BEN HUGHES

​Lighting Designer

Ben Hughes is a lighting designer whose design practice spans theatre, dance and opera.  He is Associate Artistic Director of The Danger Ensemble.
 
Ben’s lighting designs have appeared on stages throughout Australia, and internationally in the United Kingdom, United States, China & New Zealand. He has designed for companies including: Queensland Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Malthouse Theatre, Opera Queensland, Belvoir, La Boite Theatre Company, Queensland Ballet, Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival, Expressions Dance Company, The Danger Ensemble, HotHouse Theatre, The Nest Ensemble, Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, JUTE Theatre, Stella Electrika, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Phluxus2 Dance Collective, Collusion, Company2, Gold Coast Arts Centre, Woodford Folk Festival and Kooemba Jdarra. 

He has collaborated with leading directors and choreographers including: Meryl Tankard, Lindy Hume, Sam Strong, Paige Rattray, Sarah Goodes, Todd MacDonald, Natalie Weir, Michael Gow, Wesley Enoch, David Berthold, Nils Christie, Gavin Webber, Francois Klaus, Amy Hollingsworth, Lucas Jervies and Stephanie Lake.
 
Recent highlights include: for Opera Queensland, DON GIOVANNI, MOZART AIRBORNE (with Expressions Dance Company and Natalie Weir), SNOW WHITE directed by Lindy Hume; for Queensland Theatre, TWELFTH NIGHT, NOISES OFF! directed by Sam Strong, AN OCTOROON directed by Nakkiah Lui, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, SWITZERLAND directed by Paige Rattray, GOOD MUSLIM BOY directed by Janice Muller (with Malthouse Theatre), BLACK DIGGERS (with Sydney Festival), MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, HAPPY DAYS directed by Wesley Enoch, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING directed by Jason Klarwein; for Sydney Theatre Company, BLACK IS THE NEW WHITE directed by Paige Rattray (and national tour), THE EFFECT (with Queensland Theatre) directed by Sarah Goodes; for La Boite, THE MATHEMATICS OF LONGING, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, MEDEA directed by Todd MacDonald; for Expressions Dance Company, CONVERGE, PROPEL, THE HOST, CARMEN SWEET; for Queensland Ballet, FLOURISH, GISELLE.
 
Ben was Resident Lighting Designer at Queensland Theatre in 2013.  In 2014 and 2011 he was an Affiliate Artist with the company.  
 
He co-directed and co-designed TROLLOP, winner of the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, with Wesley Enoch and David Morton for Queensland Theatre.
 
Ben has been nominated for numerous Matilda Awards for Best Lighting Design including for SWITZERLAND, THE CRUCIBLE, JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN and MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN with Queensland Theatre.  He received Australian Production Design Guild Award nominations for both MEDEA with La Boite and TWELFTH NIGHT with Queensland Theatre.  Ben received a Matilda Award nomination for Best Set Design for his work on CALIGULA alongside Steven Mitchell Wright and Natalie Ryner for The Danger Ensemble. 
 
Ben lectures in Lighting Design at Queensland University of Technology, is a Professional Member of the Association of Lighting Designers and holds accredited membership of the Australian Production Design Guild.
 
In 2019 Ben’s work includes the world premiere of a new adaptation of TWO FEET with Meryl Tankard for the Adelaide Festival; L’APPARTEMENT and ANTIGONE for Queensland Theatre; BLACK IS THE NEW WHITE tour for Melbourne Theatre Company, Black Swan and State Theatre Company of South Australia; and a new work with choreographer Trey McIntyre for Queensland Ballet.

View Ben's designs at elysianblue.net