Tag Archive: leading light

1. Leading Light with…Jason Taylor – Part One

   30 August 2017 10:27 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Jason Taylor – Part One

   

   Lighting Designer Jason Taylor

   Our Copywriter Adam went to meet Jason Taylor…

   It’s a busy morning as I attempt to make my way along Charing Cross Road. Steering my way strategically between tourists and pedestrians, I eventually find myself at my chosen destination: the Garrick Theatre. The bright red posters adorned outside indicate that the next show to open is David Walliam’s Gangsta Granny. Looking down the list of credits on the main poster, I notice that it states Lighting Design by Jason Taylor; and that’s just the man I am here to meet today.

   Jason is a somewhat unique entry in the Leading Light series as, unlike the others I’ve spoken to, it seems that theatre played a significant role in his life from as early as he can recall. He states: “I was born in Oldham, Lancashire, and I came from an extremely theatrical family. My father is Kenneth Alan Taylor, former artistic director of Nottingham Playhouse, whereas my mum is Judith Barker who played Janet Barlow in Coronation Street for 8 years and has just been in Stepping Out at the Vaudeville Theatre so you could certainly say I have the entertainment industry in my blood!”. Jason’s parents met when his mother was in rep at Oldham Coliseum where his father was a director. This was during the days when a company of in-house actors would perform a different show each week. Due to his parent’s profession, Jason would often find himself in theatrical surroundings; which is where he can trace his passion for lighting back to. He recalls: “I remember from around the age of six, I would be sat in the auditorium at Oldham and just fascinated by the beams of light that would hit the stage. It really had a huge impact on me very early on”. However, this huge impact was to land Jason in a spot of trouble: “I must have been about ten and I remember my mum was playing Mother Courage in a show. However, I didn’t think the lighting was particularly good so I went into the auditorium during a show with a torch and shone it directly at her. Safe to say the crew, in particular the lighting designer, weren’t very happy!”.
    
   

   

   Jason is his very early days…

   
   Somewhat inevitably, theatre became a major interest for Jason growing up.  He comments: “I wasn’t particularly sporty nor did I have any other main hobbies apart from theatre. My sister and I were just immersed in this world and it was literally all we knew. My dad built me a model theatre where I essentially had to create the sets themselves (in miniature, of course). I remember building the sets for Oliver and then re-enacting the entire piece with the cast album playing next to me on the vinyl record player. I would perform all the scene changes and alter the lighting colour using sweet wrappers. You could say that was the first big musical I designed!”. When I ask Jason about his memories of school, his enthusiasm quickly wanes: “It was alright. The school I went to was literally round the corner from the Oldham Coliseum where my dad was Artistic Director at the time. I remember being sat in class wishing I was in the theatre instead. I was just eager to get stuck in; so much so that when I was 14 I was already working the followspots”. Unsurprisingly then, when the summer holidays came, Jason found himself virtually living in the theatre. He recalls: “During the summer, and when the theatre had some ‘downtime’, I found myself doing all of the maintenance jobs. This included such glamorous tasks as cleaning Patt 223 lenses and servicing 264s! Strangely enough, I really enjoyed doing it. I also knew by this point that I really wanted to pursue a career in lighting”.
   Jason left school at 16 and immediately went to the Royal Exchange in Manchester to join the stage crew: “That was interesting as I was only about five foot four and extremely scrawny. However my passion and desire to get stuck in overcame any physical struggles I had”.  During his time here, Jason learned of a programme that the Royal Exchange ran called Theatre’s Own Training, which was in conjunction with the ABTT. He states: “It was the same one that Jo Town did, except she was two years ahead of me (you can read her Leading Light here). So when I arrived, Jo was just finishing the last year of her training”. Jason started on the crew but knew his actual passion lay with lighting and he was desperate to embark on the training.  He states: “I started badgering the Chief LX saying I want to do that. To my delight, aged 17, they took me on. Sadly, the funding collapsed as the ABTT lost some of theirs. Thankfully the Exchange then paid for it themselves; something for which I’m eternally grateful”. By this point, Jo had completed her training and become assistant. Mirroring Jo’s path, this was a role that Jason would also fulfil following his training. He recalls: “During this period, not a lot of regional theatres had lighting designers who were visiting them on a regular basis. Thankfully, the Royal Exchange did. I learned a lot from simply observing designers at first before plucking up the nerve to ask if I could plot for them. One of my earliest memories was when Nick Chelton came in and did a couple of shows. Brian Harris also visited a few times. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by such established people and it was a great time to learn”.
    
   

   

   Jason’s parents Kenneth and Judith came from a theatrical background.

   
   Jason decided to leave the Exchange when he was 19; something he describes as a conscious decision: “I always knew there would be limited design opportunities there. As there were lots of visiting shows with their own LDs, it was difficult to break through on the design front. Also, as the Exchange job was so full on, I didn’t even have time to light shows on the side which is what I really wanted to do. My secret dream was to move on and only come back to light a show – something I was able to achieve”. Upon leaving Manchester, Jason moved to Nottingham where he became Deputy LX at the Nottingham Playhouse. The move was driven by the fact that Jason knew there would be more lighting opportunities over at Nottingham – something which would prove to be true: “Effectively, a year into the job I became their Resident Lighting Designer. The first show I lit there was the stage adaptation of Kes. It was a great experience as I had to learn very fast. We were doing a show every three weeks so you’d open on say a Wednesday or a Thursday and then the following Monday it would be straight into rehearsals for a new show. You had to work quick and I think I’ve taken this skill throughout my career of having to think fast and get on with it, as opposed to having endless discussions”. Nottingham would also offer Jason his West End lighting debut – at the tender age of 20. He recalls: “My first West End show was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. It started at the Playhouse before transferring to the Piccadilly Theatre in London. I had literally gone from working as part of a crew to lighting a show in the West End in the space of a few months – it was certainly a surreal experience!”.
    
   

   

   Oldham Coliseum would offer Jason his first taste of theatre.

   
   Along with career opportunities, Nottingham also provided Jason a fresh approach to lighting his shows. He states: “Before joining Nottingham, I hadn’t really learned the theory of lighting design and studied what this was. I had copied things I’d initially seen and tried to replicate tropes. At the Playhouse, this gave me the opportunity to experiment and learn from my mistakes”. While Jason swears this was invaluable for his own development, he believes that similar opportunities are no longer available today: “The problem is that the chances to get it wrong and learn from this simply aren’t there now. There are a lot of large regional theatres, such as Nottingham, that don’t have any in-house opportunities. That said, this isn’t all down to budgetary factors. Rather, lighting design has achieved a much higher status in recent years. Lighting design, and general lighting jobs in theatre, have become much more specialised – to the point where you have individuals who are experts in their fields. Back in the day you used to have a production electrician who would just do some lighting on the side hence they could play around with certain techniques”.
    
   

   

   Romeo and Juliet at Open Air Theatre. It was directed by a certain Judi Dench.

   
   Jason was in Nottingham for four years and left aged just 23. He comments: “I felt at this point that the next natural step was to go out and be a freelance lighting designer. So I left, expecting to be inundated with opportunity after opportunity. Imagine my surprise when I then hardly worked for 12 months!”. Jason remained in Nottingham during this time yet a move to London was soon to be on the cards. He recalls: “I got offered an amazing gig at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from a director called Caroline Smith who I’d worked with in Nottingham. The year was 1990 and the show as Julius Caesar. It went really well and I was very proud of my design. The then Artistic Director Ian Talbot came up to me afterwards and asked if I’d come back next year. I of course said yes. However, I was quite surprised when he said he didn’t just want me to light one show but the entire season!”. And it wasn’t just the 1991 season that Jason returned for. He would go on to light the next twenty and work on productions such as Romeo and Juliet, directed by Judi Dench, Richard III, directed by Brian Cox, and Hamlet, directed by Tim Piggot-Smith.
    
   During his time at Regent’s Park, Jason would see the theatre transform rapidly: “When I first started, the theatre was very basic. It was literally a raised stage and a seating block with four lighting positions and some rickety scaff towers left and right, along with a handful of battered, rusty par cans. Very slowly, year on year, they managed to build this up (I remember the first time we bought 12 x waterproof scrollers and how impressed we were!). In 2000, we received National Lottery money so more technical facilities were added and more money spent. As a result, I felt like I took the venue on a journey and really saw it grow”. Jason’s first season at Regent’s Park also marks the first time he lit outside. He comments: “I think of lighting outside as creating broad brushstrokes. It’s not something you can do subtly and you need to accept that you can’t fight the elements of daylight. That said, I remember one director on a production of Macbeth saying I need you to turn daylight into night. When I said this was physically impossible, he couldn’t comprehend why not. To this day, I’ve still not found a fixture that’s capable of this…”.
   Click here to read Part Two.

