"If you can be the one that knows how to make everything work then you’ll never be out of work"

Hometown
I’m from a town in Lincolnshire called Bourne. I now live in London

Do you consider yourself to have any disabilities and if yes, how would you describe them?
Not really, but I was diagnosed with ME three years ago. It’s hard work but not a disability

What do you do?
Currently head of lighting on Billy Elliot the Musical. Employer is Working Title Films

What was your very first role in theatre?
Stage crew at Peterborough Key Theatre. In London my first technical job was at the Gielgud Theatre as a member of the stage crew while I was a student.

What else have you done in theatre?
I was an assistant lighting director with Chris Ellis Lighting and with The Singapore Repertory Theatre. After that, I re-lit national tours of Taboo, the Boy George musical, Lady In the Van and High Society. I then became associate lighting designer on High Society in London and Manchester.

Have you got qualifications?
I have a degree in theatre lighting design from Rose Bruford

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a pilot in the RAF

What do you do all day?
My job on Billy Elliot involves looking after the lighting rig and ensuring that the show looks as good now as it did two years ago when the designers left it. This means fixing all of the broken lights, making sure the lamps are all kicking out as much intensity as possible and generally ensuring everything is good for the show at 7.30pm. These days that’s a lot of work as the modern moving lights tend to fail quite often. I also operate the show in turn with my lx no.2 guy Jay. Not the most exciting part of the job until things go pear-shaped and then you need to know what you’re doing! This doesn’t happen too often if the preparation is done right before hand.

What’s the best thing about your job?
The hours–there’s no early mornings! I like the relaxed social atmosphere.

And the worst?
There can be some egos in theatre. I’m not too keen on that.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
To design the lighting for a big musical like Lord of the Rings. Short of that, a job in Barbados would do.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
Work hard and get to know people. It’s just as much about who you know as what you know. Show that you care and make yourself indispensable. If people think they need you then you’ll get the work. Master technology. If you can be the one that knows how to make everything work then you’ll never be out of work. Keep your cool under pressure–it can be tough on a hard week when you’re tired and hungry, but lighting designers need someone who’ll be calm and collected when the going gets tough.

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