Producers, General Managers, Production Managers and Technical Consultants for Events and Theatre
TEAM
Gary Beestone
Director
Gary is Director of Gary Beestone Events & Theatre in the UK and USA and Technical Theatre Resources which provides unique services to the production industry. Gary recently set up Birmingham Ceremonies, a new joint venture with Done + Dusted to deliver the forthcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Gary is the long serving International Technical Director of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and works as Project Director and consultant for worldwide theatre renovations and complex projects as well as working with producers and world class creative teams to develop and deliver extraordinary productions.
Zoe Snow
Director
Zoe is co-owner of Gary Beestone Events & Theatre and a live events and immersive theatre specialist. She started her career working at Alexandra Palace, before heading to media giant EMAP where she was Head of Commercial Events. She then worked extensively within some of London’s leading event agencies, before working on Victory Ceremonies for London 2012.
Zoe’s experience now includes experiential, sport, theatrical and ceremonies and recent project highlights include; Tottenham Hotspur Opening Ceremony, NFL Superbowl 50, Welcome to the Forest – London Borough of Culture, the World Para Athletics, Hull City of Culture Opening, the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Les Enfants Terribles, the Rugby World Cup entertainment production, Secret Cinema presents Star Wars, London and Casino Royale, Shanghai and British House Rio 2016 with innovision. Recent clients include Veuve Cliquot, Jeep, Coca-Cola and Apple and she works with a wide range of brands on their experiential campaigns.
Zoe and Gary met on London 2012 and have been working together on theatrical productions ever since, now including working as part of Birmingham Ceremonies, a new joint venture with Done + Dusted.
Richard Seary
General Manager
Richard has worked with Gary and Zoe for over 15 years and was a formative part of our development. As the backbone of the company and our General Manager, Richard is based in beautiful Cornwall and also manages a range of projects in the South West, with clients including Kneehigh, as well as supporting on a range of events and theatrical productions across the UK and Internationally.
Richard has a background in Technical Theatre and General Management and trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He worked extensively at Southwark Playhouse where he led the team as Technical and Production Manager and then General Manager and his events and theatre highlights also include; Asylum for Kneehigh during Summer 2019, various productions for the National Youth Theatre, Greenwich and Docklands Festival and Victory Ceremonies and Team Welcome at London 2012.
Richard is trained in IOSH Managing Safely, Emergency First Aid and is a Personal Licence holder.
Chris Hay
Production Manager
Chris is Gary Beestone Events & Theatre’s Senior Production Manager. He most recently worked for the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre as Technical Director and he has worked as a Production Manager across a range of theatrical productions, with some international work touring throughout the UK and North America as well as China, New Zealand, Australia.
Notable projects include The James Plays for National Theatre of Scotland/National Theatre of Great Britain in Scotland, Let The Right One in the UK, USA and Dublin, various projects with Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Flight for Vox Motus at the Edinburgh International Festival and at international locations.
Chris chairs the Federation of Scottish Theatre’s H&S Forum, set up in the wake of the pandemic to offer support and guidance to companies seeking out information on how to manage themselves during this time, he has also been involved in driving a peer support group for fellow production and technical managers throughout 2020.
Chris was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Technical and Production Arts. He is trained in IOSH Managing Safely.
Erin Witton
Production Manager
Erin graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with a degree in Technical Theatre Arts (Theatre Technology) and began her career working in stage management and as a stage technician for venues, including the National Theatre. She has experience of UK theatre and arena touring, festival production management, immersive theatre and corporate events. Most recently Erin has been Production Manager at Battersea Arts Centre and the Roundhouse. She joins us from Sadler’s Wells, where she was Deputy Production Manager for the Producing and Touring department, working across their extensive UK and international touring programme. Erin’s previous freelance work also includes: Production Manager for Cave, an immersive opera (Printworks London), Assistant Production Manager for Arts Stages (Latitude Festival). Erin is trained in IOSH Managing Safely, Emergency First Aid at Work, Practical Pyrotechnics – Safety Awareness, and she holds an IPAF licence.
Oli Bagwell Purefoy
Assistant Production Manager
Oli was previously Technical Assistant Stage Manager for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London’s West End. He’s now Assistant Production Manager across a range of our projects and also ensures the continuity of resources and specialist skills required in the roll out of our events and productions Internationally.
Oli is a RADA graduate in Technical & Stage Management.
Sophie Scotchford
Project Assistant
Sophie’s career began in theatre, where she worked backstage at the Birmingham Hippodrome on various touring productions including Miss Saigon, Matilda and Grease. Since then, Sophie has worked within one of London’s leading event agencies, working on global, large-scale events for clients including Facebook, Samsung and Heineken. Sophie now assists Gary Beestone and the team across our wide range of projects.
Sophie trained in Production Arts at Birmingham Ormiston Academy and went on to study Creative Events Management.