2. Leading Light with…Jason Taylor – Part Two

   10:26 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Jason Taylor – Part Two

   

   Journey’s End on Broadway earned Jason a Tony nomination.

   During his early career, Regent’s Park offered Jason a good platform to work around. He states: “It was three shows during the summer so offered me a good base for the year. I also kept going back to Nottingham to do their Christmas production so made sure I had a handful of shows that kept me ticking over”. Following his work at Regent’s Park, it seems that Jason’s reputation began to slowly grow. He recalls: “I met a director called David Grindley who I would go on to work with extensively. Looking back, my first real big break came with him and Journey’s End”. Journey’s End is the now classic play by R.C.Sherriff which first premiered in London in 1928. Jason was brought on board as the lighting designer for the 2006 West End revival. He states: “The show initially entered the Harold Pinter Theatre and from there it literally just took off. We were only supposed to do eight weeks yet it received such a great reception that it extended. It then moved to the Duke of York’s before embarking on a UK tour. It then went back into The Playhouse in the West End before another tour and then into The Ambassadors!” As if a mini-tour of the West End wasn’t enough, this would only mark the beginning of the show’s journey…

   

   Pygmalion on Broadway.

   Having been watched by an American producer in London, they decided to take the show and transfer it onto Broadway. Jason recalls: “We discovered the show was going to run at the Belasco Theatre. This was my first Broadway show and it was a brilliant experience. We were fortunate as it was the same creative team as London, which included director David Grindley, sound designer Gregory Clarke and set designer Jonathan Fensom. We were all at similar stages of our career and all got on really well as mates”. But was taking a show to Broadway not a daunting prospect for Jason? Apparently not: “We knew the show and were confident in what we could do with it. As in London, it was really well received and nominated for a string of Tony Awards; including Best Lighting Design”.

   Similar to Regent’s Park, it would appear that Journey’s End would open more doors for Jason – yet now at the other side of the pond. He states: “We were asked by an American producer who had seen Journey’s End to go back and work on a revival of Pygmalion. It starred Homeland actress Claire Danes as Eliza”. While it was essentially the same team working on Pygmalion, this is where the similarities to Journey’s End finish. He states: “Whereas Journey’s End was well received but didn’t sell very well (probably because of its very dark subject matter), Pygmalion had terrible reviews but packed the place out every night!”. He adds: “I remember a review in the New York Times for Journey’s End that had a whole paragraph dedicated to the lighting, including a quote which stated: ‘Jason Taylor’s lighting beautifully summons the requisite claustrophobia’. Conversely, one review from Pygmalion kindly said: ‘Lighting Designer Jason Taylor thinks he’s still stuck in the WW1 bunker’. Safe to say you remember your bad reviews!”.

   

   The Empire at the Royal Court which was a personal highlight for Jason. 

   And while his career was flourishing on Broadway, Jason was making similar waves back in the UK. He states: “Following Journey’s End, things just took off. At one point, I had three shows in the West End, one at the Old Vic and one on Broadway. The problem is you think this is how it’s going to be forever – and it really isn’t!” That said, Jason does possess a series of extremely impressive credits, ranging from The Boys from Syracuse, again directed by Judi Dench, Our Boys at the Duchess Theatre, an American tour of Sweet Sorrow and The Empire at the Royal Court to name but a few. He adds: “I made some great contacts early on and it just built from there, year on year. It’s been a healthy mix of commercial work, venues such as the Royal Exchange, Hampstead, along with other new writing theatres. Ultimately, unless you have a huge show bringing in royalties, you need to keep working and find sources of income – so I like to mix it up!”. Having lit such a wide range of work, I can’t help but ask Jason what his favourite type of show to work on is. He has a clear answer: there isn’t one: “When I was at the Royal Exchange, I wasn’t entirely sure as to what type of work to light early on. I spoke to the Deputy LX and they gave me some great advice: just light anything. This is particularly important when you’re just starting out. I genuinely believe this is something I embodied and perpetuated throughout my career. Obviously you can’t say yes to everything but you need to keep your options open”.

   

   How the Other Half Loves in the West End which Jason lit last year.

   Along with this open approach to his work, Jason also reiterates how important it is to ensure that contacts are not only established but sustained. He states: “I remember having a drink with Peter Mumford about ten years ago (you can read Peter’s Leading Light here). He was good friends with Gregory Clarke, the sound designer on Journey’s End. All three of us were stood round, chattTheing about what we were doing and Peter said he’d just been offered The Rivals with Peter Hall in Bath, which was also going into the Haymarket in the West End. Sadly, he wasn’t available but I mentioned that I was. Peter suggested I dropped Peter Hall a line to make him aware I was interested and available. I thought this was a bit cheeky but Peter was insistent I just do it. I followed his advice and Peter replied asking me to meet him for a coffee. I did and he offered me the job there and then. This was particularly special as it was one of my career highlights. It had the most stunning set design by Simon Higlett and it was a pleasure to light”.

   As with all of the Leading Lights I speak to, my final question to Jason is what advice does he have for the next generation? He has a couple of tips: “Personality is the most important aspect to being a lighting designer. You need to get the rig right, and obviously light the piece but you then have to work with other creatives and deploy as much diplomacy as possible. It’s important to remember to put your take and style on a show yet also remember that you’re part of something bigger and a large part is taking on board everyone’s opinion. It’s easier on some shows than it is on others but when you do work on that brilliant production where it’s a joyous collaboration (similar to Journey’s End) then you realise that it’s all worth it”. Jason’s pragmatic approach to lighting is also reflected in his other advice for young designers: “Ultimately, you just need to go out and get on with it. Take the plunge and become freelance. I do think it’s a lot harder than it was and there seems to be more LDs than ever now. However, it’s something you just need to do”.

   On that decisive note, Jason has to run back to the Garrick to work on the final tech of Gangsta Granny. He is only in London for a few days before returning to his native Lancashire where he now lives with his wife and three children. It is at this point when he offers his final words of wisdom: “I actually think one of the most important things for lighting designers is to strike a work/life balance. For me, I obviously love lighting shows but I equally love spending time with my family. There’s been times in the past where I’ve turned down big jobs so I can spend time with them. It’s important that you recognise what’s important to you personally. I made a conscious decision to have that balance and have never regretted it once”. And as I look over Jason’s credits and career one last time, it’s certainly obvious that this approach has worked very well for him.

   Photos courtesy of Alastair Muir, Jason Taylor, Joan Marcus, Nobby Clark and Sara Krulwich.

3. Leading Light with…Mike Robertson – Part One

   1 August 2017 12:13 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Mike Robertson – Part One

   

   Lighting Designer Mike Robertson

   
   Our Copywriter Adam speaks to Mike Robertson…
   Over the past ten months, Leading Light has become one of the most popular features on the WL website and been read by thousands. For every interview, I have met with the designer and spoken to them face-to-face in order to hear about their journey and how they became one of the most renowned individuals in their profession. This month is slightly different in the sense that the interview is taking place virtually. I have been meaning to speak to Mike Robertson for some time yet his busy schedule has meant that he is never in one place for too long. However, from the sunny islands of Greece, he has finally found time to take part via the magic of the internet. And upon listening to his story, it soon becomes clear it was worth the wait…
   Mike’s story begins in the early Seventies where he was adopted from Norwegian extraction and grew up on the east coast of Scotland in a small town called Arbroath. He states: “It is a historically significant town whose eponymous declaration in 1320 defined an independent Scottish Sovereignty. Sadly, when I was growing up there, it was a less hopeful place with industries dwindling, EU quotas ensuring that fishing was a diminishing strain of income and one in every ten high street shops being given over to charity. Despite this, there was still verdant woodland, fields groaning with an abundance of colourful produce and always the stolid and majestic sea. It was also the land of Angus beef and fish so fresh a good vet could revive it!”. Mike’s father and his close friends were all painters yet, despite his love of art, Mike insists that his own skills failed to “extend beyond stick men and clouds that looked like legless sheep”. It was during these early days in Arbroath when Mike was first introduced to drama and performance. He recalls: “My first taste of theatre came at school when I was cast in The Pied Piper as ‘Surf Number Four’. I soon realised that the performing lark was most definitely not for me!”. Whereas acting might not have been Mike’s passion, he did have other interests: “My biggest hobby as a child was building. Machines, structures, contraptions; most of dubious quality and some even rather pyrotechnic as my earlier grasps on electricity were more theoretical than calculated. It was the desire to create that was foremost”.
    
