Rick is a lighting designer working internationally on plays, opera, and musicals. He has won a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Billy Elliot on Broadway and a Helpmann Award for Billy Elliot in Sydney. He has also won two Olivier Awards for Best Lighting Design for his work at the National Theatre and a Tony and Drama Desk Award for An Inspector Calls.
Awards and Nominations
2017 Knight of Illumination Lifetime Recognition Award
In 2011 Rick became a Fellow of the Association of Lighting Production and Design
2009 Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Billy Elliot
2008 Live Design Awards Theatre Lighting Designer of the Year
2005 World Stage Design Exhibition Bronze Medal for Lighting Design
2003 Golden Triga Prague Quadrennial (British Entry) & Golden Award Backstage West for Cinderella
1998 Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design for Lady in the Dark, Chips with Everything
1996 Ovation and Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for An Inspector Calls
1995 Golden Triga Prague Quadrennial (British Entry)
1994 Tony & Drama Desk Awards for An Inspector Calls & Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design for Hysteria, Machinal, Moonlight
1993, 1995, 2006 Olivier Award Nominations
2017 Drama Desk Award nomination for The Judas Kiss
2015 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for The Audience
2010 WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Lighting Design
List Of Productions
2025
RIGOLETTO | Director: Julien Chavaz | Santa Fe Opera, US
2024
RIGOLETTO | Director: Julien Chavez | Irish National Opera
PORGY AND BESS | Director: Noa Naamat | Cape Town Opera/ Beijing/ Shanghai
INTO THE WOODS | Director: Bruce Guthrie | Royal Academy of Music
AN EVENING WITH ABDULHUSSAIN | Kuwait Opera House (JACC)
LE PROPHÉTE | Director: Christian Räth | Fisher Center for Performing Arts, Bard College
I PAGLIACCI | Director: Jeffery Marc Buchman | Florida Grand Opera, US
LA TRAVIATA | Director: Chía Patiño | Florida Grand Opera, US
AN ACTOR CONVALESCING IN DEVON | Director: Clarissa Brown & Richard Nelson | Hampstead Theatre
RECENT CREDITS
SAN XING DUI | Director: Thom Southerland | Shanghai, China
SEMELE (with Peter Mumford) | Director: Adele Thomas | Glyndebourne Opera
NOISES OFF | Director: Thom Southerland | Cottbus, Germany
EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR | Director: Bruce Guthrie | NCPA, Mumbai, India
GISELLE | Director: Yoshida Miyako | National Ballet of Japan
AN INSPECTOR CALLS | Director: Stephen Daldry | UK Tour
THE SILENT WOMAN | Director: Christian Räth | Bard Summerscape Opera, US
MIDDLE | Director: Polly Findlay | National Theatre
THE BREACH | Director: Sarah Frankcom | Hampstead Theatre
RED RIDING HOOD | Director: Robert Shaw Cameron | Theatre Royal Stratford East
EUGENE ONEGIN | Director: Alessandro Talevi | Santa Fe Opera, US
BILLY ELLIOT | Director: Stephen Daldry | Korea
LA TRAVIATA | Director: Marta Domingo | Royal Muscat Opera
SEMELE | Director: Thomas Guthrie | UK & European Tour/ Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra
EDMUND DE BERGERAC | Director: Roxana Silbert | Birmingham Rep
MAN OF LA MANCHA | Director: Lonny Price | English National Opera
THE PEARL FISHERS | Director: Shawna Lucey | Santa Fe Opera, US
UNCLE VANYA | Director: Rupert Everett | Theatre Royal Bath
WEST SIDE STORY | Director: Stephen Whitson | Edinburgh International Festival
BENVENUTO CELLINI | Director: Noa Naamat | UK & European Tour/ Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra
WHAT'S IN A NAME | Director: Jeremy Sams | UK Tour
THE PERMANENT WAY | Director: Alexander Lass | The Vaults
THE HAYSTACK | Director: Roxana Silbert | Hampstead Theatre
