My friend and former colleague the theatre manager Ruth Eastwood, who has died aged 62 shortly after a diagnosis of breast cancer, reinvigorated a number of regional theatres through her ability to manage change while retaining and developing new talent.

Ruth was born in Watford, the youngest of the four children of Harold Eastwood, a compositor, and Betty (nee Edwards), and it was clear from a young age that theatre was her passion. She started as a front of house volunteer at Watford Palace theatre in her teens and, following her English literature degree at Sheffield, formed the Splash Theatre Company in Hull, a “pop-up” supported by the Enterprise Allowance Scheme.

While working as head of marketing with Hull Truck Theatre, she met Roger McCann, and they bonded over the inventive promotion of the play Bouncers in 1989, which involved taster performances in Blackpool nightclubs. The play may have bombed in Blackpool but the relationship happily survived.

The National Theatre, Bradford Theatres and Darlington Civic Theatre and Arts Centre were all to benefit from Ruth’s talent and passion before, in 1997, as the new CEO, she bounced in to Poole Arts Centre, a tired municipal building with lottery funding in need of regeneration. Ruth established an enduring relationship for the centre with the Arts Council and a new name, Lighthouse, and relaunch followed in 2002.

In my role as a trustee there, I worked alongside Ruth for eight years, and it was inspirational to watch her reinvigorate the building and the staff. Funny, principled and hugely intelligent, she always steered a compassionate course.

Mentoring and supporting seemed to lead naturally to fostering and in 2003 Ruth and Roger adopted Tawana, an Iraqi Kurdish refugee. More recently they hosted a Ukrainian family for more than a year as they fled from war.

Her love of a new challenge took her in 2006 from Poole to Leicester and the £60m Curve theatre new build. She oversaw its completion and launch in 2008, then spent a few years as a consultant before moving in 2013 to the very old and failing Blackpool Grand. Credited with saving it from closure, Ruth steered it through Covid, turning it from a local resource to one of national importance.

She was excited about her appointment in February this year to the role of theatres adviser to the Theatres Trust, the national public advisory and advocacy body. She had served as a trustee for nine years, the last six of them as vice-chair.

Ruth brought joy to a legion of friends and colleagues. She is survived by Roger and Tawana, and by her sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, and brother, Tim.