THE DESIGN: “This is the third iteration of the design since Maggie’s debut album cycle tour started at the beginning of this year. We use a truss box, outfitted with layers of silk and scrim, to create a world for Maggie to exist onstage. Maggie is always lit.”
BACKSTORY
HOME BASE: “Hertford, just outside of London.”
INDUSTRY YEARS: “Five years on the lighting side, 14 years total.”
CAREER SPARK: “When I used to go to concerts and live performances, I realized I wasn’t watching the show, I was watching the lighting.”
TRAINING: “I graduated at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) with a degree in Theatre and Performance Technology.”
FIRST INDUSTRY GIG: “I spent six years as a theater lighting tech, where I learned how to create mood, atmosphere, effects, and how to properly light people. It gives my designs a look and feel that is more theatrical.”
INDUSTRY MENTORS: “The late Bryan Leitch (who died from cancer in April 2019) was important to me. He picked me up four years ago – I was his tech — and took me under his wing at MIRRAD, a visual arts and design collective, where I’m still currently working. There’s no one I owe more to than him. He was an amazing man.”
SHOW DESIGNS THAT CATCH YOUR EYE: “At MIRRAD, we inspire and push each other daily. I take the most inspiration from them. However, I will point out two show designers. Alt J’s show from Fragment Nine — Jason Rothberg and Jeremy Lechterman — blew me away. And the second is LD Paul “Arlo” Guthrie. I was on the Jesus & Mary Chain opening for Nine Inch Nails, and his design for NIN was so powerful.”
OTHER ARTISTS YOU’VE WORKED WITH: “The Jesus and Mary Chain, Beth Orton, The Dandy Warhols, Bear’s Den, Joan As Policewomen.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? “The traveling is the best and worse part of my job. It’s amazing being able to see so many corners of the world, but a bit arduous getting between them all!”
YOUR DREAM CONCERT TO LIGHT: “The Beatles. Because, well, it’s The Beatles.”