   

   

   A very young Mike!

   
   Whereas theatre did not play a huge role in Mike’s upbringing, it was certainly there in the background. He comments: “Just south of our town is Dundee and the Repertory Theatre which was a powerhouse of production. One of my earliest memories is their sensational production of The Snow Queen. I remember it was all icy blue and full of people of indeterminate gender! It was mesmeric. The following week was Blithe Spirit in a beautiful Art Deco setting. One thing I do remember was the lighting. Even now, I can see the Minuette Fresnels on the floor and thinking wow – the lights don’t all need to go up into the air?!”. Arbroath itself had two theatres: a playhouse for amateurs and a 700 seater for touring productions. Mike states: “I joined the amateur society as a precocious 11-year-old and adored poking around the tiny flies and attics of the old building. A few years later opportunities came to actually light at the bigger venue. We had a semaphore colour change system which I thought was the height of sophistication. The approach to lighting around those times was pipe ends and buckets of face. I started experimenting in side light, back light and suddenly the whole visage was more interesting. That was noted and the flurry of approval gave me a shot in the arm. Whilst I was still very much experimenting, I felt I was onto something…”. It was also during this time that Mike realised the true impact lighting could have. However, this experience wasn’t inside a theatre but, rather, on a family holiday: “We were on holiday in Copenhagen when we came across a sequence of interactive glass sculptures which you could rotate in the sunlight and form enchanting colourful shapes. I may not be able to paint with oils, but with light…”
    
   

   

   Mike during his Guildhall days.

   
   During this time, Mike was continuing with his studies. He states: “I was a boarder at Merchiston Castle School for Boys which has the record of being one of the most eminent rugby schools in the world. That said, the headmaster was a visionary man and allowed us to individually excel in other areas. As luck would have it, the year after I arrived they started building a theatre and, following a suitable campaign of bargaining with the man, he must have conceded that my spare time should be spent working in there; for no reason other than to shut me up. It was a fantastic time and I really did have a ball. Academically I did quite well although I have no idea how as I never seemed to do much more than play with lights!”. It was also during this time that Mike would meet one of his biggest influences: Andy Collier at Strand. Mike recalls: “Andy was the kindest and most helpful man in the lighting game. He took such an early interest in my passion for the subject and never faltered in that for all the years I knew him. I’m afraid a lot of knowledge went with him and so I try and retain as much history of our craft to educate myself and preserve his memory”.
   At this point, Mike knew he wanted to pursue a career in theatre lighting. He applied for further education and, after a long conversation with Johanna Town (whose Leading Light you can read here), he decided to go to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Mike recalls: “The discipline at Guildhall when I studied bordered military! We worked mainly six days a week with short lunch and supper breaks every day from 8am in the morning to 9.30pm at night. It engendered such a work ethic that no professional engagement has ever seemed too drawn out. Even though most of the students knew the areas we wanted to target, the reality was that we were allocated to all departments equally. This was the best thing that could have happened as it gave us a working knowledge of every discipline which is the true empathy required to do your own specialism well”.
    
   

   

   The legendary Julian Slade who became a friend of Mike’s.

   
   That said, upon graduation, Mike was prepared for the realities of life as a freelance theatre practitioner: “The drama schools were chucking us all out at the same time and the opportunities, as ever, were disproportionate to the sheer volume of us. I think London can be a daunting place at any time but particularly when you’re starting out. That said, some early knock backs are in fact essential if you are going to pace a long freelance life”. To find work, Mike got in touch with relatives in Bushey Heath and negotiated to stay with them while doing various summer jobs such as an ASM. He recalls: “I actually moved back to Scotland for a short time until one chilly morning I was overcome with the spirit of Dick Whittington and packed hastily before buying a one way ticket back to old London Town. Once again, I was at the mercy of friends to put me up. I then touted around for a bit before fate intervened: I was asked if I would like to be Assistant Director on a musical adaptation of The Comedy of Errors. The music was by the much beloved Julian Slade (of Salad Days fame) who became a lifelong friend and it was directed by the fearsome Anthony Besch”.
   It was during The Comedy of Errors that Mike was to meet someone who influenced both his personal and professional life. He states: “My job on the show was mainly looking after the director – despite the fact I wanted to jump ship to the lighting department. The LD was Roger Frith, a legendary figure from Sadlers Wells and English National Opera. He lit it beautifully and was the most magnetic presence. Just as delightful was his wife, the actress Joyce Rae, who decided that the 21-year-old me needed ‘London Parents’ and she remains that to this day. Sadly Rog is no longer with us but those two were the seminal, central figures who started me out in the business”.
    
   

   

   Mike become involved with Theatro Technis in Camden.

   
   And so under watchful eyes began Mike’s career in theatre. He took on various odd jobs on a variety of productions yet it was a brush with a certain Beatrix Potter to which he owes his first big break. He recalls: “Clare Fox got in touch to say that an actress called Rohan McCullough needed a technical bod to help her with a show about the author. I went to meet her in some funny old theatre space in Kensington and we hit it off straight away. Her partner was the iconic playwright Hugh Whitemore and I remember attending several parties at their place in Notting Hill. One morning, she rang me to say that they had been at a dinner the night before with a man called George Biggs whom she thought was part of the Great Train Robbery. Despite getting her wires severely crossed, George was indeed a highly significant figure in Maybox Entertainment (which would eventually become ATG). I arranged a meeting with him and, within half an hour, I was the new charge-hand sparks at The Phoenix Theatre in Charing Cross Road!”. Whereas the Phoenix would ensure that Mike would be kept busy for the next few years, he continued to light shows on the London fringe scene at venues such as the Kings Head, Islington, and the New End, Hampstead. He states: “One of the earliest shows I remember lighting was a Moliere called Two Precious Maidens Ridiculed – although I dread to think what it looked like! I also became involved with a group called Theatro Technis who were based in Camden. We did show after show and it was a lovely bit of retraining, particularly having the continuity of working on diverse pieces in the same building. You could refine methods, systems of light and ways of technically going about things without ever forgetting that this honing of technique was not in itself lighting design but, moreover, a sharper aide in achieving it”.
   Click here to read Part Two.

4. Leading Light with…Mike Robertson – Part Two

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   The Wood Demon by Chekhov marked Mike’s West End debut.

   
   For the next few years, Mike continued to divide his time from the Phoenix to lighting shows on the side, commenting: “I would use all of my free time and holidays to light anything that was offered to me”. Mike’s next big break would come from his friend Felicity Field. He states: “She had been chosen by the new owners of the Playhouse to be the CSM for their inaugural productions and, bless her heart, she had them interview me for the LD role. I got the job! We opened with Chekhov’s The Wood Demon featuring a luminous cast and a cavernous timber set. It was my first show in the West End and a daunting one to begin with. That said, I was proud of what I did and it meant people saw my work and marked the beginning of creating a profile”.
   Following this exposure, Mike found himself in popular demand and his work would soon take him across the globe. He states: “In 1999, we were asked to take an all-black version of The Magic Flute to the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe. There were venues there including Harare Gardens where we were to perform the opera outdoors. The organisers asked me if I would do a bit more than just light this one show and approached me to supervise the other venues as well as create infrastructures for other productions. The days were long with rehearsals and fit outs extending through the nights for weeks to come. Yet it was all worth it. Our show was magical and had an audience of thousands all sat on the grass of this vast arena as the Queen of the Night appeared high above the stage towering over everyone in the trees”.
   Mike would also work at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo where he had developed a close working-relationship with Head of Lighting Terje Wolmer. Mike adds: “I began to feel extremely comfortable with both working on a scale far larger than I had in the UK as well as working in other countries. Wherever you find yourself, most people seem to be trying to achieve the same result, just with different methods. As the saying goes, travel really does expand the mind”.
   

   

   Sunday in the Park with George saw Mike win an Olivier Award.

