INDUSTRY ICONS
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Chloe Lamford: Show Room, an installation created for the Great Arch Hall at Somerset House in London
significant influence, which feels much more sculptural. Overall, I think theatre is going in two different directions. On one end, there’s a trend for minimalist spaces, and then by extension of that, the use of people in those spaces. That has evolved a lot in an exciting way. But another is a sharp increase in technology, effects, illusions and magic. LED screens are becoming so high spec that you can create an illusion of depth by combining them with built scenery – this is really exciting. In some cases, the audience can’t tell where the LED or video starts or ends, making the set feel like it stretches on forever. We’re able to do a lot more high- specification LEDs in theatre, which deliver more opportunities now that What advice would you give anyone who wants to get into set design? I think it’s changed a lot since I started. I had to go through every level, but now you can jump around a lot more. You have to really love and want it, because it takes a long time to work your way up to bigger projects. It’s not easy, and it’s not massively well paid for a long time either! You’ve got to try and get a wide skill set. Learn good software to make yourself extra employable. Also, try and find the opportunity to work with other designers – they can be great mentors. I used to work with Es Devlin, and she taught me so much about scale and ambition in your work. Buckets of passion is the most important thing you’ll need, though. To learn more about Chloe Lamford’s work, head to chloelamford.com technology is more accessible to productions across the board.
Julie’s set featured hard metal surfaces and brushed-steel cabinetry
for the National Theatre that involves loads of electrics and built-in effects. We can do things like change the colour temperature of a space that might initially look the same, but then uses light in completely different ways. Changing architecture with lighting design is a fun part of my work too. You mentioned the increased use of video in performance – are you noticing any other tech trends emerging in theatre? I’m getting into light boxes at the moment. In Phaedra , the entire ceiling of the large glass cube that made up the set was a light box. It gave everything on stage a beautiful clarity – and I’m about to use another one in an upcoming project I’m working on. Finding these grander gestures, lighting-wise, can be interesting – and is something I’m definitely seeing more of. I think dance lighting has also had
Light boxes
gave the set a beautiful clarity. I’m about to use another one in an upcoming project I’m working on”
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