Zoe Spurr is an award-winning British lighting designer whose work has been seen in the West End, the Royal Opera House, Britain's National Theatre and on multiple tours. She has been honored with the Lightmongers' ALD Award for New Talent in Entertainment Lighting, a Theatre and Technology Award for Lighting Design for The Unreturning with Frantic Assembly, and the Offie Award for Best Lighting Design for Tiny Dynamite at the Old Red Lion Theatre. She trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she is now a visiting lecturer.
Spurr spoke to Live Design about switching career paths in live theatre, always having a plan B and C, and investing in a work/life balance.
LD: When did you realize you wanted to be a lighting designer? Did you see a production, or were you working on something else in a theatre and realized?
Zoe Spurr: I danced as a hobby since the age of 4, and when I went to pursue Drama, English Literature and Art at college I went with the dream of becoming a musical theatre performer, but quickly realized I didn't enjoy acting! My teacher suggested I try lighting and sound, and from then I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. The link between live theatre and art heavily inspired my studies, and the excitement of creating art with light was something I have loved ever since.
LD: What is the most valuable thing you learned while training and some of the main attributes you think an LD should have?
ZS: I think there are various attributes a lighting designer needs, no two LDs are the same which is why the industry is ever evolving with ideas, but I think all of us need to have a passion for live theatre, and to understand the best ways to navigate this to create an exciting and secure lighting design which serves the production and narrative. It's useful to have a strong sense of timing, both for working with schedules and deadlines to ensure a design is realistic and deliverable in the time frame, but also to watch movement onstage and hear the music to inspire timings and pace. It's important to know when a lighting state needs to move swiftly, and when cues need to shift unnoticed. I think you need an open mind, the most exciting processes are when all the members of the creative team are heavily involved and collaborate closely. Ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere! I also go into tech with an A, B, and C option for looks and ideas, it's important to have another offer to hand if the original doesn't work as planned. This allows time to rethink and perhaps revisit harder ideas whilst having a place holder. Lighting designers do not get the opportunity to try out lighting ahead of time, we can perhaps use pre visualization but this isn't often afforded on a show—so quick thinking and carving out ideas which carry throughout the piece is essential for being successful.
LD: What had been the most rewarding show you have worked?
ZS: The Unreturning by Frantic Assembly. (For which she won the 2019 Theatre and Technology Award, Lighting Design.) Having worked with FA as a relighter, and studied them as a student, I admired their work and approach- and to work with such a brilliantly collaborative team of people was an amazing experience. It didn't have a big budget, but it had so much heart and ambition and we all found ways to express our ideas without breaking the bank. Some of my favorite shows are with a handful of generics and some bold ideas- and it's amazing how many looks you can make out of a small rig and an open mind from a director! Myself and the sound designer worked very closely, along with the DSM to sync up almost the entire show so triggering Qs was beautifully connected to what was happening sonically.
LD: What was the most demanding/challenging assignment you have taken on, and how did you manage to accomplish it?
ZS: 'The Artist' was extremely demanding, we had enormous ambition and dreams but the schedule was tight and the evolving nature of the show meant it was sometimes hard to plan and execute ideas. But also the team knew this was the case, and again I had the A,B,C options to make sure we could keep up with changes, offering strong looks and solutions- especially to transitions. I got through with the help and dedication of my programmer and associate, both were integral to carrying out ideas and for keeping us on track.
LD: What advice would you give to students finishing up a technical theatre degree who want to pursue lighting?
ZS: See as much theatre as possible, seek out designers and opportunities which line up with the path you hope to take. All shadowing, assisting, associating creates contacts, this industry is who you know, as well as what you know! Be sure to be friendly and hard working, find ways of bettering your practice on every job you do. Analyze yourself, what can you do better next time? What worked well? What would you like to adapt for future?
LD: What would you like to see change in the industry in the future?
ZS: I'd like to see more training programs in theatres, and more assistant and associate roles budgeted for on productions. Designers are often stretched very thin across several productions, and having someone to help with the workload while bettering their own practice is only a good thing! I think budgets need to be higher for lighting, using and bettering new technology is so important to our practice. We need to invest in both equipment and people, learning new skills and bettering the workflow in the industry is essential.
I'd also like to see the industry focus on creating a better work life balance for all involved, freelancers especially on back-to-back jobs often spend weeks away from home and family, and often the pay doesn't reflect the personal sacrifice. Larger teams, split responsibility and firm deadlines really help with this, and also ideas like no work on Saturdays or no 14 hour days would also help enormously to protect physical and mental health.