Theatre Lighting Design: Conversations on the Art, Craft and Life

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by Emma Chapman and Rob Halliday

This book provides an insight into the life of a professional lighting designer, through interviews with lighting designers at different stages of their careers plus a group interview with the designer and lighting team of the hit musical Billy Elliot.
The designers featured are Neil Austin, Natasha Chivers, Jon Clark, Paule Constable, Rick Fisher, Richard Howell, Howard Hudson, Jessica Hung Han Yun, Mark Jonathan, Amy Mae, Ben Ormerod, Bruno Poet, Jackie Shemesh and Johanna Town. Between them, they have worked all over the world on shows of every genre – collecting many awards for their work along the way.

They share inspiration and practical advice, useful to anyone embarking on a career in lighting, fascinating to anyone who enjoys going to the theatre, offering insights into:

- approaching a new design;
- dealing with the challenges each new show brings, from working with a new director to being part of a creative team in realising a piece;
- the use of light and dark, colour and texture;
- managing collaborations, with directors, designers and their own team of associate and assistant lighting designers, programmers and electricians.
- and beyond the art and craft of lighting, the practicalities of a lighting career – moving from just getting enough work to pay the bills, to lighting the world’s biggest shows.