Photograph from West Side Story - lighting design by CatjaHamilton
Photographer: Amelia Oakley | From the show West Side Story
Photograph from Scratches - lighting design by CatjaHamilton
Photographer: Steve Gregson | From the show Scratches
Photograph from The Turn of the Screw - lighting design by CatjaHamilton
Photographer: Graham Turner | From the show The Turn of the Screw
Photograph from Passing - lighting design by CatjaHamilton
Photographer: Matt Martin | From the show Passing
CatjaHamilton's picture

Catja Hamilton

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Biography

Catja is a freelance Lighting Designer working predominantly in theatre, but with an interest in all art forms. She co-runs Airlock Theatre and is a former Creative Associate at Jermyn Street Theatre and Resident Designer at NDT Broadgate.

Previous productions include: 'The Turn of the Screw' (Waterperry Opera Festical); 'Utoya' (Arcola Theatre); 'Pansexual Pregnant Piracy' (Soho Theatre); 'The Mosinee Project' (New Diorama Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe); 'Bougie Lanre's Boulangerie' (Talawa Theatre Company); 'The Wolf, The Duck, and The Mouse' (Unicorn Theatre); 'Passing' (Park Theatre); 'The Oyster Problem' (Jermyn Street Theatre); 'Paradise Lost' (The Shipwright); 'Hot Gay Time Machine' (Soho Theatre). 

She has also worked as an Associate and Assistant on productions at the Hampstead Theatre and Southwark Playhouse, live-streams for the Young Vic, and was the inaugural Creative Team Associate in Lighting on the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's production of 'Romeo and Juliet' in May 2021.

