The Role of the Theatre Designer

The Role of the Theatre Designer webpage resources are the result of a collaboration between theatre designer Sophie Jump and the National Theatre. The webpages are aimed at design students but accessible to the general public and those with a general interest in backstage theatre.

The webpage resources, described as an ‘online exhibit’ focus on case studies of iconic National Theatre designers Jocelyn Herbert (The Oresteia 1981), William Dudley (The Mysteries 1977-1999) and Rae Smith (War Horse 2007 to present).

The webpages themselves are full of useful information about the role of a designer and how designers work with other creatives. They are clearly aimed at design students but I can also see them being useful for A level Theatre Studies candidates, or those studying Classical Civilisation at A Level. I found the section on Jocelyn Herbert particularly fascinating and it reminded me of an extended essay I wrote myself for A level which focused on Greek drama and for which this would have been ideal!