Lighting Assistant

For Summer 2026, we’re transforming The Vache estate into a world of magic and transformation with The Tempest, Shakespeare’s swansong masterpiece (c.1610), reimagined through the lens of Baroque music and contemporary sound design.

Expect a rich fusion of spoken drama, lute songs, instrumental storm music and immersive soundscapes as we bring The Tempest to life. Drawing on music by Henry Purcell, Matthew Locke, and other European composers of the period, this is Shakespeare as you’ve never experienced it before.

Alongside our headline production, the festival also includes a late-night Jazz Night (28 August), Water Music (4 September) and Splash! a family-friendly theatrical adaptation featuring extracts of Shakespeare (morning of 6 September).

We’re looking for a dedicated, reliable and hands-on lighting assistant to support the technical and creative delivery of the Summer Festival.

You’ll help realise an ambitious lighting design, contribute to the rigging and operation of equipment, and help run the space technically across rehearsals and performances. You will operate the lighting board for performances of The Tempest, and have responsibility for designing and programming our Jazz Evening and Water Music concerts. This is a freelance role ideal for an emerging practitioner looking to gain experience in live performance, site-specific work and festival production.

Fee: Up to £1100 (based on approx. 80 hours at £13.50 per hour, including evening and weekend work. Unpaid lunch breaks apply.)
Contract Type: Freelance / Independent Contractor
Location: The Vache, Vache Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire HP8 4SD
Working Days Required:
21, 22, 23, 24, 25 August – Rigging, rehearsals
27 August – Dress Rehearsal
28 August – Jazz Evening
29, 30 August – The Tempest performances
4 September – Water Music concert
5, 6, 7 September – The Tempest performances and pack down
Hours: between 4-10 hours per day, including evenings and weekends.