Early bird or night owl?
Early bird through and through – woken usually by sunlight or 6 Music.
One routine you swear by?
Coffee (and usually breakfast) in bed every morning I can. I’d rather wake up earlier to give myself this time to begin the day slowly.
Can’t travel without…?
A book, or two, or three. I recently gave in and bought an e-reader after realising I was packing more books than clothes on trips.
Who or what has influenced you most in your career?
The biggest influence has probably been a colleague – we’ve worked together for around 10 years and I’m very lucky to still work with them every day. When things are tricky, I learn so much about how to step up to the challenge with grace, how to find clarity in chaos. The rest of the time, we’re just having the most fun doing our jobs.
Favourite city to perform in and why?
It’s so hard to choose this one – but from a young age I’ve always loved London. And now, I visit regularly, it feels more like a home-from-home.
Guilty pleasure/indulgence?
Post-festival… probably bingeing absurd amounts of trashy procedural dramas. Air-fryer chips are up there too, at the moment.
Emma Hay is the Senior Programme Manager at Edinburgh International Festival.