Previous productions

Previous productions

Show name Type Venue/Company Role Creative Team Opened
Basic Bald B*tch Theatre Brixton House Lighting Designer Director: Sarah Stacey
Set designer: Anna Kelsey 		Sep 2024
Utoya Theatre Arcola Studio 2
Riva Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Sarah Stacey
Set designer: Caitlin Mawhinney 		Aug 2024
The Turn of the Screw Opera Amphitheatre, Waterperry Opera Festival
Waterperry Opera Festival 		Lighting Designer Director: Rebecca Meltzer
Set designer: April Dalton 		Aug 2024
The Mosinee Project Theatre New Diorama Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe
Counterfactual 		Lighting Designer Director: Nikhil Vyas
Set designer: Grace Venning 		Jul 2024
Bougie Lanre's Boulangerie Theatre Talawa Studio - Fairfield Halls, then touring
Talawa Theatre Company 		Lighting Designer Director: Philip J Morris
Set designer: TK Hay 		May 2024
Love in Gravitational Waves Theatre Talawa Studio - Fairfield Halls, then touring
Talawa Theatre Company 		Lighting Designer Director: Brigitte Adela
Set designer: TK Hay 		May 2024
Pansexual Pregnant Piracy Musical Soho Upstairs
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
Set designer: Caitlin Mawhinney 		Mar 2024
Scarlet Sunday Theatre Omnibus Theatre
Aslant Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Imy Wyatt Corner
Set designer: Cat Fuller 		Feb 2024
Protest Theatre Traverse Theatre, then touring
Fuel 		Touring Re-Lighter Lighting designer: Ali Hunter
Director: Natalie Ibu
Set designer: Amy Jane Cook 		Jan 2024
The Pursuit of Joy Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Brigitte Adela
 Jan 2024
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse Theatre Clore Studio, Unicorn Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Rachel Bagshaw
Set designer: Male Arcucci 		Nov 2023
Passing Theatre Park Theatre, Park 90
Want The Moon 		Lighting Designer Director: Imy Wyatt Corner
 Nov 2023
Rip Van Winkle Opera Hoxton Hall
Gothic Opera 		Lighting Designer Director: Evangeline Cullingworth
Set designer: Elliott Squire 		Oct 2023
Sorry We Didn't Die at Sea Theatre Park Theatre - Park90
The Playwright's Laboratory 		Lighting Designer Director: Daniel Emery
Set designer: Alys Whitehead 		Sep 2023
Birthright Theatre Finborough Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Scott Hurran
Set designer: Raphaella Philcox 		Sep 2023
Public: The Musical Musical Pleasance Courtyard
Stroud & Notes 		Lighting Designer Director: Hannah Sands
Set designer: Tara Usher 		Aug 2023
Wonderdrug Theatre Pleasance Courtyard Lighting Designer Director: Helen Eastman
Set designer: Mollie Cheek 		Aug 2023
The Importance of Being... Earnest? Theatre Pleasance Courtyard & UK Tour, then touring
Say It Again, Sorry? 		Lighting Designer Director: Simon Paris
Set designer: Trynity Silk 		Aug 2023
Agrippina Opera Jackson's Lane Theatre
Hampstead Garden Opera 		Lighting Designer Director: Ashley Pearson
Set designer: Sorcha Corcoran 		May 2023
Acid's Reign Theatre The Flair Ground, VAULT Festival
Relish Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Luke Howarth
Set designer: Caitlin Mawhinney 		Mar 2023
Wonderdrug Theatre King's Head Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Helen Eastman
Set designer: Mollie Cheek 		Feb 2023
SNAIL Theatre The Cage, Vault Festival Lighting Designer Director: Imy Wyatt Corner
Set designer: Cat Fuller 		Feb 2023
Five Years With The White Man Theatre The Studio, Vault Festival
Unleash The Llama 		Lighting Designer Director: Sam Rayner
 Feb 2023
Wonderdrug Theatre Network Theatre, Vault Festival Lighting Designer Director: Helen Eastman
Set designer: Mollie Cheek 		Feb 2023
The Oyster Problem Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Philip Wilson
Set designer: Isabella Van Braeckel 		Feb 2023
Scratches Theatre The Cage, Vault Festival
Plain Heroines 		Lighting Designer Director: Gabriella Bird
 Jan 2023
Cybil Service Theatre The Flair Ground, VAULT Festival Lighting Designer Jan 2023
Anansi the Spider Theatre Weston, Unicorn Theatre Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Jai Morjaria
Director: Justin Audibert and Alice Wordsworth
Set designer: Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey 		Jan 2023
Lesbian Space Crime Theatre Soho Theatre Upstairs
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
Set designer: Cory Shipp 		Dec 2022
Cassandra Theatre Omnibus Theatre
Live Canon 		Lighting Designer Director: Helen Eastman
Set designer: Neil Irish 		Oct 2022
Time and Tide Theatre Stage Two, Norwich Theatre Royal, then touring
Relish Theatre 		Lighting Designer Set designer: Caitlin Abbot Sep 2022
Paradise Lost Opera The Shipwright Lighting Designer Director: Joseph Winters
 Aug 2022
The Boatswain's Mate Opera Arcola Studio 1, then touring
Spectra Ensemble 		Lighting Designer Director: Cecilia Stinton
Set designer: Ellie Roser 		Aug 2022
Duck Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Imy Wyatt Corner
 Jul 2022
Shake the City Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Amie Burns-Walker
 Jul 2022
The Anarchist Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Ebenezer Bamgboye
Set designer: Caitlin Mawhinney 		Jul 2022
Urinetown: The Musical Musical Bridewell Theatre
International College of Musical Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Kenneth Avery-Clark
 Jun 2022
Dolly Theatre Park Theatre, Park 90 Lighting Designer Director: Emily Aboud
 May 2022
This Last Piece of Sky Theatre The Space Lighting Designer Director: Sibylla Archdale Kalid
 May 2022
An Intervention Theatre Riverside Studios
Murmuration Studios 		Lighting Designer Director: Alice Wordsworth
 May 2022
Another America Theatre Park Theatre, Park 90 Lighting Designer Director: Joe Winters
 Apr 2022
Definitely, Maybe, Actually, Nevermind Theatre The Space
Haus of Bollix 		Lighting Designer Director: Kate Bauer
 Mar 2022
Serena Flynn: Lizard King Theatre Camden People's Theatre, then touring Lighting Designer Director: Evie Fehilly
Set designer: Roisin Martindale 		Mar 2022
The Marriage of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Ali Hunter
Director: Edward Einhorn
Set designer: Machiko Weston 		Mar 2022
Running With Lions Theatre Lyric Hammersmith
Talawa Theatre Company 		Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Aideen Malone
