Theatre Designer/Maker

CV

KEY SKILLS:

  • Theatre set and costume designer for over 25 years, ranging from small scale touring shows to large scale site specific productions.
  • Costume making, prop making, puppet making and millinery experience.
  • Production of technical drawings to ABTT standards using AutoCAD 2020.
  • Model-maker and illustrator.
  • Teaching, ranging from leading degree level classes to community workshops.
  • Scenic artist with a wide knowledge of finishes and techniques.
  • Basic Photoshop and PaintShop Pro skills.
  • Basic set building and carpentry skills.

CAREER DETAILS:

Aug 2008 to present: Freelance Theatre Designer

Set & Costume Designs:

THE MACK THEATRE

  • “Smile” dir. by Julia Locascio  (June 2022)
  • “Carousel” dir. by Francesca Goodridge (Feb 2022)
  • “Red Riding Hood” dir. by Peter Rowe & Francesca Murray-Fuentes (Christmas 2021)
  • “The Beau Defeated” & “The Roaring Girl” dir. by Stephen Hallam (double bill, Aug 2021) (with Associate Set Designer PJ McEvoy)
  • “Tipping the Velvet” dir. by Carol Harvey (June 2021)
  • “Candide” dir. by Rupert Hands (May 2021)
  • “London” dir. by Paul Ryan Carberry (March 2021) (with Associate Set Designer Alison Taylor)
  • “Macbeth” dir. by Deborah Paige (Oct 2020) (with Associate Set Designer Alison Taylor)
  • “LA” dir. by Julie Atherton (Nov 2020) (with Associate Set Designer Alison Taylor)
  • “A Clockwork Orange” dir. by Dan Herd (March 2020)
  • “5/11” dir. by Hannah Eidinow (July 2019)

CARNE STUDIO THEATRE:

  • “Rotterdam” dir. by Vik Sivalingam & “Consent” dir. by Elayce Ismail (double bill, Nov 2019)

BACKSTAGE THEATRE:

  • “The Wolves” dir. Dan Herd (May 2022)
  • “The Juliet Letters” dir. Julie Atherton (Oct 2019)
  • “Swallows & Amazons” dir. by Steve Grihault (Feb 2019)

BRIDEWELL THEATRE:

  • “Trenches” & “Parlour Games” dir. by Kirstie Davis (double bill, June 2018)

LITTLEWOOD STUDIO:

  • “The Country Wife” dir. by Michael Oakley (May 2018)
  • “She Would If She Could” dir. by Russell Bolam (May 2018)
  • “The Family That Could Talk About Anything” dir. by Oscar Toeman (May 2018)

KARAMEL CLUB:

  • “Much Ado About Nothing” dir. by Stephen Jameson & Denzel Westley-Sanderson (Feb 2018)
  • “The Comedy of Errors” dir. Rachel Bagshaw (Oct 2017)

CLIFFTOWN THEATRE:

  • “Wasteland Hype” dir. by Helen Tennison (Nov 2018)
  • “The Knight of the Burning Pestle” dir. by Chris Main & Alex Payne (Nov 2017)

JACKSONS LANE:

  • “As You Like It” dir. by Bronagh Lagan (March 2017)

ST JAMES’S CHURCH, PADDINGTON:

  • “The Nativity” dir. by Paul Ryan Carberry (Dec 2016)

BERNIE GRANT ARTS CENTRE:

  • “Busters” dir. by Stephen Jameson & Tinuke Craig (May 2016)
  • “Touched” dir. by Paul Ryan Carberry & “Singer” dir. by Max Key (double bill, Oct 2015)
  • “Billy” dir. by Guy Unsworth (July 2015)
  • “Her Naked Skin” dir. by Katie Henry & “The Importance of Being Earnest” dir. by Rebecca Frecknall (double bill, Nov 2014)
  • “Nymph Errant” dir. by Michael Howcroft (July 2013)

GLOBE NEUSS (Shakespeare Festival):

  • “Julius Caesar” dir. by Polina Kalinina (June 2016); also staged at BGAC
  • “Loves Labours Lost” (in collaboration with designer Fi Russell) dir. by Stephen Jameson (June 2015); also staged at Unicorn Theatre

CORBETT THEATRE:

  • “Cat Among The Pigeons” dir. by Robin Sneller (June 2022)
  • “Summerfolk” dir. by Robin Sneller & “Lilies on the Land” dir. by Sonia Ritter (double bill, June 2019)
  • “Hamlet” dir. by Rikki Henry (March 2019)
  • “Blue Stockings” dir. by Pooja Ghai (March 2018)
  • “Red Noses” dir. by Glen Walford (March 2018)
  • MFA Student Directors Season (Sept 2016, 2017 & 2018)
  • “Wild Honey” dir. by Lucy Skilbeck & “Boris Godunov” dir. by Bill Bankes-Jones & “Philistines” dir. by James Bounds (triple bill, March 2014)
  • “The Wind in the Willows” dir. by Vicky Ireland (Christmas 2012)
  • “The Rose and the Ring” dir. by Lucy Skilbeck (Christmas 2011)
  • “The Hostage” dir. by Tim Luscombe (Feb 2011)
  • “A Christmas Carol” (Christmas 2010) & “Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass” (Christmas 2009) both dir. by John Baxter
  • “Tales from the Vienna Woods” dir. by William Relton (March 2010)
  • “Women of Troy” dir. by Jo Howarth (Jan 2010)
  • “The Brown Bull of Cooley” (April 2009) & “The Knight of the Burning Pestle” (Oct 2008) both dir. by Chris Main
  • “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” dir. by Pam Brighton (Feb 2009)

THE COCKPIT:

  • “An Absolute Turkey” dir. by Robin Sneller & “Yerma” dir. by Monique Wilson (double bill, June 2012)
  • “Lysistrata” dir. by Linda Marlowe & “Illyria” dir. by Monique Wilson (double bill, June 2011)

BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE:

  • “Dona Rosita the Spinster” dir. by Monique Wilson & “Dying For It” dir. by Gary Sefton (double bill, July 2010)
  • “Blood Wedding” dir. by Monique Wilson & “The House of Bernarda Alba” dir. by Jonathan Moore (double bill, July 2009)

ALRA THEATRE:

  • “The Love of the Nightingale” (Feb 2015) & “Playhouse Creatures” (June 2014) both dir. by Ewan Marshall
  • “Daisy Pulls It Off” (Feb 2014) & “A Pocketful of Dreams” (Oct 2011) both dir. by Katie Lewis
  • “Arabian Nights” dir. by Titania Krimpas (Christmas 2013)
  • “The Schoolmistress” dir. by Chris Monks (June 2013)
  • “The Government Inspector” dir. by Kwong Loke (Jan 2013)
  • “Widows” dir. by Des Kennedy (Oct 2012)
  • “Welcome to Thebes” dir. by Gareth Nicholls (Feb 2012)
  • “Junk” dir. by Phillip Dart (June 2011)
  • “Lysistrata” dir. by Jenny Eastop (March 2011)
  • “Road” dir. by Tim Roseman (Nov 2010)
  • “Loveplay” dir. by Andrew Hall (May 2010)
  • “The Jungle Book” dir. by Max Webster (Oct 2009)

THEATRE IN THE QUARTER:

  • “Garden Lane” dir. by Ally Cutler (The Pavilion, Chester Racecourse Sept 2008)

Costume Design/Makes:

  • “Alice in Wonderland” dir. by Dan Herd (Backstage Theatre, Oct 2022)
  • “Sweeney Todd” dir. by Sally Ann Gritton (Shoreditch Town Hall, April 2019)
  • “Blue Whistlers” dir by Nick Hall (Clifftown Theatre, Feb 2016)
  • Costume conservation work with the Imperial War Museum, London
  • Various privately commissioned character costumes for Standon Calling Festival, including “The Clangers” (Aug 2009), “Sully, Mike & Boo” from Monsters Inc (Aug 2011) and “Paddington & Great Aunt Lucy” (Aug 2014)
  • “Widows” dir by John Gillett (Avondale Theatre, Italia Conti, Nov 2013)
  • “Jack and the Beanstalk” dir. by Caroline Eves (Corbett Theatre, Christmas 2008)
  • Various costume designs and makes for Katch 22 Productions, including “Keystone Cops” for the 2008 Walsall Illuminations

Scenic Design/Painting:

  • Set design for “Made in Dagenham” dir. by Julie Atherton (The Mack Theatre, Nov 2022)
  • Set design for “A Little Night Music” dir. by Martin Parr (The Mack Theatre, Oct 2022)
  • Shared set design for “Don Juan Comes Back From The War” dir. by Jum Rubin & “Emilia” dir. by Sonia Ritter (Corbett Theatre, June 2022)
  • Woodland mural for Demelza SEL (March 2020)
  • Set design for “Queen Margaret” dir. by Jane Moriarty (The Mack Theatre, July 2019)
  • Set design for “Three Kingdoms” dir. by Tom Hughes (Corbett Theatre, March 2018)
  • Prop fine art painting for “Little Women” (BGAC, July 2014)
  • Set design for “In the Tea Leaves of the Titans” (May 2014) & “The Ghosts of the Mary Rose” (Feb 2012) both dir. by Chris Main (Clifftown Theatre, Southend-On-Sea)
  • Signage, murals and fairytale room settings for Fairytale Farm Park (Aug 2012-March 2014)
  • “The Laramie Project” floor and cyc design and paint (ALRA Theatre, May 2012)
  • Pirate mural for a child’s bedroom (private commission, 2010)
  • Set dressing for a civil ceremony, from afternoon ceremony to evening Art Deco style nightclub (Bateman’s Barn, Suffolk; private commission 2010)
  • Underwater mural for a child’s bedroom (private commission, 2009)

