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...