Steve Roberts Interview: Setting Up Shows To Go On Sale
Title
Steve Roberts Interview: Setting Up Shows To Go On Sale
Date
4 October 2018
Description
Oral history interview with Steve Roberts, Deputy Box Office Manager at the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall and a long-serving member of staff since 1999.
What's the story?
Having previously worked in Nottingham’s lace industry, Steve Roberts first joined the Theatre Royal in 1999 as a Box Office Clerk and where he has since progressed to the role of Deputy Box Office Manager.
This role involves over-seeing all the box office staff, as well putting all the shows onto the computerised ticketing system, in order for staff to sell the tickets.
Throughout his time at the venue Steve has been directly involved in some of the biggest changes in how people purchase their tickets for shows at the Theatre Royal.
In this interview Steve talks about one of the challenges of his role in ensuring that all the information is correct when setting up a show for sale, so as to appease both the venue and producers:
Well, the challenge is you have to change jobs, I suppose. I’ve got to be very accurate that the shows on sale are correct and all the information is there because the people sell from the information I put on the computer, so you’re under quite a lot of pressure to make sure it’s all correct and the price is correct, obviously. So I think promoters want a lot more from you now. Years ago it just seemed a little more laid back, but now it’s big business. A lot of money is involved now. Prices are all set before they come to me. That’s done up here with my Director, which is Jonathan. He negotiates the prices with the various people who are putting on the shows. So that comes down: a sheet of paper and it will say “Stalls, x price, row so and so …” It’s got all the rows split up in different prices. It’s not too complex. We’ve got templates we work to, so it’s a matter of filling the boxes and you’ve got to make sure if you are copying from, let’s say from information I get to put it onto a simpler form, you’ve got to make sure you’re copying it correctly because if you put the wrong price out there, then we’re either going to lose money because it’s not set at the right price, or whatever. You’ve got to concentrate and I do normally, if I’m setting the shows up, like now, when we’re busy, I shut the office door and, you know, quiet space, without too many interruptions. That’s part of the job – you get interrupted.
This role involves over-seeing all the box office staff, as well putting all the shows onto the computerised ticketing system, in order for staff to sell the tickets.
Throughout his time at the venue Steve has been directly involved in some of the biggest changes in how people purchase their tickets for shows at the Theatre Royal.
In this interview Steve talks about one of the challenges of his role in ensuring that all the information is correct when setting up a show for sale, so as to appease both the venue and producers:
Well, the challenge is you have to change jobs, I suppose. I’ve got to be very accurate that the shows on sale are correct and all the information is there because the people sell from the information I put on the computer, so you’re under quite a lot of pressure to make sure it’s all correct and the price is correct, obviously. So I think promoters want a lot more from you now. Years ago it just seemed a little more laid back, but now it’s big business. A lot of money is involved now. Prices are all set before they come to me. That’s done up here with my Director, which is Jonathan. He negotiates the prices with the various people who are putting on the shows. So that comes down: a sheet of paper and it will say “Stalls, x price, row so and so …” It’s got all the rows split up in different prices. It’s not too complex. We’ve got templates we work to, so it’s a matter of filling the boxes and you’ve got to make sure if you are copying from, let’s say from information I get to put it onto a simpler form, you’ve got to make sure you’re copying it correctly because if you put the wrong price out there, then we’re either going to lose money because it’s not set at the right price, or whatever. You’ve got to concentrate and I do normally, if I’m setting the shows up, like now, when we’re busy, I shut the office door and, you know, quiet space, without too many interruptions. That’s part of the job – you get interrupted.
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Interviewers: Andrew Breakwell & Julia Holmes
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
