About
One career, two fluencies, no apology for either.
I'm Rachael — a theatre person who learned to speak property, or possibly a property person who never stopped being a theatre person. Either way, I've spent ten years making complicated productions happen and the last few learning what buildings cost, what planning permits, and where the two worlds could be so much more useful to each other.
The story so far
ATG Productions → Royal Opera House
The big guns first. Supporting an executive producer across 50+ concurrent commercial projects at ATG, then production coordination at the Royal Opera House — multi-territory agreements, creative teams, rights holders, and the discovery that I genuinely enjoy the machinery.
PQA Venues, and an MA with a festival attached
Seventy-plus venue and licensing contracts a year taught me speed; the MA in Creative Producing at Mountview taught me depth — and appointed me General Manager of Catalyst Festival, 22 productions delivered with a 20% cost saving.
Freelance — Rachael Nolan Productions
Out on my own: project management and consultancy for cultural organisations and commercial producers. The headline acts were Fiesta at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch — community engagement done properly — and, with ROYO Entertainment, leading the transfer of Fisherman's Friends the Musical to Toronto, payroll for 100+ freelancers included.
The deliberate detour
Eight countries, a target-driven sales job in Australia (two closes in my first month; the average was one in three), and a programme-management contract inside the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. I went away to get commercial; I came back commercial and still stage-struck.
Strategy, property, hospitality — and the idea
Strategy consultancy for Westminster City Council on its cultural strategy; hospitality-and-culture advisory work in the property sector — asset positioning, Section 106, market intelligence; and a day job in hospitality media, leading growth for an industry title covering the short-stay accommodation world. Which is where the penny dropped: London is full of empty buildings, theatre is desperate for affordable rehearsal space, short-term occupation of property is a world I work in daily — and almost nobody speaks all three languages. So now that's what I do.
The CV, twice
Same career, two tellings — take the one written for your world. (They're honest with each other, I promise.)
The theatre CV
Credits-forward: general management, producing, transfers, festivals and community work — written for producers, writers, directors and GMs who want to know I've done the miles backstage.
Download (PDF)The general CV
Capabilities-forward: project and programme management, stakeholder engagement, contracts, budgets and strategy — written for local government, consultancies, property and mission-driven organisations.
Download (PDF)Off the clock
Classical singing, sustainability (Carbon Literacy certified — recognised by the UN, no less), learning to fly planes, and travelling anywhere with either a stage or an interesting building. Ideally both.