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES | Director: Jez Bond | Park Theatre
BEETHOVEN CONCERT (RFH) | Philharmonia Orchestra
ELEKTRA | Bournemouth Symphony
CARMEN | Director: Edward Dick | Opera North
'NIGHT MOTHER | Director: Roxana Silbert | Hampstead Theatre
FOR WEST END
CONSENT | Director: Roger Michell
WOMAN IN WHITE | Director: Thom Southerland
AN INSPECTOR CALLS | Director: Stephen Daldry
RENT | Director: Bruce Guthrie
THE AUDIENCE | Director: Stephen Daldry
SUNNY AFTERNOON | Director: Edward Hall
CHARIOTS OF FIRE | Director: Edward Hall
THE JUDAS KISS | Director: Neil Armfield
BILLY ELLIOT | Director: Stephen Daldry
HERGE'S ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN | Director: Rufus Norris
OLD TIMES | Director: Roger Michell
FAMILY REUNION | Director: Jeremy Herrin
THE PHILANTHROPIST | Director: David Grindley
JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA | Director: Stewart Lee
A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE | Director: Adrian Noble
LOBBY HERO | Director: Mark Brokaw
BOSTON MARRIAGE | Director: Phyllida Lloyd
A NUMBER | Director: Stephen Daldry
GLEE CLUB | Director: Mike Bradwell
STAR QUALITY | Director: Christopher Luscombe
NAPOLEON | Director: Francesca Zambello
MY ZINC BED | Director: David Hare
MISS JULIE | Director: Michael Boyd
LENNY | Director: Sir Peter Hall
MACBETH | Director: John Crowley
VIA DOLOROSA | Director: Stephen Daldry
THE OLD NEIGHBOURHOOD | Director: Patrick Marber
SWAN LAKE | Choreographer: Matthew Bourne
CINDERELLA | Director: Matthew Bourne
THE CHANGING ROOM | Director: James MacDonald
HYSTERIA | Director: Phyllida Lloyd
RAT IN THE SKULL | Director: Stephen Daldry
SERIOUS MONEY | Director: Max Stafford-Clark
FOR BROADWAY
THE AUDIENCE | Director: Stephen Daldry
THE PHILANTHROPIST | Director: David Grindley
BILLY ELLIOT | Director: Stephen Daldry
SWAN LAKE | Choreographer: Matthew Bourne
VIA DOLOROSA | Director: Stephen Daldry
AN INSPECTOR CALLS | Director: Stephen Daldry
SOME AMERICANS ABROAD | Director: Roger Michell
SERIOUS MONEY | Director: Max Stafford-Clark
OFF BROADWAY
MAN TO MAN | Director: Bruce Guthrie & Scott Graham
THE JUDAS KISS | Director: Neil Armfield
FOR THE NATIONAL THEATRE
AN INSPECTOR CALLS | Director: Stephen Daldry
MIDDLE | Director: Polly Findlay
CONSENT | Director: Roger Michell
WASTE | Director: Roger Michell
LANDSCAPE WITH WEAPON | Director: Roger Michell
JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA | Director: Stewart Lee
HONOUR | Director: Roger Michell
MOTHER CLAP'S MOLLY HOUSE | Director: Nicholas Hytner
THE WINTER'S TALE | Director: Nicholas Hytner
ALBERT SPEER | Director: Trevor Nunn
BLUE/ORANGE | Director: Roger Michell
BETRAYAL | Director: Trevor Nunn
FLIGHT | Director: Howard Davies
CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING | Director: Howard Davies
LADY IN THE DARK | Director: Francesca Zambello
FAIR LADIES PLAYING A GAME OF POEM CARDS | Director: John Crowley
BLINDED BY THE SUN | Director: Ron Daniels
DEATH OF A SALESMAN | Director: David Thacker
UNDER MILK WOOD | Director: Roger Michell
THE COUP | Director: Roger Michell
PERICLES | Director: Phyllida Lloyd
MACHINAL | Director: Stephen Daldry
PEER GYNT | Director: Declan Donnellan
INTERNATIONAL
SWEENEY TODD | Director: Lee Blakeley | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France
THE KING AND I | Director: Lee Blakeley | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France
THE SOUND OF MUSIC | Director: Jonathan Butterell | Citi Opera Theatre, Buenos Aires Argentina
DISNEY'S THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME | Director: James Lapine | Berlin, Germany
