Knight of Illumination Awards 2015 Theatre Shortlist Announced

	Amy Mae Smith for Sweeney Todd is one of the shortlisted designers in the Theatre category of this year's Knight of Illumination Awards. Photo: Bronwen Sharp

The Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) Theatre judging panel has announced its eagerly anticipated shortlist for this year's ceremony, which will take place at London's Troxy club on Sunday, October 4.

Organized by the ALD, STLD, The Fifth Estate Ltd, and Clay Paky and now in its eighth year, the KOI Awards is a celebration of the creative talents of international lighting and digital content designers working in the UK across TV, Theatre, and Concert Touring and Events.

The Theatre shortlist is the first to be revealed, after a panel of senior critics from national newspapers deliberated over the finest lighting and video work from the categories of dance, musicals, opera, and plays.

The shortlist is as follows:

Dance -- Lucy Carter for Woolf Works, Royal Ballet; Howard Harrison for Edward Scissorhands, Theatre Royal, Plymouth, Sadler's Wells, and touring; and Robert Sondergaard for A Picture Of You Falling, Sadler's Wells. (Judged by Luke Jennings from The Observer and Mark Monahan from the Daily Telegraph.)

Musicals -- Neil Austin for Assassins, Menier Chocolate Factory; Mark Henderson for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre and The Savoy; and Amy Mae Smith for Sweeney Todd, Harrington's Pie-Shop, Tooting. (Judged by Georgina Brown from the Mail on Sunday and Samantha Marlowe from The Times.)

Opera -- Alessandro Carletti for Guillaume Tell, Royal Opera House; Paul Pyant for The Corridor & The Cure, Britten Studio, Aldeburgh; and Mimi Jordan Sherin for The Girl of the Golden West, English National Opera. (Judged by Richard Fairman from the Financial Times and Anna Picard from The Times.)

Plays -- Richard Howell for Playing For Time, Sheffield Crucible; Tim Mitchell for Taken At Midnight, Minerva Studio, Chichester and Theatre Royal Haymarket; and Paul Pyant for The Nether, Royal Court and Duke of York's. (Judged by Georgina Brown from the Mail on Sunday and Samantha Marlowe from The Times.)

Video -- Paul Barritt for Golem, Young Vic (Drama); Ravi Deepres for Woolf Works, Royal Ballet (Dance); and Luke Halls for Król Roger, Royal Opera House (Opera).

David Benedict, The Arts Desk critic and chair of the Theatre panel comments: "It has become obvious that ever more sophisticated video techniques and imagery are being used to increasingly imaginative and dramatic effect. Thus it's particularly valuable that, three years ago, an additional award for video/projection design was added to the Knight of Illumination Awards."

"It is no exaggeration to say that the quality of lighting design in live theatre across the UK continues to rise, as evidenced by the fact that this year's judging session was the most fiercely contested yet. It's not just about the quality of the work of the nominees, but the clear strength of dozens of productions from among the (literally) hundreds seen by the judges. Lighting, excitingly, appears to be in robust health."

KOI coordinator Durham Marenghi adds: "Unintended consequences here, having such an experienced and influential judging panel looking specifically at lighting and projection for the KOI Awards there now seems to be far more mention of lighting in the national press reviews of productions across all theatrical genres, thus raising the profile of lighting design in the UK."

This year's event is sponsored by Ambersphere Solutions, Ayrton, FIX8Group, Hawthorn, Light Initiative, MA Lighting, OSRAM, Robert Juliat, and XL Video and supported by ABTT, ET Now, Lighting and Sound America, Lighting and Sound International, Mondo*dr, The Theatres Trust, and Total Production International. Table sponsors include: AC Entertainment, Avolites, Creative Technology, d3, ETC, GLP, Green Hippo, Howard Eaton Lighting, Philips Vari-Lite, PRG, SGM, Stage Electrics, TMB, TSL, and Video Equipment Rentals.