responsibilities of the role include:

Support the Head of Costume, Senior WHAM Manager and the WHAM Supervisors withwig/makeup requirements and wig/make-up fittings- and assist with the realisation of thedesigns during tech and previews
Take the operational lead during the show run on the provision of wigs, hair and makeupensuring that wigs are prepped and fitted, hair styling and dressing, and makeup areundertaken on a daily basis- and that the designer and supervisor’s designs are recreated through the run
Attend technical, dress and costume understudy rehearsals when requested and to beavailable to the actors allocated to them on or off stage as appropriate

Attend and support press/ media related events including photo-calls and EPKs providing assistance as required
Undertake pre-show wig/makeup preparation including wig washing and dressing
Undertake show running, wig/makeup changes and running repairs or alterations as required
Prepare and maintain accurate plots and records detailing all aspects of wigs and make-up and performance-related equipment to enable the accurate reproduction of a production’s wig and makeup requirements
Assist the Head of Costume and Senior WHAM Manager to ensure the efficient and effective management and administration of the department within budgetary constraints
Ensure that the flow of information both within the department and to others is clear, accurate and timely
Undertake training as required, instructing others in the use of technical equipment.
Use computers for documentation of running plots and archives
Ensure that equipment and working areas are kept in a safe and secure condition and at the end of each working day all flammables are safely stored
Work collaboratively to reach the relevant Greenbook standard benchmark on productions as defined and be sustainably minded in all decisions