Ethan is a queer performance designer working across theatre, film, and music. A graduate of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, they currently serve as a resident Design Assistant at the National Theatre. Their innovative designs have earned nominations for both the Offie and Broadway World awards in Set Design.
At the heart of Ethan’s practice is the belief that art should primarily evoke emotion. Their work focuses on crafting immersive, evocative spaces that go beyond the mundane, offering audiences experiences that provoke thought and personal reflection. Their designs often explore the human condition and political landscapes through surreal and abstract perspectives. This approach prioritizes character psychology, emotional depth, and contextual surroundings over literal interpretations of a script’s setting. Ethans visual storytelling seeks to create worlds that invite audiences to engage viscerally and intellectually, challenging their perceptions and inspiring new perspectives.
For Ethan, design is more than just visual; it’s about shaping the way stories are told, how space is inhabited, and how audiences emotionally engage with the performance. Ethan’s creative process is deeply collaborative, rooted in the principles of total theatre. From the outset of each project, they work closely with directors, writers, and fellow creatives to explore the core ideas and storytelling objectives of the production. This collaboration ensures that every element—design, movement, sound, and lighting—works harmoniously to create a unified, compelling theatrical experience.
Recent theatre credits include Twelfth Night at National Youth Theatre, Shock Horror (UK Tour), Little Shop of Horrors at The Egg, Constellations at The Barn, £1 Thursdays at the Finborough, and Rabbit Hole at Union Theatre.
Ethan’s associate design credits include The Other Place at the National Theatre, The Principles of Deception at Theatre Royal Northampton, My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), and Millennials at The Other Palace.