Director: Michael Buffong
Set designer: Soutra Gilmour 		Feb 2022
Best of Enemies: Best Seat In Your House Broadcast Theatre Young Vic & online Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Paule Constable
Director: Jeremy Herrin
Set designer: Bunny Christie 		Jan 2022
The 4th Country Theatre Park Theatre, Park 90
Plain Heroines 		Lighting Designer Director: Gabriella Bird
Set designer: Jida Akil 		Jan 2022
How We Love Theatre Theatre Peckham
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Oct 2021
Hamlet: Best Seat In Your House Broadcast Theatre Young Vic & online Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Aideen Malone
Director: Greg Hersov
Set designer: Anna Fleischle 		Oct 2021
Tuna Theatre Alexandra Palace
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Oct 2021
Patient Light Theatre The Undercroft
Eastern Angles 		Lighting Designer Director: Scott Hurran
Set designer: Peter Butler 		Oct 2021
Dumbledore Is So Gay Theatre Pleasance Theatre Main Stage Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Rory Beaton
Director: Tom Wright
Set designer: Natalie Johnson 		Sep 2021
I Have Heard You Calling in the Night Theatre Union Theatre
Baylis Productions 		Lighting Designer Director: Sibylla Archdale Kalid
 Sep 2021
Hot Gay Time Machine Theatre Soho Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Lucy Moss
 Aug 2021
How We Love Theatre Arcola Outside
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Aug 2021
The Establishment versus Sidney Harry Fox Theatre Above the Stag
Boys of The Empire 		Lighting Designer Director: Glenn Chandler
 Jul 2021
Romeo and Juliet Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Ciaran Bagnall
Director: Kimberley Sykes
Set designer: Naomi Dawson 		Jun 2021
Take Care Theatre Network Theatre, Vault Festival
Écoute Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Zoe Templeman-Young
 Mar 2020
How We Love Theatre The Cage, Vault Festival
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Feb 2020
The 4th Country Theatre The Crypt, Vault Festival
Plain Heroines 		Lighting Designer Director: Gabriella Bird
 Feb 2020
Tuna Theatre The Studio, Vault Festival
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Feb 2020
Venus and Adonis Theatre CLF Art Cafe Theatre
New Renaissance Collective 		Lighting Designer Director: Sam Rayner
Set designer: Nik Corrall 		Dec 2019
Shook Theatre Southwark Playhouse 'The Little'
Papatango Theatre Company 		Assistant Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Johanna Town
Director: George Turvey
Set designer: Jasmine Swan 		Oct 2019
Botticelli in the Fire Theatre Hampstead Theatre Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Johanna Town
Director: Blanche McIntyre
Set designer: James Cotterill 		Oct 2019
She Sells Sea Shells Theatre Iron Belly
Scandal and Gallows Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Madeleine Skipsey
 Aug 2019
Tuna Theatre King's Head Theatre
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Jul 2019
Maklena Theatre Camden People's Theatre
Night Train Theatre Company 		Lighting Designer Director: Maria Montague
Set designer: Nikki Charlesworth 		Jun 2019
The Flies - Les Mouches Theatre The Bunker Theatre
Exchange Theatre 		Production Electrician Lighting designer: Julien Bernard Grau
Director: David Furlong
Set designer: Ninon Fandre 		Jun 2019
A Girl, Standing Theatre Theatre503
Back Talk Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Liam Blain
Set designer: Anna Reid 		May 2019
ERIS Theatre The Bunker Theatre
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
Set designer: Natalie Johnson 		Sep 2018
Maklena Theatre Cambridge Junction, then touring
Night Train Theatre Company 		Associate Lighting Designer Lighting designer: Rory Beaton
Director: Maria Montague
Set designer: Nikki Charlesworth 		Jul 2018
Rabbit Theatre Theatre N16
Protocol Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Mar 2018
Wife Theatre OSO Arts Centre, Jermyn Street Theatre
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
 Oct 2017
Hot Gay Time Machine Non-professional Corpus Playroom Lighting Designer Director: Lucy Moss
 Feb 2017
Hamlet Non-professional ADC Theatre & on tour round Europe, then touring
Cambridge European Theatre Group 		Lighting Designer Director: Emma Blacklay-Piech
 Dec 2016
Kursk Non-professional Bedlam Theatre
Airlock Theatre 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
Set designer: Jack Parham 		Aug 2016
Madwomen in the Attic Non-professional C nova
Plain Heroines 		Lighting Designer Director: Gabriella Bird
 Aug 2016
Lagoon: The Cambridge Footlights International Tour Show Non-professional ADC Theatre, Assembly Roxy, and US tour
Cambridge Footlights 		Lighting Designer Director: Tom Fairbairn
 Jun 2016
West Side Story Non-professional ADC Theatre
Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club 		Lighting Designer Director: Ellie Coote and Tom Taplin
 Mar 2016
Measure for Measure Non-professional Cambridge Arts Theatre
The Marlowe Society 		Assistant Lighting Designer Lighting designer: William Reynolds
Director: Tom Littler
Set designer: Simon Kenny 		Feb 2016
Tribes Non-professional ADC Theatre Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
Set designer: Jack Parham 		Nov 2015
A Midsummer Night's Dream Theatre C Cubed
Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club 		Lighting Designer Director: Sarah Stacey and Chloe Slattery
 Aug 2015
Titus Andronicus Non-professional C+2 Edinburgh Festival Lighting Designer Director: Gregory Forrest
 Aug 2015
Othello Non-professional ADC Theatre
Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club 		Lighting Designer Director: Robbie Taylor Hunt
Set designer: Emily Barker 		May 2015
Cabin Pressure Non-professional Corpus Playroom
The Fletcher Players 		Lighting Designer Director: Marthe de Ferrer and Joe Winters
 Mar 2015
Attempts on Her Life Non-professional Corpus Playroom Lighting Designer Director: Tania Clarke
 Feb 2015
Location availability:
  • Worldwide
Contact method Details
Email address catjahamilton@gmail.com
Theatre:
  • Regional (Studio)
  • Small Scale Touring
  • Fringe / Pub Theatre
  • Education Establishment
  • Touring relights
Musical:
  • Small Scale / Fringe
  • Education Establishment
Opera:
  • Small scale
Education:
  • Workshops