FORBIDDEN CITY | Director: Stephen Dexter | Singapore Repertory Theatre, China
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE | Director: Bruce Guthrie | Singapore Repertory Theatre, China
OTHELLO | Director: Bruce Guthrie | Singapore Repertory Theatre, China
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | Director: Edward Dick | Singapore Repertory Theatre, China
HAMLET, AN INSPECTOR CALLS, KING LEAR, RED DEMON, SALOME, FALSTAFF, BILLY ELLIOT, MATTHEW BOURNE'S SWAN LAKE , MATA HARI, GISELLE | All Japan
OPERA
Lighting design for 27 operas at Santa Fe Opera between 2001-2021
SWEENEY TOOD | Director: Lee Blakeley | Houston Opera/ San Francisco Opera, US
THE KING AND I | Director: Lee Blakeley | Chicago Lyric Opera, US
MADAME BUTTERFLY | Director: Lee Blakeley | LA Opera/ Santa Fe Opera, US
FALSTAFF | Director: Lee Blakeley | LA Opera, US
FALSTAFF | Director: David Kneuss | Saito Kinen Festival, Japan
ALBERT HERRING | Director: Paul Curran | LA Opera/ Santa Fe Opera
PETER GRIMES | Director: Paul Curran | LA Opera/ Santa Fe Opera/ Oslo, Norway
SALOME | Director: Daniel Slater | Santa Fe Opera, US
SALOME | Director: Francesca Zambello/Christian Rath | Saito Kinen Festival Japan
BETROTHAL IN A MONASTERY | Director: Daniel Slater | Glyndebourne/ Valencia, Spain
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM | Director: David Pountney | Fenice, Venice, Italy
THE HEART OF DARKNESS | Director: Edward Dick | Royal Opera House
TSARINA'S SLIPPERS | Director: Francesca Zambello | Royal Opera House
WOZZECK | Director: Keith Warner | Royal Opera House
OF MICE AND MEN | Director: Francesca Zambello | Washington Opera, US
THE LITTLE PRINCE | Director: Francesca Zambello | Houston Opera/ New York City Opera/ San Francisco Opera, US
FIERY ANGEL | Director: Francesca Zambello | Bolshoi Theatre, Russia
TURANDOT | Director: Francesca Zambello | Bolshoi Theatre, Russia
MONTECCHI I CAPULETTI | Director: Paul Curran | Charleston, US
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN | Director: Chen Shi-Zheng | Charleston, US
TURANDOT | Director: Rupert Goold | English National Opera
LA VESTALE | Director: Francesca Zambello | English National Opera
VERDI'S REQUIEM | Director: Phyllida Lloyd | English National Opera
DER FREISCHUTZ | Director: David Pountney | English National Opera
DR OX'S EXPERIMENT | Director: Atom Egoyan | English National Opera
THE FAIRY QUEEN | Director: David Pountney | English National Opera
WOZZECK | Director: William Friedkin | Florence Maggio Musicale, Italy
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN | Director: Francesca Zambello | Bordeaux, France
LA TRAVIATA | Director: Jonathan Miller | Bastille, France
CARMEN | Director: Edward Dick | Opera North
GLORIANA | Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Opera North
MEDEA | Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Opera North
LA BOHEME | Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Opera North
L’ETOILE | Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Opera North
MANON LESCAUT | Director: Stephen Daldry | Dublin, Ireland
THE MAGIC FLUTE | Director: Stephen Medcalf/John Elliot Gardiner | Parma, Italy
BALLET
GISELLE | Director: Miyako Yoshida | National Ballet of Japan
SWAN LAKE | Director: Matthew Bourne | World Tour/ West End/ Los Angeles, US/ Broadway
CINDERELLA | Director: Matthew Bourne | West End/ Los Angeles, US
OTHER
Chairman of the Association of Lighting Design and Production 1995-2011
Vice President of the Association of Lighting Design and Production 2011-Present
Trustee Back Up The Technical Entertainment Charity
Former trustee National Board of United Scenic Artists, USA
Former visiting Professor in Lighting Design - Dramatiska Institute Stockholm, Sweden