   
   Despite his growing reputation abroad, Mike would achieve one of his biggest successes back in the UK following his work on Sunday in the Park with George at the Wyndham’s Theatre. He comments: “I co-designed Sunday in the Park with Natasha Chivers (you can read her Leading Light here) and we won the Olivier for it. It was fantastic to receive such recognition as well as have that ‘certificate of competence’ as it were. I see it as a glorious badge of honour to have both now and in the future and it’s something I’m very proud of. I’ve been lucky to also be nominated for others including Creative Scotland and WhatsOnStage Awards through the years too”.
   Looking through Mike’s impressive credits, whether it is Oedipus, Billy Liar, Honeymoon in Vegas, Fascinating Aida, The Philanthropist or Hairspray in the Far East or even the European premiere of The Perfect Life, it’s difficult to pick any one highlight. However, he himself has one show which stands out from the rest. Mike states: “I always remember the stage adaptation of On the Waterfront which was written by Steven Berkoff with whom I have collaborated on many productions. Performed on a very simple open stage, we worked together to make the lighting define the geography and emotion of the play. We started out in Nottingham Playhouse before tours, international outings and a London run. I saw the whole thing in my head as a three dimensional film noir. I designed it around a bunch of VL3500s that would produce coloured shapes to define places, objects, times or sentiments which, when transitioning from one scene to the next, would move and reshape in vision as continuously as the sprockets of film running through a projector. One reviewer said the lighting was the seventh character in the play”. Despite his amazing credits, Mike is keen to emphasise that there are certain shows that don’t bring back such fond memories. He states: “One show that stands out for the wrong reasons was All Bob’s Women. It has the proud mantle of being the only show in West End history to close in the interval. It was a remake of the original Italian version and it’s safe to say that something was most definitely lost in translation…”.
   

   

   On the Waterfront is one of Mike’s proudest shows.

   
   As Mike has worked on such a wide variety of productions across the globe, I ask him what his approach to lighting a show is. He has a very clear answer: “Truth. If I don’t believe what I’m looking at then I can’t expect an audience to. We live in a great age where older distinctions about how you approach certain genres has all but fallen away and you’re as likely to take an operatic or balletic approach to a play IF it feels like the right thing to do. I have little or no belief in an adherence to style but I have a completely unwavering view in how you approach the work. For me, it’s about finding that source of inspiration. For instance, I’ll trawl galleries until something pings and London is a magnificent city in which to do that. Years ago I was lighting an April De Angelis play about David Garrick’s acting company A Laughing Matter so I would immerse myself in the music of the time and made a visit to Sir John Soane’s museum to study Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress. Even though the paintings are from an earlier time, the sentiment of decline and indeed the brief nature of a life helped me to find the truest light in which to reveal the play”. It is no surprise then that Mike describes his lighting style as “painterly”. He explains: “I almost always relate a play/scene/song back to a painting and then work it out from there. I avoid rigid concepts such as the Victorian ‘science’ of ‘Colour Music’ which advocated the notion that a pitch of note can be related symbiotically to a wavelength of light. This doesn’t ring true to me as it doesn’t take objectivity into account. If I said green, you might think of envy and I might think of parsley. Equally, if we were hearing a G Sharp, then one of us may see a purple light and the other a primary red. How you respond is what makes us all idiosyncratic. Ultimately, I think we create art because we doubt. By painting pictures with light, time and time again, I believe we get closer to the truth”.
   

   

   Guys and Dolls at Cambridge Arts Theatre

   
   And so comes the point in Leading Light where I ask Mike the question I put to every Lighting Designer: what advice does he have for the next generation? He states: “This is a long game. If things don’t pan out straight away (and they may not), just keep smiling and do not despair because you can be doing this job in your 80s. No one will tell you to retire and, unlike other crafts, longevity is highly prized. For me, a stable home life is a good thing as are family and good friends. It’s also important to remember to have a life outside theatre. I try to travel as much as I can and I also love cooking which is my main passion (I’m always in the kitchen!). Similarly, while you might not be immediately lighting a big hit in the West End, there are other ways in which you can earn a living from lighting. There is always money to be made in the corporate sector to subsidise the progression of your career in theatre. Light anything and everything (within reason) and, often as not, you turn your back for five minutes and the career is sustaining itself. Frequently it also requires you to perform a nimble high wire act and jump from project to project or even give the appearance of being in two or more places at once. Many have done it and will continue in that vein. Not all of it will be great, some of it will be downright awful but why not make the lighting the best bit of it? As Sophocles wrote – ‘The journey’s good to teach us something’. I agree!”.
   And on that philosophical note, it seems like an appropriate way to conclude this month’s Leading Light. Echoing his own advice, Mike is actually about to embark on a non-theatrical project. He states: “Alongside eight more shows this year, I’m designing the lighting for a Piccadilly Nightclub – something I’m very excited about. Whatever project I’m working on, for me, it’s about ensuring that the beauty and quality of light is the main focus and that we don’t lose this. We’re entering an increasingly digital age and we humans remain analogue machines, full of errors and imperfections and so much of our happiness in life and light comes from those qualities.”
   Photos courtesy of ActDrop, Alastair Muir, Holly Poe Durbin, Julian Slade, Mike’s dad, Nicky Bunch and Tristram Kenton.
    

5. Leading Light with…Peter Mumford – Part One

   28 June 2017 15:22 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Peter Mumford – Part One

   

   Peter Mumford

   Our Copywriter Adam went to meet Peter Mumford…

   It’s a blistering morning as I exit the tube at Sloan Square Station. Thankfully I only have to make the short walk to the Royal Court Theatre as it is here I am meeting Peter Mumford, one of the most renowned and respected lighting designers in the industry. Having just finished lighting the dazzling 42^nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane (you can read his interview here), Peter is now lighting The Ferryman which has just opened at the Royal Court Theatre to a multitude of five star reviews. Before he prepares for its transfer to the Gielgud Theatre, he’s managed to take some time out of his busy schedule to take part in this month’s Leading Light.

   In what’s now become somewhat of a cliché with Leading Light, we start at the very beginning. Peter’s story begins in London, or more specifically Sutton. He recalls: “I was raised in the suburbs in what was not a particularly theatrical family. My mother was a primary school teacher whereas my father was a gas showroom manager”. Whilst his family might not have worked in the industry, they still had an interest: “Both my parents became involved in amateur dramatics after the war. I remember being taken often to Wimbledon Theatre which wasn’t that far from where I lived. The first thing I recall ever seeing on stage was Peter Pan at the Scala Theatre, which was ultimately demolished in 1969. I was just nine at the time and still remember images from the show and I think it may have been Margaret Lockwood playing Pan!”.

   

   Peter Pan was Peter’s earliest theatrical memory.

   At secondary school, Peter became heavily involved in the art department and studied the subject at A Level. He recalls: “I really enjoyed Art and come the age of 15/16, I began helping out on school theatre productions where I would help design the set. I will always remember visiting my Careers Master and not having a clue what I wanted to do. The only two things that seemed relatively palatable were maybe a journalist or graphic designer – to which my Careers Master said he couldn’t stand either artists or journalists!”. Yet this didn’t deter Peter and he would go on to study at the Wimbledon School of Art. It was here he undertook a pre-diploma course where he studied “a bit of everything”. During this time, he would continue to see shows and work on college productions in the capacity of set designer. For a while, it seemed as if set design would be Peter’s calling as, once he finished at Wimbledon, he went to Central School of Art to study Stage Design under Ralph Koltai – a decision that would prove to be life changing. Peter states: “That first term at Central had a huge influence on me; particularly under the guidance of Ralph. We did a lot of work at the Cochrane Theatre which was a part of the Central School of Art building and Ralph would bring in all of these amazing directors and designers who he was involved with on his own projects. As a result, we got to work with people such as Charles Marovitz , Clifford Williams and John Bury, along with lighting designer Brian Benn who gave a lecture course in lighting which Ralph Koltai was very involved in. At the time there were no dedicated lighting design courses and indeed only three stage design courses throughout the UK. In retrospect, I realise just how fortunate we were to have immediate access to such influential individuals and the experience of those projects remains a great inspiration”.

   

   Ralph Koltai was a huge influence during Peter’s studies.