News

Appearing here soon... a collection of articles from the Focus magazine archives.

Press quotes

The Turn of the Screw

'with minimal sets [...] and skilful lighting by Catja Hamilton it evolved a powerful atmosphere as darkness drew in'
Richard Bratby, The Spectator 24/08/2024

Bougie Lanre's Boulangerie

superb lighting
Alan Fitter, London Theatre 1 17/05/2024

Pansexual Pregnant Piracy

with Catja Hamilton’s colourfully cabaret-style lighting, the visual elements maintain a sharp pace throughout
Monica Cox, The Reviews Hub 29/03/2024

Scarlet Sunday

This space truly comes into its own with the lighting choices, designer Catja Hamilton utilising the canvases in an unique imitation of windows silhouetted with tree branches.
Niamh Jones, Broadway World 05/03/2024
the use of projection onto suspended canvases is a stunning style choice from Set Designer, Cat Fuller and Lighting Designer, Catja Hamilton
Izzie London, Theatre News 04/03/2024
Catja Hamilton’s lighting design equaled Fuller’s brilliance in its originality
Alex Norm, A Youngish Perspective 03/03/2024

The Pursuit of Joy

The production’s interweaving of abstraction and realism is aided well by Catja Hamilton’s intuitive lighting
Anisa Eliza, Everything Theatre 20/01/2024