Teaching Experience:

  • Technical drawing (both hand-drawn and using AutoCAD) to degree level students at E15 Acting School and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
  • Scenic art to degree level students at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, E15 Acting School and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
  • Model-making skills to degree level students at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, E15 Acting School and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
  • Set building and prop making skills to degree level students at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
  • Devising and supervising design projects with degree level students at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
  • Mentoring design students at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and E15 Acting School
  • Devising and giving talks on theatre design to secondary schools and other interested groups.

Sept 2004 to July 2008: Resident Designer at E15 Acting School

As resident designer I was responsible for the design of both set and costumes for a large number of the third year BA and MA Acting course shows. In addition I also taught on the BA Technical Theatre course, which included teaching basic scene painting, technical drawing and model-making skills. I also guided and supervised students working as costume/set design assistants or scenic artists on productions. Most shows were for the school’s own Corbett Theatre based in Loughton, but I also designed touring shows, and shows for London venues including Wilton’s Music Hall and The Blue Elephant.

July 1999 to Aug 2004: Freelance Theatre Designer

  • Set & costume designs for the 2003 Chester Mystery Plays, both “The Prophecy” & “The Fulfilment” dir. by Robin Goddard (Chester Cathedral).
    Over 6 months of my time in 2003 were taken up with my involvement in the design and realisation of The 2003 Chester Mystery Plays. This large scale outdoor production takes place every five years on Chester Cathedral Green. The plays featured over 200 cast members, for whom I had to design all aspects of set, costume and props. I also had to co-ordinate the work of a professional production team with local volunteers.
  • Various set designs for Webber Douglas Academy (Chanticleer Theatre and touring shows, July 1999– July 2004)
  • Set designs for “Toad of Toad Hall”, “Arcadia” & “The Corn is Green” (Leicester Little Theatre, Nov 2001– Feb 2002)
  • Set & costume designs for “Elmer the Elephant” (Palace Theatre Westcliff & touring), “Scrooge the Musical” youth theatre production (Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford) & “Rama and the Demon King” schools tour, all dir. by Bill Davies for Blunderbus Theatre Company (Nov 2000 – Jan 2001)
  • Set & costume designs for “Jack’s Midnight Surprise” dir. by Richard Wolfenden-Brown (Leicester Haymarket Studio & touring, Christmas 1999)
  • Scenic artist for various shows at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch
  • Scenic artist on “The Importance of Being Earnest”, national tour in association with Bath Theatre Royal
  • Scenic artist on “My Boy Jack”, national tour in association with Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
  • Several designs for various publicity and merchandising stands for The Orchard Theatre, Dartford
  • Scenic art and themeing for retail space at The Eden Project, Cornwall

June 1998 to June 1999: Resident Designer at Action Transport Theatre Co.

As the resident designer I was responsible for the design and realisation of all Theatre In Education touring productions throughout the year. The main area of my work was the design and implementation of set and costumes, and included the building and painting of sets and the sourcing and making of costumes and props. Many of the shows were devised pieces. My work also entailed devising and running design workshops for both children and adults, designing promotional material for the company, managing budgets and stage managing community productions.

June 1996 to May 1998: Freelance Theatre Designer and Scenic Artist

  • Set and costume designs for “The Tempest” & “A Midsummer-Night’s Dream” schools tours (Theatre In Education dept of the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch)
  • Set and costume designs for “A Tale Of Two Cities” & “The Good Intent” both dir. by Marina Calderone (Community Theatre productions at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch)
  • Assistant designer for “The Music Man” (Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks)
  • Set design for a touring production of “You Can’t Take It With You” dir. by Richard Frost (Louth Playgoers/Webber Douglas Academy)
  • Scenic artist for several shows at the Millfield Theatre, Edmonton, the National Youth Music Theatre, the Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Royal Academy of Music and the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch

Oct 1994 to May 1996: Head of Scenic Art at Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch

As Head of Scenic Art I was responsible for the finish of the sets to a deadline and to the designers specifications, managing assistants and work placements and working to a fixed budget.