   During this time, Peter found himself seeing more and more shows, allowing his passion for theatre to grow. He states: “I was seeing a lot of shows – around three a week. I was slowly becoming obsessed and soaked up whatever I could. It was a time when Laurence Olivier was leading the National Theatre and Peter Brook was directing at the RSC so I was able to see the many famous productions of that time”. It was during these years that contemporary dance began emerging in Britain; an art form that would hugely influence Peter: “I was immediately fascinated by contemporary dance. I was lucky in the sense that Ballet Rambert’s London base was the Cochrane Theatre where annual collaborations with the design students and young choreographers took place. Norman Morris, the then artistic director of Rambert, led several projects within the design school which again furthered my interest in contemporary dance”. Peter continued studying for his diploma and soon found himself in his third and final year (“there were only seven of us left by that point!”). To make some money alongside his studies, Peter began working as a stagehand at the Palladium theatre. His first professional gig? “I remember it was in 1968 and I was paid to sweep the confetti from the stage in the original production of Hair!”. So not to interfere with his studies, Peter would work evenings and was paid a modest £5 a week, noting that you “got paid more if you wore ‘blacks’ for the in view scene changes”. And whilst this was initially seen as a way of earning some extra money, it actually proved to be another form of training. Peter states: “What my stagehand experience showed me was how all aspects of the theatre worked. I got to see the importance of every role – something which would prove extremely useful in my later career”.

   

   Peter’s first paid job in theatre was sweeping up confetti on the original production of Hair in 1968.

   Having gained his diploma, Peter entered the working world on a full-time basis and continued to assist at the Palladium. He states: “While I was working at the Palladium, Geoff Moore (then a young emerging director) was also working there at the same time. He told me that he was setting up his own company called Moving Being on the back of a commission from the newly created I.C.A. He asked me if I wanted to come on board and I jumped at the chance”. Moving Being was formed in 1968 and was known as an “experimental mixed media theatre group” incorporating text, film, projections and music with contemporary dancers and actors. The first project Peter worked on was a Festival in Berlin called London Now in Berlin. Peter recalls how they literally “threw everything in the back of van and hit the road”. However, Peter wouldn’t be hitting the road any time soon as he stayed with Moving Being for more than ten years. He recalls: “My role at the company was Set, Projection and Lighting Designer (effectively Technical Director). Essentially my work encompassed all of the visual elements which were vital in every show. The role also acted as my first real introduction to using lights. While using early projection equipment (nowhere near as bright as today!) I soon realised that this required lighting control as well, so lights began to play a much greater role in my artistic output”. Peter left London to move to Cardiff where the company was based and it would be his home for the next twenty years at least. He states: “We were fortunate in the sense that we received financial support from the Welsh Arts Council who were always very encouraging of our work. We were based at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff which was an old school converted into an arts centre. He recalls: “Working with that company turned out to be a huge learning curve and was very formative for me. It was a huge influence on all of my work from there on.”

   

   The original Moving Being company. Guess which one is Peter…

   Peter stayed with the company until 1978 when he decided to move onto pastures new. While he continued to work with the company on individual projects, he found himself working on more and more shows as a freelancer; in particular dance productions. He states: “Following my extensive work with Moving Being, I naturally became involved with the contemporary dance world, teaching design and lighting at London Contemporary School of Dance at The Place in London. What’s important to remember is that, with a lot of dance and choreography, there was often no real set as such, hence light has to play an important role within the space. It has to become a part of the piece and takes on a much more scenic role”. During this time, Peter found himself lighting a lot of Siobhan Davies’ work along with many pieces with Richard Alston whilst he was artistic director of Rambert in the 80s. He marks these as two of the most important and influential creative relationships in his career. His continued involvement in dance saw Peter lighting many various dance works with several different choreographers around London, mainly at The Place Theatre but also at Sadler’s Wells.

   In 1982, Peter became a founding member of Second Stride Dance Company, along with Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies, Ian Spink and designer Antony MacDonald. Although the company was only supposed to run one season, their combined expertise and critically-acclaimed work saw them continue for some 15 years. Peter states: “I was very proud to be part of Second Stride – particularly during such an exciting time. It was an accumulation of the previous collaborations and productions I had worked on and it felt like what we were doing was creating innovative and profound dance pieces”. Across this period of time, Peter’s work also evolved into the opera world and whilst he continued to design sets from time to time, the emphasis had moved more into the area of lighting design.

   Click here for Part Two.

6. Leading Light with…Paule Constable – Part Two

   26 April 2017 13:23 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Paule Constable – Part Two

   

   The Street of Crocodiles at the National Theatre.

   This was the motivation that Paule needed and she soon found herself taking on her first paid gig with 784 Scotland. It was here she met renowned designer Rae Smith who Paule would work with numerous times over the years. She states: “It was fantastic meeting with Rae as the way she talked about theatre made real sense to me. It wasn’t jargon or numbers or technical terms; it was her own language. This inspired me to develop my own way of talking about theatre; one which made sense to me”. Following 784 Scotland, Paule then lit and toured shows with Complicite. One of these was The Street of Crocodiles which she deems as her “big break”. She comments: “Street was a huge success; much bigger than I anticipated. It ran at the National and then I found myself at aged 26 being nominated for an Olivier. It was quite surreal!”. It also meant that Paule was now recognised as an emerging lighting designer and her work was finally being viewed on a bigger scale: “The show opened so many doors for me. I was taken on by an agent meaning I had someone to represent me for this first time. It also meant that I went from being a relatively unknown to having people now want to work with me – they were even returning my letters!”.

   

   The Dark Materials won Paule her first Olivier.

   Paule continued working closely with Complicite as well as branching out into other productions. This included operatic shows and she worked extensively at the Royal Opera House, with her first design being Rigoletto for David McVicar. Since then, she has continued to work in opera and has even co-directed productions. She states: “I love opera as it gives you a freedom that traditional theatre simply doesn’t afford. Opera seems to be less scared of designers that aren’t a big name as such. They are less worried about the credits and more interested in the artist and what they can bring to the role. Similarly, opera allows a much wider scale of expression. You can be really bold aesthetically and this potential has had a huge influence on the rest of my design”.

   

   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has earned Paule an Olivier and Tony Award.

   Across her career, Paule has won four Olivier Awards, two Tony Awards as well as the LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Her extensive list of credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse, Sleeping Beauty, This House, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Weir, Elegy, Happy Days, Herons, Blasted, Red Shoes, Clybourne Park, The Chalk Garden, Waves, His Dark Materials, RSC Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. Looking at a CV like Paule’s, it reflects the dream résumé for any lighting designer; she’s done it all and then done it again. Yet what has allowed her to take on so many incredible productions and achieved the highest recognition in the industry time and time again? For her, there’s no big secret: “It’s all about relationships. My entire career has been based on a handful of relationships: with Complicite, Rae Smith, Katie Mitchell (theatre director), Vicky Mortimer (Designer), Marianne Elliott, Michael Grandage, Rufus Norris and David McVicar. It’s all about building those strong working partnerships and singling out people who you want to work with time and time again. With all of these, we’ve grown as artists together and we seem to be able to get the most out of each other. Whoever I work with, whether it’s Rufus Norris or Marianne Elliot, we have a strong working relationship and that’s fundamental to me and my work”.

   

   Paule with WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven at this year’s Tonic Awards

   Alongside her obvious lighting talents, there is another thing that Paule is renowned for: promoting the role of women in theatre. She is only one of two women to have received an Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design (the other being Natasha Chivers’ whose Leading Light you can read here) and has always advocated the role of women in theatre. She comments: “Women still aren’t represented as well as they should be in theatre. It’s a very male-dominated industry and we need to change that. When I began working in the business, I started in rock ‘n’ roll gigs. For a young woman, this was just awful. You were constantly cat-called and it really was an intimidating environment. Moving into theatre, people’s attitudes improved mildly but it was still uncomfortable”. Earlier this month, Paule was presented with a Tonic Theatre Award – an awards ceremony that celebrates women’s role in theatre. It was presented to her by WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven. So now that there is an organisation championing women in the arts, is the industry no longer sexist? Paule has an answer: “Not at all. It has got better but certain attitudes and prejudices still exist, sadly. A lot of it is subconscious sexism that might leak through a particular comment or in a conversation with a certain individual. All we can keep doing is raising the issue, making sure people are aware of it and making sure we call it out when it does happen”.

   There’s also another area in which Paule remains passionate: politics. Following her politically geared education, she still believes that theatre can do more to engage with the world around us. She states: “There is a huge lack of politics within contemporary theatre. The stories we tell on stage really matter and it needs to be a space where we can have some sort of debate. The best type of theatre is that which makes you think and I actively seek out projects that have an important political and social matter behind them”.

