Luke W. Robson

I’m a London-based artist, scenic & costume designer & visual dramaturg, working across theatre, opera, musicals, immersive theatre & cross-discipline Instillations. I’m Resident Designer at Wildcard Studios, recipient of the Leverhulme Trust Bursary as Assistant Designer at the RSC, Journal Culture Awards Finalist & 2x shortlisted for the Old Vic 12.

I’m passionate about creating socially-engaged work that pushes boundaries of form & convention. I believe design can be the gateway through which audiences can access challenging subjects by connecting to the work on a primal level. I’m fascinated by the manipulation of space, light, material, texture, tone & colour to evoke an environment that feels unexpected but truthful to the source material. I am interested in scenography in its broadest sense. As such, my approach to the role of ‘Designer’ is one of constant experimentation across costume, film, graphics, video & sculpture to create ambitious, interactive, immersive experiences, incorporating new technology alongside traditional theatre-making.

Credits

Immersive Design
UNITED QUEENDOM (Les Enfants Terribles) Dir. Christa Harris 2020
CASINO ROYALE (Secret Cinema) Shanghai Associate Designer, Dir. Jackson 2019/20
HANDEL’S MESSIAH (Porchester Hall) Dir. Nicholas Little 2018

Theatre & Opera Design
IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE (Breach - Barbican) Dir. Billy Barrett 2018/21
TEMPEST (Wildcard - Pleasance) Dir. James Meteyard 2021
WE LIKE TO MOVE IT - MOVE IT (Ice&Fire, Tour) Dir. Donnacadh O’Briain 2021
TOKYO ROSE (New Diorama, Tour) Dir. Hannah Benson 2019/21
SIRENS / WHITE LIES (ArtsEd) Dir. Tom Wright 2020
ELECTROLYTE (Tour) Dir. Donnacadh O’Briain 2019
THE COLOURS (Soho) Dir. Max Barton 2019
CRYSTAL CLEAR (Old Red Lion) Dir. PJ Stanley 2019
MY KIND OF MICHAEL (Tour) Dir. Danny Braverman 2019
CIRCA (Harlow Playhouse) Dir. Andrew Twyman 2019
WORK BITCH! (VAULT Festival) Dir. Blythe Stewart 2019
FINDING FASSBENDER (VAULT Festival) Dir. Blythe Stewart 2019
VELVET (Tour) Dir. Andrew Twyman 2018/19
SAPHO & PHAO (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Robin Belfield 2018
THE TERMINAL VELOCITY OF SNOWFLAKES (Live Theatre) Dir. Max Roberts 2017/18
UNSPOKEN (Newcastle Theatre Royal) Dir. Phill Hoffman 2017
LIVE LAB ELEVATOR (Live Theatre) Dir. Graeme Thompson 2017/18/19
FANS (Tour) Dir. Melanie Rashbrooke 2017/18
MADAM BUTTERFLY (King’s Head Theatre) Dir. Paul Higgins 2017
ODD SHAPED BALLS (Old Red Lion) Dir. Andrew Twyman 2016
THE NETHER (Northern Stage) Dir. Ruaidhri Johnston 2016
JOURNEY’S END (Northern Stage) Dir. Jack Hewitt 2015
THE PILLOWMAN (Northern Stage) Dir. Andrew Twyman 2014

Art & Digital Commissions
LA LUCHA (Crowded Room, Battersea Arts Centre) Dir. Mark Knightley 2020
THINGS TO DO IN A BLACKOUT (Bounce Theatre, Imperial War Museum) 2020
2030 (Crowded Room, Collusion) Dir. Mark Knightley 2019
DIGITAL ARTIST RESIDENCY (OVADA) 2018/19
HERE’S TO THEE, OLD APPLE TREE (RSC) 2018
THE CAVE (Queens Hall Digital) 2017
ELECTRIC SHEEP (Channel 4, Random Acts) 2017
Production Design
OLVE (Outfoxed Films) Dir. Andrew Twyman 2018
SMALL TOWN POLITICS (Sky Arts) Dir. Gully Moore 2018
TARTUFFE TRAILER (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Chris McGill 2018
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR TRAILER (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Chris McGill 2018
MACBETH TRAILER (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Chris McGill 2017
Awards
Resident Designer (Wildcard Theatre) 2019/20
Old Vic 12 (Designer) Shortlisted 2018/20
Leverhulme Trust Bursary (Royal Shakespeare Company) Assistant Designer 2017/18
Journal Culture Award (Best Newcomer) Finalist 2018
Off West End Theatre Award (Best Set Design) Nomination 2016

Assisting
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (Shakespeare’s Globe) Dir. Ellie While, Des. Charlie Cridlan 2019
TARTUFFE (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Iqbal Khan, Des. Bretta Gerecke 2018
TAMBURLAINE (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Michael Boyd, Des. Tom Piper 2018
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Fiona Laird, Des. Lez Brotherston 2018
MISS LITTLEWOOD (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Erica Whyman, Des. Tom Piper 2017/18
MACBETH (Royal Shakespeare Company) Dir. Polly Finlay, Des. Fly Davies 2018
IMPERIUM: THE CICERO PLAYS (RSC) Dir. Gregory Doran. Des. Anthony Ward 2017
EDITH (Mini Productions, Mint Pictures) Dir. Christian Cookie, Des. Felicity Hickman 2015

Training

Newcastle University (BA Fine Art) First Class Honours 2014/17
Pride of Newcastle Award (Contribution to Arts & Culture) 2015
John Bell Simpson Prize 2016 / Bartlett Travel Fund 2014/16
National Film & Television School (BFI Talent Campus) 2014
Oxford & Cherwell Valley College (Foundation Diploma in Art & Design) Distinction 2013/14