It was with enormous sadness that we heard, and now share, the news of the passing of a true giant of theatre, Richard Pilbrow.

Richard was one of the key figures in establishing the profession of lighting design in the UK, from the creation of his company Theatre Projects in 1957 through to his work lighting shows at the new Chichester Festival Theatre, for the new National Theatre at the Old Vic, in the West End and all over the world, Amongst so many milestones, he was the first British lighting designer to light a new show on Broadway.

Much of the way we do things today owes itself to Richard, in part because he always found the time to write about it. His book Stage Lighting, and the later Stage Lighting Design: The Art, The Craft, The Life, were where many of us first learnt how to ‘do’ lighting with their mix of practical explanation we could put to immediate use, and the aspiration of the big shows they described, using the same equipment and same techniques just on a larger scale. I still have my original copy of Stage Lighting forty years on from when I bought it…

Image courtesy of Philip Sayer

As Britain started building new theatres again during the 1960s, Richard found his advice on technical facilities being sought. This and his lighting work at the National led to him becoming theatre consultant for the new National Theatre building, which really revolutionised the technical facilities found in new theatres. Richard and TP found their knowledge in demand around the world, and Richard moved to America to help support that expansion.

It is fair to say that White Light began as a new, young, upstart competitor to Theatre Projects, just as Richard had begun Theatre Projects a decade and a bit earlier as a new, young, upstart competitor to Strand Electric, then the only lighting supplier in London. As competitors, we’d sometimes win, sometimes lose – TP got Cats and enjoyed its 21-year run. WL got Miss Saigon and its 10-year run. But I think there was an enormous respect between the two companies and their two founders, Richard and John Simpson, who were very similar in their steadfastness, their ability to build strong teams around them and then support them in their work, their willingness to embrace new technology and, of course, at the very heart of everything they did, their enthusiasm for theatre and love of theatre people. This respect even survived the incident of John poaching me from TP to help run White Light…

In the buildings he went on to create and the shows he went on to light, Richard continued to push and to pioneer. In the people he surrounded himself with, Richard always found extraordinary talents then encouraged them to thrive. In the trade shows and events he attended he was always open, accessible, welcoming, encouraging. So many people in this industry owe so much to him, directly or indirectly. Our thoughts are with everyone his life touched over the decades, and of course with his immediate family. He will be missed from all of our lives.

Bryan Raven.

Discover more about Richard’s life and work: HERE

Find out more about a Kickstarter project in Richard’s memory: HERE

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