   

   The iconic War Horse, for which Paule won a Tony Award.

   Paule is now being called back into the tech box as Seventeen is about to start. It’s one of the first shows she’s lighting this year, before she begins work on the highly anticipated Angels in America which will run at the National Theatre. Add this to the fact that Curious Incident and Red Shoes are currently on tour then it seems that Paule is in for yet another busy year. Before we run, she leaves me with some words of wisdom for the next generation of LDs: “Find your safe space. By this I don’t mean somewhere safe where you can be complacent and not be challenged. Rather, I mean somewhere where you can be who you want to be. Where you feel it’s safe to experiment and you aren’t worried about being judged or mocked. Once you find this, you’ll progress as an artist and really achieve your potential”.  I don’t ask where Paule’s ‘safe space’ is. However, wherever it is, it’s seen the birth of some of the most original and innovative lighting designs ever seen on stage.

   Photos courtesy of Adam Bennett, Brinkhoff/Mögenburg, Cinema Treasures, Ivan Kyncl, John Haynes, Joan Marcus and Simon Annand.

7. Leading Light with…David Howe – Part One

   23 March 2017 17:24 Comments Off on Leading Light with…David Howe – Part One

   

   David Howe – Lighting Designer

   It’s a crisp sunny morning in London as I exit the tube at Piccadilly Circus. Today’s interview for Leading Light is taking place (conveniently) along Shaftesbury Avenue. Before heading into the heart of the West End, I stop near the Statue of Eros to make a quick call. As I stand on the phone, freezing, I look at the Criterion behind me and see a poster for The Comedy About a Bank Robbery. Looking down the list of credits I clock that the Lighting Design is credited to a certain David Howe – who just happens to be the person I am on my way to meet.

   For those of you who’ve read the previous Leading Light articles you’ll have no doubt noticed a pattern: all of the lighting designers have a long relationship with White Light. David is no exception. Except, he is. David actually worked at WL for ten years before becoming a full-time lighting designer. And while he and I could talk about the old days all morning, we’re here to discuss his experience as a designer. And as always, we start at the beginning… David was born in Essex but moved to Weston-super-Mare at an early age. He describes his hometown as “a quiet sleepy town”. As a child, David was extremely musical. He recalls: “My passion for music stemmed from my mother who loved to sing”. He was a chorister in the local church and also played the piano, church organ, violin and viola.

   

   Weston-super-Mare Playhouse where David saw his first show.

   While David’s family weren’t avid theatregoers, they would make the annual trip to the local pantomime at Weston-super-Mare’s Playhouse. It was here where David, then aged 7, received his first experience of theatre – and was instantly hooked. He comments: “I remember watching the show and being amazed by all the theatrical tricks, how the scenery changed and people flew across the stage. It was two hours of pure bliss and I didn’t want it to end”. Imagine the excitement then when the theatre advertised that they were running a backstage open day; something David naturally leaped at the chance to attend: “I clearly remember being on that stage and walking up to the village set (which I previously thought was real) and seeing its construction, along with looking up into the fly tower and standing behind a follow spot. It was truly magical and, even at that age, I knew this was something that would play a big impact in my future life”.

   From that moment on, David tried to immerse himself in as much theatrical activity as possible. He joined the local amateur operatic company, firstly on the stage as he could both “sing and move”. He comments: “I genuinely enjoyed being in the productions but was never entirely comfortable performing in front of others. However, I really enjoyed being backstage and helping the crew when I wasn’t on-stage, so things moved nicely in that direction”.

   

   Paul Pyant who David assisted early in his career.

   At the same time, David was at school and, unlike some of the other LDs I’ve spoken to, actually enjoyed his academic years. He recalls: “I went to school in Bristol and it had a great drama department; something, in hindsight, I was extremely lucky to be a part of. I spent a lot of my time stage-managing the various productions we put on. Funnily enough though, I never worked with the lights!”. During his A-Levels, he was fortunate to meet-up again with the Chief Electrician of the Western-super-Mare Playhouse, Pete Magor, who gave him his first job as a follow spot operator for a summer season. It turns out that Pete had been the Chief at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon and knew a certain other ‘leading light’ of the theatre world: Paul Pyant.

   After his A-Levels, David made the move to London in the early 90s where he studied Technical Theatre at the Central School of Speech and Drama. It would be a two-year period that would impact the rest of his career. When starting his course, David was still unsure as to where his studies would take him, especially as he had come from a predominately stage manager background. He recalls: “The course was great as it covered all aspects of production, I actually really enjoyed stage management and being a DSM. Yet the more lighting work we did, the more I realised that this was a field in which I had a growing interest. In that regard, it wasn’t a Eureka moment where I thought this is what I want to do. It was more of a progressive passion”.

   It was during his first year at Central that David had an experience that would prove vital for his career as an LD. He comments: “At Central, you would have outside creatives coming in to design the 3rd year acting shows, which included designers such as Rick Fisher and Mark Jonathan. As a class, we were taken to The Wind in the Willows at the Olivier Theatre and afterwards Mark mentioned that he knew Paul Pyant (there’s that name again) who lit it. It was a beautiful production – a perfect show for a lighting designer to create. Mark introduced me to Paul and, crazily, he invited me to come and observe another production: The Recruiting Officer“.

   

   The Wind in the Willows at the Olivier Theatre.

   David stayed in touch with Paul (“back in the days when you used to write letters!”) and, during the summer holiday, he visited Birmingham Rep to see a new musical called Radio Times being created. He said: “I was cheeky enough to ask Paul if he needed an Assistant as I was due a placement period at Central. And whilst I don’t think either of us fully knew the job description, he agreed and it seemed to work”. David then worked with Paul on the transfer Radio Times into the Queens Theatre, Assassins which was directed by Sam Mendes and the opening production at the Donmar Warehouse, an Opera at ENO called Princess Ida which was directed by Ken Russell, and a new production of Carousel at the National which was directed by Nicholas Hytner. David adds: “Back in the mid 90s, there was no real CAD for Lighting Designers, so Paul drew his own plans and I was got involved with that process. This meant I really could experience the process from the scratch of an ink-pen on a piece of tracing paper through to the light being hung focused and programmed into a show. I also called follows-spots on the musicals and took notes. That kind of experience, in any form, is true gold to a young, inspiring designer to see how designs work in the ‘real world’. It was something I truly relished”.

   Click here to read part two.

8. Leading Light with…David Howe – Part Two

   16:54 Comments Off on Leading Light with…David Howe – Part Two

   

   WL at Filmer Road in Fulham when David first joined.

   
   Carousel was a special production in many ways, as at the end of its National run, Cameron Macintosh transferred the production into the West End and David was asked to join the paid creative team as Assistant Lighting Designer. However, once he had finished his work on the production, he had to move on and face: “the scary real world which was out there waiting for me”. Step forward WL, in the shape of Bryan Raven who supplied the show and liaised with David in the preparation of the rig, who made contact and asked David if he’d like to join their team. He recalls: “What could be better than working for a company who supplied equipment to shows. I initially worked in the Sales team, prepping colour-calls. As the company evolved, I was able to work more and more with designers and chief electricians of venues all over as the National Lottery funding started to roll out to new theatre development. WL was often called-upon to be involved with those capital projects where new technology was being ordered and tested. It was an amazing time to meet, not only the users of the equipment, but also the manufacturers. It was such a huge advantage to not only know about the equipment being used in the industry but how the hire and sales business works”.
    
   

   

   The UK tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

   He adds: “WL were incredibly supportive of my lighting career and allowed me leave to develop my design work when I could – working in many fringe and Off-West End venues and productions where the challenge is to make the show you want within incredibly tight time-scales and small budgets. I was also continuing to assist other designers such as Paul Pyant, Howard Harrison and Hugh Vanstone”.

   After a while the lighting design work began to increase, and David worked on UK tours of Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, Singing in the Rain, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast, 42^nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, to name but a few. He comments: “I was so lucky to work with amazing creatives, electricians and touring production staff during this period which really opened my eyes to the industry and the processes we need to think about to make any show happen, effectively and within budget”.

