Who Are We?

Theatre Digs Booker consists of a small but highly motivated and friendly company led by Phil Barley. Founded in 2010, Theatre Digs Booker aims to provide, easy, safe and affordable accommodation for those within the touring theatre profession!

Our 9-5, Monday to Friday support team is here to help both Guests (those searching for accommodation) and Hosts (those listing accommodation) with any problems or queries you may have. You can call on 01335 818025, email us on support@theatredigsbooker.com, or submit a support ticket here.

The Team:

Phil Barley

CEO and Founder

"After touring as an actor for seven years, I realised that no one else was going to fix the inherent problems I experienced with touring accommodation so I asked a friend to 'whip up a website' and thought that would be it. That was in 2010 and TDB has been a full-time passion ever since. 

The idea that theatres should try to be accommodation services when they have no resources to manage those duties seems crazy to me. Big tours regularly turn up at receiving venues with far too few digs to accommodate them and the theatres know very little about this and can do even less.

During my last tour, our entire technical team had to sleep in tents as there were not enough digs on the list. There were injuries and show-stops that week and this happens all the time, all over the country.

Taking the antiquated digs list and putting it online and then making it bookable from any device has proven to be the change that the industry has wanted. We have over 5000 Hosts and 16000 Guests who together have managed more than 50,000 weeks (equivalent to nearly 1000 years on tour, heaven forbid!!!) worth of successful bookings through the website. Our ongoing mission is to help improve the welfare of life on tour by making digs booking easier, safer and more reliable than ever before. We hope that all theatres will use our FREE online digs list before too many more tours are let down by inadequate accommodation lists."

Hayley Henderson

Marketing Executive

"After 14 years of happy marriage (for real, I’m happy), raising two funny, bright, intelligent daughters (they take after me), and many years of working in sales and marketing, (someone’s got to do it), I finally achieved my dream work/home life balance with TheatreDigsBooker. It’s an honour to work with this friendly, helpful and lovable team of people."

Louise James

Customer Support Supervisor

"A degree in ‘Classical Studies’ didn’t exactly leave me with many career options but further qualifications in bilingual administration led to opportunities working with Peugeot, a sofa manufacturer and in education.
Having children (now a lanky football-mad teenage boy and a 10 year old sporty, theatrical tomboy) demanded a more family friendly career change - teaching literacy to young adults (challenging but rewarding!) and working in a craft workshop.
Then I discovered TheatreDigsBooker! Working part-time within this dedicated team means that I can use all my skills supporting the theatre industry that I love and work on my own business teaching others how to sew. Win win!"   

Lisa Benson

Marketing Manager

"As an ex-touring performer, I know the joys and pitfalls of being on the road and have had many experiences of staying in digs; some great, some not so great! Touring professionals deserve to have a comfortable home-from-home when out on tour and TheatreDigsBooker can make that happen! I'm thrilled to be part of a team that are passionate about improving the welfare of touring theatre performers. So long paper digs list!

Jade Jack

Business Development Associate

"My experience on TheatreDigsBooker Team has been so far so good! I joined TDB during Summer 2017 after deciding that I wanted to complete a Placement Year at university. As much as I love Uni (studying of course, definitely not the social side), I feel there is only so much you can learn about Business and Marketing in a lecture hall. After my first week at TheatreDigsBooker, I felt I had learnt more about business than I had in my two years of study. Working alongside Phil is a great opportunity and I learn something new with each and everyday in the office. I am excited to see where the business will be when my time here is over but for now, I just want to enjoy each day and absorb as much as I can!" 

Max Shelley

Lead Developer

James Barley

Administration Officer

"After reading my fellow colleagues sickeningly compelling biographies, I feel quite inadequate, and perhaps I need to make myself sound much more interesting than I actually am. I have worked at the sharp end of several Theatres in the past, so I have knowledge of how this fascinating and unique industry works. As well as twiddling away behind the scenes at TheatreDigsBooker, I also present shows for various different Radio Stations around the world. But I have an uncanny knack of being struck off from them within weeks of starting. I am also a Dolphin trainer, Escapologist, and Professional Jimmy Nail lookalike in my spare time."

Jack Purves 

Business Development Intern

“I’ve joined TheatreDigsBooker as a Business Development Intern after just finishing my degree at Derby University studying Psychology and I can’t read your mind, but I can give you a damn good lecturing on weird Freudian stuff. Before this, I was a Cadet Warrant Officer in the Air Cadets, where I spent 9 years and achieved my solo flying wings as a result. Other than that I’m an Ice Hockey enthusiast supporting the Nottingham Panthers and currently have hopes to play locally in the near future as a Netminder. I’m looking forward to my journey with TheatreDigsBooker, being part of an exciting growing business to which so far, employs so many lovely people.”

Edward Sargisson

Business and Marketing Support Associate

"I joined TheatreDigsBooker in the summer of 2017. As a student studying Audio Production at the University Of Lincoln, the job fits perfectly around my schedule (Thanks Phil!). I tend to get involved with a few different elements of TheatreDigsBooker, helping out on different tasks and duties to keep things running smoothly. Before this however, I worked as a Customer Service Assistant at Sainsbury's - So TDB makes for a lovely change! I'm a keen pianist and drummer, playing since an early age and I specialise in Music Production at University (so please come to me for any of your music production needs...)."

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