Rick Fisher

Lighting Designer

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