ABOUT
Emma is an award winning freelance lighting designer who works across theatre, musicals and opera both internationally and within the UK. She trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where she was winner of the Douglas Morris Award for Touring. Recent projects include Coram Boy (Chichester Festival Theatre), Aci by the River (London Handel Festival), The Third Man (Menier Chocolate Factory) for which she won an Inaugural Profile Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre.
With Lucy Osborne and Howard Eaton, Emma designed and realised The Stage Awards 'Theatre Building of the Year 2015' - Roundabout commissioned by Paines Plough. Following her work on Roundabout Emma became a founding member of studio three sixty.
Notable projects with studio three sixty include: the pop-up multipurpose performance venue The Mix; co-leading the strategic planning, project management and delivery of the Public Art Scheme for Theatr Clwyd (RIBA Stage 4) and designing the lighting panels for The Point in Eastleigh.
Between 2016 - 2019 alongside her lighting career, Emma worked part time as a Theatre Consultant at Charcoalblue, building her skills as a project manager. Projects included: Team Lead for the refurbishment of Theatr Clwyd RIBA Stage 1 to 3; Team Lead and Auditorium Planning for Chelsea Theatre; Stagelighting Designer for the new Boulevard Theatre.
She is a founding member of the Association of Lighting Designer’s Wellbeing Group as well as the newly formed AAPTLE's wellbeing group. She is a passionate advocate for reducing the stigma around mental health.
Emma has co-authored a book with Rob Halliday on Theatre Lighting Design, fourteen interviews with Lighting Designers on the art, craft and life followed by a case study of Billy Elliot. You can find out more here:
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/theatre-lighting-design-9781350295926/
Image from COSI FAN TUTTE, Directed by Lee Blakeley,
Photograph by Chris Christodoulou
Upcoming Productions
CORAM BOY | Director: Anna Ledwich | 2024
The Lowry, Manchester
THE LION | Director: Alex Stenhouse and Sean Daniels | 2024
Danielle Tarento in association with Arizona Theatre Company
South Korea and Japan
Selected Opera + Musical Credits
ACI BY THE RIVER | Director: Jack Furness
London Handel Festival 2024
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS | Director: Dominic Dromgoole
London Philharmonic Orchestra at Battersea Arts Centre
THE THIRD MAN | Director: Trevor Nunn
Menier Chocolate Factory, London
PROFILE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATRE
CHRISTINA BIANCO - IN DIVINE COMPANY
Menier Chocolate Factory, London
THE LION | Director: Alex Stenhouse and Sean Daniels | 2024
Danielle Tarento in association with Arizona Theatre Company
Southwark Playhouse
PARADIS FILES
Graeae, UK Touring
RUFF TUFF CREAM PUFF ESTATE AGENCY | Director: Adrian Jackson
Cardboard Citizens / Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
GHOST QUARTET | Director: Bill Buckhurst
Boulevard Theatre, Soho
KISS ME KATE | Director: Lee Blakeley
Chatelet Theatre, Paris / Theatre du Luxembourg / Oper Graz
IL TURCO IN ITALIA | Director: Lee Blakeley
Angers/Nantes Opera/ Theatre du Luxembourg
XERSES | Director: Stefan Janski
RNCM
COSI FAN TUTTE | Director: Lee Blakeley
Royal College of Music
CARMEN | Director: Stefan Janski
Royal Northern College of Music
THE PIED PIPER | Director: Olivia Fuchs
Opera North, UK Tour
Selected Theatre Credits
CORAM BOY | Director: Anna Ledwich
Chichester Festival Theatre
PETER PAN | Director: Lucy Morrell
Rose Theatre, Kingston
MARJORIE PRIME | Director: Dominic Dromgoole
Menier Chocolate Factory, London
THE MIRROR CRACK'D | Director: Philip Franks
Original Theatre Company, UK Tour
SELF RAISING | Director: Lee Lyford
Graeae UK Tour and Soho Theatre
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | Director: Lucy Morrell
Rose Theatre, Kingston
ROSENBAUM'S RESCUE | Director: Kate Fahy
Park Theatre, London
UTILITY| Director: Caitlin McLeod
Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST | Director: Richard Fitch
Anthony Hopkins Theatre, Theatre Clwyd, Mold
JOANNE | Director: Roisin McBrinn
Clean Break Theatre Company / Other Place RSC
THE HUMAN EAR | Director: George Perrin
LUNGS | Director: George Perrin
THE INITIATE | Director: George Perrin
OUR TEACHER'S A TROLL | Director: George Perrin
Paines Plough's Roundabout
SCHOOLS THEATRE FESTIVAL | Director: Finn Beames
Young Vic Theatre
DONKEY'S YEARS | Director: Lisa Spirling
Rose Theatre, Kingston
THE PLANET AND STUFF | Director: Lucy Kerbel
Polka Theatre, Wimbledon
HOLES | Director: Philip Breen
Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh
PARALLEL HAMLET | Director: Rachel Bagshaw
Young Vic Theatre
THE SOUND OF HEAVY RAIN | Director: James Grieve
Paines Plough
LUNGS | Director: Richard Wilson
Paines Plough
ONE DAY WHEN WE WERE YOUNG | Director: Clare Lizzimore
Paines Plough
ROSE | Director: Abbey Wright
Pleasance Theatre
ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER | Director: Geoff Bullen
Vanbrugh Studio, RADA
SEX WITH A STRANGER | Director: Philip Breen
Trafalgar Studios
THE SEA PLAYS | Director: Ken Hoyt
Old Vic Tunnels
DUBLIN CAROL | Director: Abbey Wright
Donmar at Trafalgar Studios
LAKEBOAT / PRAIRIE DU CHIEN | Director: Abbey Wright
New Arcola Theatre