The Elgiva Board of Management
Chesham Town Council and the Elgiva Board of Management
The Elgiva is operated by Chesham Town Council. They established the Elgiva Board of Management in 2003, comprising local people with a range of commercial experience and interest in the performing arts. Board members give their time and energy on a voluntary basis to assist the Council and theatre management.
David Cooper
David is where the buck stops. As theatre manager, David is at the helm of the good ship Elgiva and is responsible for deciding what acts and films come to our theatre and when. He sets the tone for the programme and inspires and guides The Elgiva’s other endeavours, such as our Youth Theatre and ensuring the greatest film known to mankind (It’s a Wonderful Life) is shown without fail every Christmas.
David joined The Elgiva in 2018. “Every day is different and we’re able to make a positive difference to someone’s day whether it be through entertainment, education or participation. The performing arts are unique – people display such a passion for what they do and watching that connection with an audience is incredible. The Elgiva’s ability to host such a wide range of activities with a strong connection with the local community make it an incredible place to be.”
Robin Scarborough
When Robin joined our team in 2022, he was already a familiar face, having performed at The Elgiva since 2005!
Robin came on board after a career switch; he had taught for 25 years, but fancied a career change, so when he spotted a vacancy at the theatre, he felt destiny knocking…
Robin is responsible for the very fabric of The Elgiva, looking after the maintenance of our equipment and the building; he also organises the staffing rotas, Duty Manages some of the shows and keeps things ticking along smoothly, dealing with artists prior to their visit, &c.
He says: ” The Elgiva is definitely a jewel in Chesham that offers something for everybody, whatever their age or interest – long may it prosper!”
Liberty Hobbs
Liberty wears a few hats at The Elgiva, including assisting in Box Office, helping to create our What’s On brochure, scheduling monthly art exhibitions, organising community arts events, various HR tasks and programming. She is also the Elgiva Youth Theatre Assistant and Musical Theatre Choreographer, where she enjoys showcasing her creativity!
Liberty says: “I love working at The Elgiva as there is always something new and different to get involved with. I started out as an apprentice, which was a great way for me to gain valuable experience whilst also learning. Now I’m putting that training to use, helping to ensure an exciting and varied programme of events at The Elgiva.”
Caroline Taylor
Marketing Officer Caroline joined The Elgiva in 2019; she oversees the marketing for the different shows, as well as the overall brand of the theatre and how it interacts with the community. Caroline also develops areas of focus for the theatre, such as the loyalty scheme for customers and corporate partners.
She loves working with The Elgiva team, who, she says “are all very passionate about the arts.”
The performing arts are close to Caroline’s heart. “One thing I love about the performing arts is no one performance is the same and you never quite know what you are going to get!” she says.
“The Elgiva is special because of the customers who come here, month after month, year after year. Their commitment and loyalty to the theatre is heart-warming.”
Eleanor Garth
Eleanor has worked for The Elgiva since 2018 and looks after the theatre’s communications; she handles the theatre’s social media, press releases, newsletters and emails, as well as keeping the website updated with information and shows.
“It’s never the same day twice,” she says. “One of the best bits of my job is speaking to so many different people, including our lovely customers, promoters, staff and volunteers.”
Eleanor says that she loves working at The Elgiva, hopefully inspiring people to see something new or try something different.
She says: “The Elgiva is unique; we really believe in Elgiva for Everyone and try to be as inclusive and varied as possible.”
Danielle Gaglione
Danielle has been involved in the theatre her whole life! Now she brings her enthusiasm and dynamism to The Elgiva’s Youth Theatre, designing and running the weekly sessions as well as directing our Easter and Summer Workshops – oh, and sometimes she writes them, too!
“I believe passionately in the power of the performing arts and working for The Elgiva allows me to bring that magic into the lives of so many young people,” Danielle says.
“We provide affordable, creative opportunities for scores of young people every week at our youth theatre while also opening the incredible Elgiva stage to dozens more at our annual shows and youth projects. We invite EVERYONE aged 6 to 17 to come and join us – regardless of experience or ability.”
Mitika Suri
Creativity runs through Mitika like a stick of Blackpool Rock! As well as lending her input on graphics and design at the theatre, Mitika creates our wonderful window stencils at Pantomime. She also designs and runs our various crafting workshops, showcasing her creativity.
Mitika provides essential community liaison with our Love Elgiva retailers and helps to organise competitions and group offers; she also helps draw up and administer our marketing plans, ensuring as many people as possible know about the exciting events happening at The Elgiva!
The Technical Team
Adam Kerr
When it comes to technical matters, Adam’s where it’s at. With his intrepid tech team, Adam handles the technical side of performances, whether it’s a live stream, a film, a panto or musical performance. He looks after all the props and backstage stuff, the audio and visuals and ensures the theatre’s fire alarms are serviced.
Adam’s been on the tech crew since 2018.
The Front of House Team
Kate Hutchinson
Kate has kept our Box Office running like a well-oiled machine for the last couple of years; as well as dealing with bookings and customers’ queries and requests, she makes sure we have all the right films, posters and leaflets. Kate also programs all the shows and films on our booking system, designing early bird offers and priority booking.
A focal point for The Elgiva, Kate enjoys the Box Office interaction and the variety each day brings – “So many different things to do, the day zips by!” she says.
“One thing I love about the performing arts is they are about story-telling which is such a human thing. For thousands of years people have sat around telling stories and that’s what performing arts do. Whether it’s through dance, drama, comedy, film, music – it’s all about the story. Imagination is a wonderful thing.
The Elgiva is special because it’s really part of the community and people feel it belongs to them – which it does!”
Tracey Hatchett
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