About
Image: Gabriel Isserlis
Will enjoys a busy portfolio career in the wonderful world of Theatre.
As a Lighting Designer, recent work includes: The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria at 59E59 Theaters New York for Out of the Forest Theatre; Legally Blonde at Battersea Arts Centre; Anything Goes at Leatherhead Theatre; Dick Whittington at Esher Theatre for Swift Entertainment Ltd; Robin Hood at Applecart Arts; Gentlemen at Arcola Theatre for Richard Spier Productions; In Other Words at Arcola Theatre for TBC Productions; Jack and the Beanstalk for Yellow Kangaroo Productions at Applecart Arts; ISOLATION for Untitled Entertainment at Streatham Space Project; and Gigi Star and her Vocal Chords of Magic for Prentice Productions at Applecart Arts.
He’s continued to work with companies such as the Barbican, Oxford Playhouse, the Royal Opera House, Southbank Centre, Royal Ballet School, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, in London’s West End and New York’s (Off) Broadway, on tour in the UK and internationally.
For full Credits and Schedule, visit this page
Will’s strong history of educational work has continued on from his days at National Youth Theatre. He consistently works with schools and with young people - mentoring, tutoring and developing interest in all aspects of theatre - particularly technical. This has led to multiple projects with and at the Royal Ballet School, Half Moon Theatre and Reigate Grammar School. Specific Lighting Design credits during this include: Terry and the Magic Walnut at Reigate Grammar School; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Riddlesdown Collegiate; Guys and Dolls at Riverside Studios with Francis Holland School, Treasure Island at Reigate Grammar School; Blood Brothers at Riddlesdown Collegiate; Magical Movies Meet Marvellous Music at Cadogan Hall with Reeds School; Oliver! at Reigate Grammar School; and Newham Harmony live stream with Newham Music at Stratford Circus.
Will’s work has been consistently wonderfully varied. He’s designed interactive experiences into air raid shelters, disused railway tunnels, museums, markets, galleries and hotels. He’s produced festivals; creating a live advent calendar taking place everywhere from putting a Santa’s Grotto in a police cell, to performing opera in a Sainsbury’s supermarket; he’s created outdoor experiences for thousands of people to experience taking place over ten days in a big top tent; and he’s overseen two large festivals taking place on a busy high street in East London - including one safely delivered during Storm Eunice. Originally from London, Will graduated from Aberystwyth University in 2012 with a first class degree in Drama and Theatre Studies. Whilst studying he was lucky enough to gain invaluable experience working at Soho Theatre, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and as Company Stage Manger for several tours to some of the biggest venues in Wales. This lead to him heading up several large scale projects, including a concert involving 500 performers at the Southbank Centre, multiple shows and tours for Oxford Playhouse, and for National Youth Theatre of Great Britain - overseeing some of their largest and most complex productions (both politically and logistically) for several years.
When the pandemic hit, Will turned his attentions to Applecart Arts, a small arts centre in East London. With an existing stock of broadcast quality cameras, Applecart was perfectly placed to live stream throughout the pandemic. So Will and two friends turned Applecart’s theatre into a live streaming studio, and broadcast shows, events, conferences and political debates to thousands of viewers all over the world. During this time, they also expanded and bettered the technical facilities in the building.
Towards the end of 2021, Will and the small Applecart team delivered three busy festivals back to back, each with budgets of over £100,000 each. During this time, Applecart began the move to a new home on the edge of Plashet Park - a Grade II listed former library and registry office. Into 2022 and with planning permission in place, Will led the charge of the conversion of this beautiful building into a cafe, exhibition space, studio and theatre. This was brutal and hard work, but with many skills learned along the way - and a beautiful result.
Reviews for Lighting Designs
“Will Alder’s lighting beautifully contributes to the storytelling: A diminishing box of light late in the play very much suggests a curtain coming down on Boris and his reign — no spoiler considering the title.”
for The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria
— Theater Mania
“Will Alder’s lighting design is excellent, signalling the shifts in time and perspective with precision and clarity but no fuss - just like the production itself”
for In Other Words
— Always Time for Theatre
“Before Gigi and Doubt even arrive, I am enamoured by Charlotte Ive and Will Alder’s design”
for Gigi Star
— Always Time for Theatre
“It is powerfully and imaginatively lit by Will Alder, with great washes of red and purple manifesting something both sumptuous and threatening”
— Opera Wire
“Will Alder’s lighting charts the party’s shifting mood, slipping casually between louche lilac and purple washes, before abruptly terminating in stark, suitably noirish, chiaroscuro”
for The Wild Party
— The Stage
“Will Alder’s lighting design employs bold colors and patterns that yield to cold, stark tones as the mood grows sinister”
for The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria
— NY Stage Review
“Praise must also go to Will Alder for his lighting. In such a small venue there is limited scope, but what he does is so effective. The white washed walls of the stage allow for the scene to be changed very cleverly: the soft lighting of home turns suddenly to the bright harshness of the Iraq deserts, then into the tranquility of the therapist’s space. So good, it’s easy to forget how much thought has probably gone into it”
for Gold Coast
— Everything Theatre
“Will Alder’s lighting design intelligently suggests each setting, which while not quite as minimalist as the other design elements, works brilliantly”
for In Other Words