   The more David worked, the more his reputation grew, resulting in him being in high demand. So much so that he reached the point where he had to make a decision: continue at WL or take the plunge and become a full time LD. It was a decision he didn’t take lightly: “I had worked at White Light for ten years (1993-2003) and really felt part of the family there. However, I thought to myself that if I don’t become a freelance lighting designer now then I never will”. David was now out in the big wide world of freelancing; something he describes as “unbelievably scary”. He recalls: “The thing about being freelance is that you’re on your own. If a show gets cancelled then you need to find another way of paying that month’s rent. That’s why you need to work really hard to keep in touch with people and build on relationships as you are only as good as your last job”.

   

   Evita at the Ljubljana Festival in Slovenia.

   Having turned freelance, David has since found himself working on some of the most exciting theatre productions both in the UK and across the globe. In the West End, he has lit, amongst others; A Comedy about A Bank Robbery, McQueen, Sweet Charity, The Last Five Years, Rent, A Christmas Carol, Bette & Joan, Birdsong and Seven Bridges for Seven Brothers. Most recently, he has lit the UK tour of Million Dollar Quartet (supplied by WL and out till June 2017). On Broadway, he has lit Private Lives, The Norman Conquests and recreated Primo and designed Opera in UK, Europe, USA and Asia. At Off West End venues his notable credits include Dead Sheep, An Audience with Jimmy Savile and The Curing Room. Judging from these alone, it’s safe to say that he has certainly been an extremely busy man! He comments: “What I really love about my role is the variety of projects I work on and the opportunities of working with many different collaborators. I believe theatre offers you the opportunity to do this more than any other profession”.

   So out of everything he’s worked on (and it really is an extensive list) which project is David the most proud of? Like virtually all of the LDs I’ve proposed this question to, he doesn’t offer one answer (“I can’t”). However, there are a couple of highlights that still make his face ignite. He recalls: “The Rocky Horror Show (European Tour) was quite special. Rather than your traditional theatres, we played predominately in stadiums. I remember one night just being stood at a console surrounded by 10,000 people. It was just a surreal moment”. Equally surreal for David was when he lit the Il Barbiere di Siviglia opera at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. He states: “I was just stood on stage and I remember looking around thinking: I’m lighting an opera in Beijing!”. Another highlight was his West End debut when he lit Forbidden Broadway at the Albery Theatre (Noel Coward) in 1999.

   

   A Comedy About a Bank Robbery which is currently running at the Criterion Theatre in London’s West End.

   True to the last few years, it seems that 2017 is going to be equally as busy for David, with shows opening at the Arcola, two at the Southwark Playhouse, a play in New York and even a Hong Kong Festival production of All My Sons. Before we say our goodbyes, I ask him what I ask everyone who’s been a part of Leading Light: what advice does he have for the future generations? He draws back on his experience with Paul Pyant: “Try to keep in contact with people you meet in the industry. This industry is all about connections and there is such competition that you need to ensure you remain relevant and noticed. Even if it’s just the occasional hello or a brief email, communication is key. No matter what our pathways were to where we are now in our careers, we want to be supportive of the next wave of creatives. It’s a tough world to get those first jobs. The fringe and smaller theatres are a great way of starting as you rig,focus and plot your own show allowing you to really experiment. You can try things and, dare I say, get them wrong! It’s more than ok to make mistakes and sometimes, when you do make one, this leads to discovering something you never would have found. Be confident with your work but respect and appreciate the input of others you are working with.  You need that freedom at the start of your career as you progress into becoming a professional LD. This really is a profession where you learn on the job and there is no better place”.

   Our time has come to an end and David has to head over to the Arcola for a production meeting. It’s regarding The Cherry Orchard that he is lighting. I say how this is a world away from the last show of his I saw: Dick Whittington at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Yet it once again highlights the variety of work that David embraces: “Whatever the production, I always have the same goal: to create a lighting design to accentuate the piece and make sure it achieves its potential.” And as I’ve learnt this afternoon, it’s an approach that’s served him extremely well…

   Photos courtesy of Chris Davis, Darren Bell, monkswellmanor, Oli Sones, Paul Pyant and Robert Workman.

9. Leading Light with…Johanna Town – Part One

   15 February 2017 16:37 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Johanna Town – Part One

   

   Johanna Town

   Throughout Leading Light, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of theatre’s most renowned lighting designers. Alongside this, almost every interview has taken place in somewhere fairly theatrical: the stalls at the Playhouse Theatre, the Soho Theatre bar, the Century Club along Shaftesbury Avenue and even the Jerwood Space rehearsal rooms. However, the venue of today’s meeting is slightly low key – it’s a coffee shop in Tooting. I’m here to meet Johanna Town and this is her local haunt; something which suits me just fine as it is literally up the road from WL HQ. While the coffee shop doesn’t appear to be the most dazzling of places from its exterior, once you’re inside and see just what they have on offer, you begin to realise why it’s so popular. The location is somewhat metaphoric of Johanna herself: she may appear unassuming but within five minutes of speaking to one another, her enduring passion for theatre becomes obvious; as does the reason why she’s had such a successful career as a lighting designer.Glancing over Johanna’s CV, she has probably had one of the most varied careers out of all the lighting designers I’ve spoken to. Not only is she an award-nominated lighting designer, but she spent 17 years as the Head of Lighting at the Royal Court Theatre, was awarded a Fellowship to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is now the Professional Rep for the Association of Lighting Designers. So how does someone manage to achieve so much in what is a relatively short time? I’m about to find out…

   

   A postcard from the seaside town of Lytham St. Annes where Johanna was raised.

   Johanna was born and raised in Lytham St. Annes – a small coastal town that is in close proximity to Blackpool and is renowned for having one of the world’s most famous golf courses. Whereas Johanna found herself surrounded by golf (she is still a big fan of the game), theatre was also ever-present. She recalls: “My parents were huge theatregoers. They loved theatre and spent their honeymoon in the West End catching as many shows as they could”. When Johanna sadly lost her father aged just 10, she found herself being frequently taken to the theatre by her mother. She states: “I think mum just didn’t want to pay for a babysitter! The outings were actually quite a learning curve as I managed to see a lot of shows; especially amateur dramatics where my mother acted and assisted. We spent many weekends away at amateur drama festivals around the north of England; something I loved”. Johanna’s passion for the world of theatre was encouraged by her mother who wanted her to become involved more with the acting side of things, to the point where Johanna took elocution lessons and went to Speech and Drama festivals. However, Johanna soon realized that her talents may lay off stage. She comments: “I think I was about 13 when I was first bitten by the lighting bug at one of the am drams. I wanted to see how lighting worked and the impact it could have on a piece. That said, I’d always been a very practical person. Even when I was very young, I would take my toys apart to see how they worked. What I was really interested in was colour and how coloured lights changed the world around us; something I think was influenced by the lights of Blackpool and my annual visit to the Illuminations. So, from 13 onwards, whenever I got the chance, I would jump on the lighting desk at the am dram society and see how things worked”.

   

   The world-famous Blackpool Piers

   This passion soon transcended into Johanna’s academic life. Interestingly, unlike a lot of the other lighting designers I’ve spoken to, Johanna knew even from her high school days that she wanted to be a lighting designer. She states: “Any opportunity I had to work with lighting, I took. At school, I always wanted to work on the productions they were doing. Sadly, this was during a time when anything vaguely technical was deemed as strictly for boys only so there was a limit as to how far I could go at school”. Undeterred, Johanna turned to a place where theatre and live shows were its life blood –the Blackpool Piers: “I literally went down to the North Pier and asked for some work experience. To my complete surprise, they just said yes. Soon after, I found myself working on their entire season, follow spotting every show they had. From June to September, I spent my evenings working hard and learning my craft at the same time. To do this at 16 was a brilliant experience and simply reaffirmed that this was what I wanted to do with my life”.

   

   The Royal Exchange in 1976 shortly before it was opened.

   While working on the Pier, a few miles down the road in Manchester, the Royal Exchange Theatre was being built. To feed her theatrical appetite, Johanna bought a season ticket at the now renowned venue and her seat in the theatre was strategically positioned: “It was right next to the technical desk – to the point where you could literally lean over and touch it. What this meant was whenever I went to see a show, I actually spent more time staring at the desk than what was happening on stage!”. This proved to be another form of learning for Johanna who received no help or advice from her school. Similarly, with there being only a few drama schools around at that time, along with the fact that the majority only offered Stage Management courses, Johanna had to seek out her own lighting education. She comments: “One evening, after watching a show, I plucked up the courage to ask the person behind the desk how they got into their job. They told me they had undertaken an ABTT course – something I’d never even heard of. They also told me that the next apprenticeship was coming up that summer so I applied for it, read every copy of ‘Sightline’ and ‘Cue’ I could lay my hands on and went for an interview. To my complete surprise, I got accepted and found myself undergoing an ABTT apprenticeship at the Royal Exchange Theatre. At 18 years of age, I’d immediately gone from watching the shows to working on them! Geoff Joyce was then the Head of Lighting and to him I am eternally grateful – he gave me my first job and I never regretted one moment of my time there”.

