How to keep thousands of people happy and safe in a theatre

That’s the moment we all know that the show is about to begin. It’s all about safety, readiness and comfort, explains Ben Geering, head of customer operations at the CFT – and the who man makes that cross-stage journey at least once a week.

“I was in the audience for the James Bond concert the other night and I was watching colleagues do exactly that walk, popping up one set of stairs and then disappearing down another. It's about health and safety. It is about checking that the audience are in their seats and that all the lower aisles are clear of obstructions. There's certainly method in it!”

And there's also a degree of self-consciousness being in the limelight with thousands of eyes on you. There can be quite a hush accompanying that journey.

“But it is all about putting our audiences – and also our visitors, not just those people who come to see a show – absolutely at the heart of what we do, the crux of what we do. And in a way, yes, it boils down to keeping people happy. It is about giving people an experience beyond what is on the stage, an experience that is comparable to what is happening on the stage in a good way and just making sure that every aspect of their visit is what they would hope and perhaps also beyond their expectations.”

Ben's talking about the feel of the auditorium, the retail offer that is available and also the levels of customer service provided, amongst so much else.

“There are a number of teams I look after. Front of house is a big team and the one that people come into contact with in terms of checking tickets and buying ice creams. There is also the facilities team that looks after the maintenance and works incredibly hard and is very highly skilled, all with engineering backgrounds – the people that check the auditorium is cool enough or warm enough, the people that maintains the seats and do all the day-to-day really vital stuff like checking all the loos are flushing. And then you've got the cleaning and security teams that look after all the things that are really obviously necessary and important. That's a big part of our operation. And then we’ve also got the bit that most members of our audience don't actually come into contact with but that our visitors see, the people who are on the stage door who are essentially a customer facing part of our organisation. They are the hub to the wheel firing off things in all directions and managing the switchboard and welcoming people.”

All combine to give the right sense of welcome: “You have got to remember that although there are lots of things that we are ensuring don't happen, we still have to create an environment that is right for an enjoyable evening or an enjoyable afternoon out. If we were looking too anxious or trying to enforce all sorts of rules, then I think the environment would end up being fairly undesirable. We've got to look after our guests and our patrons. And I think we are incredibly fortunate with our audience that on the whole they are really up for being challenged and seeing something unknown and taking risks. They come to the theatre with a really open mind and it's so delightful to see that they have that level of trust in us that they will come along and think ‘Well, it's the CFT and the CFT has got a really good reputation and so this is something that I'm going to try.’ People come along and have a really enjoyable time and that's something that is really lovely to see.”

But while for the audiences, the evening ends as they leave the theatre, there is still plenty of work for members of Ben's team to do. There are two reports created after each performance.

“One is the technical show report which is usually done by the stage manager and really it's just everything that happens on stage or behind the scenes, that so and so forgot a certain line or a piece of machinery or equipment malfunctioned. It's just everything like that.

“And then there is the front-of-house show report that covers everything that happens with the audience and off the stage. We are monitoring timings and also temperatures at various points to make sure that we keep the temperatures within our tolerances. But also we will be talking about any incident that happens or any feedback we receive.”

If you say to an usher on the way out how much do you enjoyed the show, your comments will be fed through and may well end up in the show report. If you then trip down the stairs having expressed your delight, that too will go in the report. It all goes into a debriefing which then goes into the report, and you can look back at years and years of show reports for every production in every venue that we have had. They make for fascinating reading but really the sign of a good night is a short report with not really much that needs saying! The fewer bullet points, the better! But if there is a medical incident then that will have to be documented. If there is feedback, the point is that we need to have an accurate account from the point of view of the organisation. The reports are there for health and safety but also the show reports are a good way to capture the mood of the audience. It is all based on information that we are given by the audience but all those comments will capture what it was like to have been at the theatre on that night.”

Ben became front of house manager at the Festival Theatre in 2016. Half A Sixpence opened just two weeks after his first day. He became head of customer operations about two years ago.

“And I still like doing the duty management because it's good to see what we're putting onto the stage and to experience what we're delivering rather than just being behind the desk. It's good to be out there and actually be part of it.”

And as for that walk across the front of the stage, well, the show won't begin without it: “You're talking into a radio and once everything is ready then you disappear down the stairs. And the show can start. You're speaking to the lighting box and giving them the OK to start the show. But obviously sometimes there can be a little bit of a dialogue backwards and forwards and you have to linger at the top of the stairs for a little bit longer!”

• The Chichester Festival Theatre season begins on April 19. Tickets from £10; cft.org.uk; box office 01243 781312.

• In the Festival Theatre:

 The Other Boleyn Girl by Mike Poulton, based on Philippa Gregory’s novel of Tudor intrigue, directed by Lucy Bailey

 Coram Boy, an enthralling 18th century adventure, adapted by Helen Edmundson, based on the novel by Jamila Gavin and directed by Anna Ledwich

 A brand new production of Lionel Bart’s iconic musical Oliver!, directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, in a new revision by Cameron Mackintosh

 Redlands, a new play by Charlotte Jones, inspired by the Rolling Stones’ Chichester trial, directed by Justin Audibert

 A spellbinding new retelling of Cinderella by Philip Wilson, with music by Jason Carr, directed by Jon Pashley

• The Minerva Theatre includes:

 The House Party by Laura Lomas, a new adaptation of Strindberg’s Miss Julie, directed by Holly Race Roughan

 Harold Pinter’s first major success, The Caretaker, directed by Justin Audibert

 The Promise, a new play by Paul Unwin on the pioneering post-war Labour government