David W Kidd // Press Reviews

PRESS REVIEWS

The House of Bernarda Alba
		"...it has moments of real poetry: the light catching the swirling dust in the parlour; the setting sun turning Angustia's wedding trousseau pink, as if it is already stained with blood..."
		*Lyn Gardner - The Guardian*


		".."the darkly lit set, black mourning clothes and hand fans, and evocative Spanish guitar mixed with ever-tolling church bells, create a compelling atmosphere of stifling entrapment and simmering resentment."
		*Brendan McCusker - The Daily Echo*


		"...the design team unlocks a counterintuitive sensuality, allowing rosy tints to flood the mercilessly clean walls."
		*David Jays - The Sunday Times*


		"Juliet Shillingford's set, with its three huge, seperate walls, suggest restriction and creates a sense of secrecy, while David W Kidd's lighting increases the hot-house atmosphere."
		*Timothy Ramsden - Reviewsgate*

A Streetcar Named Desire
		"Scorched in the terracotta sunsets of New Orleans, bruised in the pale blue of the past - Blanche Duboir's descent into madness and confusion is depicted with a contemporary staging and lighting that arouses the senses.... an all round sensuous sensation."
		*Bonnie Redfern - Listed Magazine*

Peter and the Wolf
		"Inventive lighting adds much to the In the Wings production of Prokofiev's famous tale....... The highlight of the show is the atmospheric lighting, which transforms from a warm autumnal forest into a truly spooky place when the wolf prowls out."
		*Thom Dibdin - Edinburgh Evening News*


		"Designer Paul Gallis provides a birch-forest which looks beautiful in the evocative colours of David W Kidd's lighting."
		*Timothy Ramsden - Reviewsgate*


		"...It looks lovely, part picture book in concept, and is expertly lit by David W Kidd."
		*Gerald Dowler - Dancing Times*

Lotte's Journey
		"...David W Kidd's shrewd lighting design helps enourmously in establishing credibility."
		*Ray Bennett - The Hollywood Reporter*

Frankenstein
		"Sensational effects are conjured into being by Robin Don's design, eerily lit by David W Kidd"
		Jeremy Kingston - The Times


		"The staging is atmospheric and haunting, with few props: a ship's mast ,a buried chest, a pair of doors at the back of the stage and various small props carried on and off. The lighting is superb, as are the costumes and music."
		Hazel Brown - Reviewsgate

Die Walküre
		"...but it is David W Kidd's lighting design that creates the magic and supports the opera's dramatic mood changes in an extraordinary way"
		*Fyens Stiftstidende*

		"In Roy Bell's grand scenery and costumes; in David W Kidd's impressive lighting; in Troel Kold's movement and clever direction and with the secure playing of Sønderjyllands Symphony Orchestra under Lars Ole Mathiasen's fitting leadership, a chosen group of well known soloists present Wagner's 'Valkyrien' at the Denmark Ny Opera in Esbjerg."
		**Ulrik Cold - Børsen**

Murder In The Cathedral (at Southwark)

"It is also beautifully lit by David W Kidd to constantly focus attention in a difficult space and to show the cathedral's epic scale."

Mark Shenton - The Stage

Charlie and Henry
		"It's a perfectly enjoyable evening out..... and a few lines will rattle around in your head for some while after the wonderful lighting design by David W kidd fades to black."
		*Owain Paciuszko - Extra! Extra!*

Johnson Is Leaving

"…expertly directed by Lisa Forrell and lit by David W Kidd."

Oxford Times

Three Sisters

TMA Award 2002 for Best Design (Simon Higlett)
"This production is beautifully lit and composed, yet it always allies pin-sharp visual detail with psychological insight…"

The Guardian

Beach Wedding

"The acting, direction and remarkable set and lighting make this very memorable."

The Stage

"It is beautifully lit by David W Kidd, with an imaginative set from Juliet Shillingford that includes clever photographic projections."

Romsey Advertiser

Lighting The Day

"Madeline Millar’s set and David W. Kidd’s magnificent lighting complete a compelling evening. The words and images linger long after the curtain has fallen."

The Stage

"Gorgeously lit and simply designed, this is an enthralling production.

Evening Standard

"Impressive and entertaining. The imaginative use of lighting and set produces some memorable moments."

Camden New Journal

"Critics Choice: ….conjuring up city apartments with minimum fuss and maximum effect."

Time Out

"Madeline Millar’s sparse and evocative set, under David W. Kidd’s beautiful lighting, comes alive for two captivating hours."

Highbury and Islington Gazette

Earth and Sky

"….there’s a great, simple set by Juliet Shillingford that cunningly conjures different times and locations as well as any 40’s film noir."

The Guardian

"Atmospherically lit by David W. Kidd, Juliet Shillingford’s spare stage design — a set of verticals and horizontals evoking Chicago’s skyscrapers and it’s gridiron of streets — effectively sets the mood for Sara’s apartment, police station and a low-rent neighbourhood bar."

The Stage

Twelfth Night

"So much else was imaginative, too, in Patrick Sandford’s production: the use of live music throughout this most musical of comedies; David W. Kidd’s shadow-rich lighting; and Ti Green’s simple white set."

Portsmouth News

"Patrick Sandford’s Twelfth Night is anything to go by, production values and verse-speaking standards are far higher than anything in the bad old days of fortnightly rep.
Sandford has the play take place on a sun-drenched beach, presumably colonial, island in the inter-war years and Ti Green’s white walled setting under David W. Kidd’s lighting not only create a sense of Illyrian idyll but is also an effective counterpoint to the play’s cruelty."

The Guardian

Christmas, Theme Park and Children's Shows

"Choreographer and producer Sally Coppin presents a lively and engrossing show, suberbly brought to life by lighting designer David W Kidd's stylish work…"

The Stage

"…the band sounding like the full works and lighting designer David W. Kidd on good form."

The Stage

"..the opening scene bursting with vitality…and then from then on we were treated to a thoroughly professional show with faultless acting, effective lighting and ambitious sets…."

The Scotsman

"Bridget Kimak’s designs show once again why she is a regular contributor to this theatre and David W. Kidd complements her work with his lighting."

The Stage

"Spectacular design….when the word ‘Eternity’ is spelled out in lights around the theatre the children gasped in delight."

The Times

"A kind of shimmering theatricality about the piece — the rainbow lighting, the bright digital music….Put simply the whole piece is far more visual than verbal."

London Radio