Chris Swain

Biography Credits Contact Details

Biography

I am a lighting designer based in Bristol.

I love working in collaborative rooms, especially on devised theatre, physical theatre and dance. I have been working in all scales of venue for all sorts of productions - Theatre, Dance, Circus and Opera - for 15 years.

The company I have the longest relationship with is Gecko - my lighting design for the company includes 'Kin', 'a little space', ‘The Dreamer’, ‘Time of Your life’, ‘Institute’, & 'Missing'.

Other lighting designs include: 'Oliver Twist', 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf', 'Our Country's Good', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Beautiful Thing', and ‘Blue Heart’ for Tobacco Factory Theatres, 'Colour of Dinosaurs' and ‘We Can Time Travel’ for gig-theatre maker Dom Coyote, 'Oz', ‘Flies’, and ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ for Pins and Needles, 'Snowed in' for Anatomical, 'Cutting Out' for artist and activist Viv Gordon, and designs for various contemporary dance companies including: New Movement Collective, Fertile Ground, Renaud Wiser Dance, Sophie Nuzel Dance, and TrashDollys.

I have toured widely as a production manager and re-lighter both nationally and internationally - working in China, the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Russia and extensively throughout Europe and the UK. 

I am also a visiting lecturer at Bristol Old Vic Theatre school, where I work with the students on their own lighting designs, supervise technical workshops and fit-ups, and provide lighting design for the school's own productions. I have a strong interest in teaching, and love working with students and young people in technical roles.

For a fuller credit list and list of qualifications please visit http://www.chrisswainlighting.co.uk

More information about my personal or professional identity:
View my CV:

Specialisms

Theatre:
  • International
  • Regional (Main House)
  • Regional (Studio)
  • Small Scale Touring
  • Fringe / Pub Theatre
  • Touring relights
Musical:
Opera:
  • Small scale
Dance:
  • International
  • UK National Company
  • Large Scale
  • Medium Scale
  • Small Scale
  • Touring relights
Concert:
Corporate:
Architectural:
Non-professional:
Education:
  • Lectures
  • Workshops

Previous productions

Show name Type Venue/Company Role Creative Team Opened
The Colour of Dinosaurs Theatre Bristol Old Vic
Otic and Lloyd Coleman 		Lighting Designer Director: Dom Coyote
Set designer: Amy Pitt
Snowed In Theatre Robin Howard Dance Theatre, The Place, then touring
Anitomical 		Lighting Designer Director: Tom Roden and Anna Williams
Set designer: Will Holt
Kin Theatre Home, Manchester - followed by UK touring. Lyttleton Theatre, London in Jan '24, then touring
Gecko Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Amit Lahav
Set designer: Rhys Jarman
Oz Theatre Tobacco Factory Theatres
Tobacco Factory Theatre & Pins and Needles 		Lighting Designer Director: Emma Earle
Set designer: Zoe Squire
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Theatre The Tobacco Factory Theatre & Salisbury Playhouse
Tobacco Factory Theatres & Salisbury Creative 		Lighting Designer Director: David Mercantali
Set designer: Anisha Fields
a little space Theatre Square Chapel, Halifax (tour 1) & Home, Manchester (tour 2), then touring
Gecko & Mind the Gap 		Lighting Designer Director: Rich Rusk
, Director: Dan Watson
, Director: Charli Ward & Karen Bartholomew
Set designer: Rhys Jarman
Contact method Details
Website http://www.chrisswainlighting.co...