Directors and Trustees

The Seaton Gateway Theatre charity has eight Trustees who are also Directors of the organisation

Rachel Weber – Chair of Trustees
It is my great honour to serve as Chair of Trustees having been involved with this theatre within the old Town Hall on and off stage, throughout the campaign to save the building from developers, which ultimately led to the formation of The Gateway Theatre registered charity.
I have a 15 year career working across the UK, in New Zealand and in Jersey as an Occupational Therapist, finally settling in Seaton and working in Lyme until parenthood finally won the work/home lifestyle balance. I left OT to work as a dental nurse. After some years I took the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant in Seaton’s lovely primary school. It was with that background that I joined the Trustee Board with a specific interest in supporting local drama, links with education, overseeing safeguarding and inclusion.
I am so proud to have been involved in building the charity’s success to the point where the future of this beautiful building has become increasingly more secure as the trustees, staff and volunteers work tirelessly to bring a hugely varied programme of Arts and entertainment to our wonderful corner of East Devon.
Paul Hotchkiss

Retirement seems to be a word missing from my vocabulary.

An electronics job with the Independent Broadcasting Authority brought me and my family back to Seaton in 1979 and I soon became involved in volunteer work within the community, giving technical advice for productions by local drama/operatic, pantomime and musical societies.

My long career in the Royal Air Force, beginning in 1961, gave me varied work experience and an opportunity to explore the world.

I was based at RAF Brize Norton helping with experimental trials for a new automatic ‘Blind Landing System’ using a commercial Comet 2 and Trident airliners. A similar system was subsequently installed in aircraft and airports worldwide. A qualification in Electrical Engineering led into my service in the Middle East and Singapore, where I worked as a volunteer Programme Director at a Forces Radio Station. My experience as a ‘radio man’ led to my final RAF team project to commission a secure Maritime Communication System for Coastal Command.

The South Pacific was the next stop. My wife enrolled as a nurse in the local hospital while my task was to relocate a coastal radio station in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. For five years various Government projects took us to many of the wonderful scattered islands. After work with the Independent Broadcasting Authority and a short Radar refresher course with the RAF I resumed my old job in what is now known as Air Traffic Engineering. But this time with the Royal Navy.

Even though now retired I was recently part of a team which was commissioned to create new ground to air communication system for RN Air Traffic Control in the South West including staff training. I continue to work with the local societies and feel honoured to now be giving technical support to Seaton’s Gateway Theatre Company.

Annette Bentley

As one of the founding members of The Gateway I have much love and interest in this amazing charity.

Prior to moving to Seaton some 23 years ago I lived and worked in London at Grosvenor House, Park Lane before joining Bally of Switzerland as a manager for the Knightsbridge branch. Twenty years within such an environment resulted in valuable experience and knowledge within the hospitality and customer service base.

The Gateway is an amazing resource for Seaton, the surrounding areas and visitors alike. I am very proud to have been a part of the birth and growth of this wonderful Charity.

Alexandra Wilson
Francesca Mills-Durston
Ken Newland

Born in London, then 50 years in Berkshire, but with close links to Seaton for 20 years, we moved to Seaton permanently last year as it is where we wanted
to spend our final retirement years. As a chartered electronics engineer, Fellow of the Association of Project Management, Member of the British Computer Society, Certified practitioner and past CEO of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, I have had a varied and interesting career mainly in the defence industry working for both industry and the MoD. As department head for submarine combat systems engineering and managing Director of a medium sized systems engineering consultancy, I have managed teams from a few to over a hundred. In my latter years I designed and ran training courses across the world in bid management, proposal writing and risk management.

In my early retired years, I became chairman of our local carnival committee (12 years) and chairman of our parish council (8 years). Through these I developed an interest in local community matters and the arts and these, together with my management and professional background, are what I hope to bring to The Gateway. My other general interests include gardening, DIY, and portrait painting in oil.

Jamie Ransom
Chris Gamwell

Theatre Staff

Theatre Manager
Sophia Moseley
Programmer & Marketing
Ali Ransom
Finance Administrator
Justin Sutherland
Duty Manager
Justine Clarke
Theatre Technician
Paul Hotchkiss
Theatre Technician
Rebecca Mayfield

I am the Digital Cinema Projectionist and Tech Assistant at The Gateway Theatre. I have always loved films and theatre. My earliest memories include being taken as a child to see Herbie Rides Again at an open air cinema and also the pantomime Toad of Toad Hall in Lagos. When I’m not working at the theatre or at the library, I enjoy studying Italian, playing the piano, cycling, tennis, yoga, and swimming in the lovely bay at Seaton.