   

   Johanna at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

   The apprenticeship lasted two years and meant that Johanna would receive an electrical qualification. However, it was working within the environment of the Exchange that she remembers so fondly: “The Exchange is a magnificent building. As there is no set as such, lighting is vital to every single production. Therefore, to be able to sit and watch lighting designers such as Mick Hughes, Mark Henderson, Joe Davies and Brian Harris,  to name but a few, work in that space was just brilliant”. As part of Johanna’s apprenticeship, she had to look after the lighting designers visiting the venue; something which she clearly embraced! She recalls: “I would spend tech weeks just sat next to these lighting icons, asking them questions, picking their brains. I had immediate access to some of the best lighting designers of all time – something I didn’t appreciate fully until much later in my career”.

   

   The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre where Johanna worked following her time in Manchester. 

   Following her apprenticeship, Johanna stayed on at the Exchange as Assistant Lighting Electrician. However, as an extremely ambitious person who had only ever worked in the round, she wanted to push herself and started applying for a range of jobs – one of them being at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford. She comments: “Working at the Yvonne Arnaud was great as it meant I got to see how proscenium arch shows were lit. That said, it was a completely different vibe to the Royal Exchange. Back in Manchester, there was a company and almost a family vibe. As the shows at Yvonne Arnaud were mainly touring productions, you’d have a show come in, be performed five times and then everyone would disappear!”. While Johanna only stayed at the Yvonne Arnaud for eight months, her time there led to another encounter with Joe Davies; something which proved to be an invaluable experience. Johanna states: “Joe gave me some great advice. He said follow your passion for the work you enjoy, not what you think you should be doing. I did just that and it was extremely liberating”.

   Click here to read Part Two.

10. Leading Light with…Rick Fisher – Part One

    18 January 2017 10:45 Comments Off on Leading Light with…Rick Fisher – Part One

    

    The man himself – Rick Fisher

    It’s a cold winter’s morning in London outside the Playhouse Theatre. Flightcase after flightcase is being wheeled inside the venue which sits on the bank of the Thames, with this being the get-in for the latest revival of An Inspector Calls. The show is once again gracing the London stage in a completely new venue. What isn’t new, however, is the creative team which includes a certain Rick Fisher as Lighting Designer. It is Rick I’m here to speak to as part of our Leading Light feature. We make our way through the building and have to navigate across an extremely busy stage area. Rick is known to everyone here and beams with pride as the set is being constructed: “This was a magnificent show 25 years ago and is still as remarkable today. I never thought it would last this long but that’s theatre – it often takes you by surprise”. The biggest surprise for me though is Rick himself. With arguably some of the biggest theatre credits to his name, he is an extremely humble man. Yet the more he talks about his work ethic and past projects, the more I begin to appreciate why he has made his name as one of the world’s most renowned lighting designers.

    Unlike most of the established lighting designers based in the UK, there is something fundamentally different about Rick: he’s American. He was born in Philadelphia, USA and grew up in the city’s suburbs. Despite living in suburbia, he still managed to engage with theatre from a very early age. He recalls: “Some of my earliest memories are seeing shows with my mother. She loved to go to the theatre and would always take me along”. It also seems that Rick’s home state of Philadelphia played a key role in his theatrical upbringing: “Philadelphia was known as a ‘try-out’ town, in the sense that many Broadway shows would come here first before heading over to New York. It would also receive a lot of regional touring productions, including big musicals”.

    

    Fiddler on the Roof at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. 

    Whereas Rick was regularly seeing shows close to home, it was one particular trip to New York that really cemented his passion for theatre. He comments: “I remember we went away for a family weekend in New York and saw two shows: Hello Dolly and Fiddler on the Roof. Although we were sat right at the back in what I’d call ‘nose-bleed seats’, there was something mesmerising about both shows. I really was captivated by the lights, the performance and the whole spectacle of it. I just loved to see a story being told well on stage (I still do!) and knew after that weekend that I really wanted to work in theatre in some capacity”.

    Whereas most of the lighting designers I’ve spoken to have dreaded the notion of stepping out onto stage, this was something which Rick initially embraced. He comments: “For a while, I actually wanted to be an actor. I remember during my time at Dickinson College auditioning for numerous shows and, although I was frequently cast, this was either a non-speaking role or someone who spent the majority of the time stood to the side!”.

    During his time at college, Rick decided to work in Summer Stock (equivalent to a weekly rep summer season in the UK). Here he worked with the backstage crew on a variety of shows. He recalls: “I was part of the backstage crew but we were essentially slaves! We used to work 80-90 hours per week and would do absolutely everything, from building the set to working the lights to washing the cast’s clothes. And whilst it was (very) hard work, we developed a family bond within the team; something I have experienced time and time again in theatre”.

    

    Dickinson College where Rick studied

    After Summer Stock was over, Rick returned to college to continue with his studies. However, his experience of working within an actual theatre space completely altered his outlook towards academia. He states: “After Summer Stock, studying theatre seemed almost amateurish – an imitation after experiencing the real thing. What I loved about working was the hands-on experience I received. It was extremely practical and something we didn’t get the chance to receive at college”.

    While Rick enjoyed his practical experience, he wasn’t enamoured by the notion of lighting: “I was actually quite resistant to getting involved with anything to do with lights. I found the gel numbers both confusing and overwhelming!”. As part of his college programme, Rick took part in an exchange programme which brought him over to London. He was meant to join the Stage Management course at LAMDA, confessing: “I knew I wanted to work in theatre and, at that moment, thought it might be through stage management”. However, the exchange programme with LAMDA wasn’t meant to be, with the course falling through soon after Rick’s arrival. Undeterred, he decided to take a Stage Management course at City Lit instead. It was during his time in the UK that Rick fell in love with British theatre. He recalls: “I just loved the diversity of theatre in London. Whether it was the West End, the fringe venues or the more obscure performance spaces, there was just such a variety that wasn’t available anywhere else”.

    

    Rick (second from right) with his family back home in Philadelphia

    Whilst in London, one of Rick’s first jobs included running a follow spot on Kidnapped at Christmas at the Shaw Theatre. He recalls: “Despite now gaining some experience with lights, I wasn’t fully converted to this world just yet!”. Following his six months in London, Rick returned to the States to finish his degree. Yet, back in his home country, Rick’s bias towards the city soon became palpable: “I basically told everyone how great London was and how its theatre scene was much better than ours!”.

    Such was Rick’s passion for the London theatre scene that he quickly returned to the capital after graduating. The year was 1976 and his plan was to stay in the UK for six months in order to build on his previously established contacts. 40 years later… He recalls: “I started working on the fringe scene, doing whatever job I could find. This would include fit ups, props, lighting, scenery and even cleaning the loos. Whoever tells you it’s all glam is a liar!”. Some of the venues Rick worked at included the Overground in Kingston (which is no longer there), the Oval House and the Bush. It was in these venues that he started to develop a real interest in lighting. He comments: “Back then, unbelievably, freelance lighting designers were actually quite rare. Therefore when a production came into one of the venues, I would just help out with the lighting elements”.

    

    One of the few remaining photos of the Overground Theatre in Kingston

    The other major difference in the world of theatre lighting was the equipment. Rick recalls: “We worked within very limited means with extremely clapped out equipment. Looking back, this was actually a good thing as it meant the lights had to do a lot of work. I really had to get the most out of the equipment which, on reflection, pushed me as a designer. At the Oval House in particular there were a lot of performance pieces where the lights had to tell a story and create an atmosphere so every show was an exciting challenge”.

    During this time, Rick was officially still a stage manager. However, he noticed that lighting designers received a higher credit in the programme so insisted that he now received this billing! He comments: “Although I’m a lighting designer, I differ from the traditional definition in the sense that I don’t have the technical knowledge that most designers have. Similarly my knowledge of electronics (both then and now) was extremely limited and I certainly couldn’t programme a desk! But I knew what I wanted to achieve on stage, and I try to be a good collaborator which are the most important attribute to have”.

    Click here to read Part Two.