I started as House Manager here 33 years ago when I was 25. Most of the shows were of the Drama variety when I first came. We tend to steer clear of that now - it's a lyric house. There's only been one major refurbishment since I came here, when we redecorated the auditorium. Other than that, there hasn't been a thorough overhaul.

In my job I knock on doors to say 'Hello'. I'm there to give moral support if the stars want to talk. Artists usually have ways of coping with the stresses of the job. The ones who are temperamental are usually the ones who aren't good.

Most people's experience of coming to the Leeds Grand Theatre is that it is not up to today's standards. Comfort is priority number one. When it first opened it was deemed to be better than the average living room in terms of comfort. We have got to be sure it matches that today.

Priority number two comes from the fact that this is one of the most difficult theatres in the country to get scenery in and also to fly it out. We'll take the opportunity of the closure period to improve the backstage facilities.