The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse

Catja Hamilton’s excellent lighting design
Mary Pollard, Everything Theatre 26/11/2023

Rip Van Winkle

'the superb lighting by Catja Hamilton...was inspired!'
John Groves, LondonTheatre1 31/10/2023
'Catja Hamilton’s lighting raise[s] this production to another level'
Franco Milazzo, BroadwayWorld 29/10/2023

Sorry We Didn't Die at Sea

'Catja Hamilton’s lighting add[s] fantastic dramatic and absurd flourishes to the unsettling production'
Claire Roderick, Fairy Powered Productions 16/09/2023

Birthright

Catja Hamilton’s lighting is also excellent and makes wonderful use of chiaroscuro effects to heighten the tension
John Chapman, 2nd From Bottom 09/09/2023
Catja Hamilton’s lighting is evocative and tenebrous
Simon Jenner, Fringe Review 08/09/2023

Acid's Reign

I really enjoyed Catja Hamilton's lighting design, particularly using the set glitter balls to make the whole show sparkle
Jennifer Laishley, CentreStage 19/03/2023
the lighting by Catja Hamilton was bright, colourful and atmospheric
Harry Brogan, Harry Theatre Life 19/03/2023
From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, Catja Hamilton’s lighting design is excellent. It is suitably glitzy and glamorous, making use of the glitterball set, without being overbearing or overpowering. Given likely-limited parameters to work with by the very nature of fringe theatre, it is a notable achievement in itself that the lighting design was even noticed, let alone that it added significant value to the piece.
Harry Bower, All That Dazzles 15/03/2023
colourful joyous lighting
Richard Lambert, Theatre Reviews Design 14/03/2023

The Anarchist

cleverly effective work from set designer Catlin Mawhinney and lighting designer Catja Hamilton
Miriam Gillinson, The Guardian 11/07/2022
Bamgboye provides some striking staging assisted by Catja Hamilton's abrasive lighting
Julia Rank, The Stage 11/07/2022

The 4th Country

'Catja Hamilton’s use of blue and purple washes lend an eerie feeling to the piece, atmospherically silhouetting the actors.'
Ruth Comerford, The Stage 18/02/2020
'The lighting designed by Catja Hamilton [...] mirror[s] the sadness and hopelessness of the stories told. Lighting is also used to highlight transitions between scenes, with the use of silhouette focus[ing] audience attention on the changing of the actors into their roles.'
Bethany-Jane Christian, Theatre Weekly 13/02/2020

Tuna

'[Suppa is] aided by the confident hand of Catja Hamilton’s lighting design, which subtly marks the changing moods.'
Euan Vincent, The Play's The Thing 12/02/2020

Venus and Adonis

'hauntingly lit'
The Prickle 10/12/2019

ERIS

Airlock Theatre's polished production - currently at the Bunker Theatre (and, to Johnson and lighting designer Catja Hamilton's credit, made for that space)
Arthur Jones, Arthur's Seat 17/10/2018
a master class in how to bring to life an otherwise sparse stage, (credit to lighting designer Catja Hamilton)
Jack The Lad Mag 26/09/2018

Hamlet

carefully crafted and fantastically executed lighting
Genevieve Cox, Varsity 18/01/2017

West Side Story

the contrasts between shadowy, filtered light in the darker scenes, and luminous spotlights of radiance in the romantic scenes starkly compare to create a balanced atmosphere for this gritty urban drama.
Ella Whiddett, Varisty 11/03/2016

Tribes

the naturalistic yet effective lighting design from Catja Hamilton gave the production a very professional edge, even before the play had started
Rosie Brown, The Tab

Othello

The lighting and sound design were together one of my favourite features of the play. The harsh orange light and pounding music of the pre-interval and ultimate scenes, combined with the superb acting in these moments, made me catch my breath.
Megan Dunne, Cambridge Theatre Review 20/05/2015
creatively atmospheric lighting design
The Tab