UK - Theatre Lighting Design: Conversations on the Art, Craft and Life, a new book offering fascinating insights into the design processes, work and lighting lives of 14 leading lighting designers, will launch on 25 July 2024 – and is available to pre-order now.
Written by lighting designers Emma Chapman and Rob Halliday, the book features individual interviews with lighting designers 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.
A final interview talks to the lighting team responsible for creating the hit musical Billy Elliot about how the lighting design evolved as the show was created and then how it has been maintained as the show has been remounted over the last 18 years. Between them, the lighting designers interviewed in the book have lit shows of all scales and styles in theatres around the world, winning countless awards along the way: there is a vast collection of knowledge here.
“What’s fascinating is hearing these designers talk at length about their work – how they approach a new show, how they design their rigs, where they start making the first cue, how they work with other members of their teams,” explains co-author Emma Chapman. “It’s fascinating when they agree – but more fascinating still when they disagree, an invaluable reminder that there are really no rules in lighting, and at every decision lighting designers are free to make their own choices when creating their lighting,” adds Rob Halliday.
Aimed at those working in lighting and moving through their lighting design careers, the book will also be of interest to other theatre practitioners, and to anyone who just enjoys watching theatre and wants to learn more about the role lighting designers play in the creation of productions.
Theatre Lighting Design: Conversations on the Art, Craft and Life is published by Methuen; it will be available from all good bookshops, real and online, from 25 July. It is available to pre-order now.
UK: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/theatre-lighting-design-9781350295926/
US: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/theatre-lighting-design-9781350295957/
