Sinéad McKenna brings the limelight to stage and screen

Lighting designer Sinéad McKenna is currently working on Brian Friel’s 'Making History' at The Everyman theatre.

MY JOB

Name: Sinéad McKenna

Occupation: Lighting designer

Background: Works across theatre, opera, dance and film, winning Irish Times Theatre Awards and a Drama Desk nomination for Best Lighting Design. Currently working on Brian Friel’s Making History at The Everyman theatre.

These are hectic and exciting days for Sinead McKenna as the final preparations for next week’s opening of Making History take shape at The Everyman theatre. 

“ Making History is an absolutely fascinating muscular play, where we see the fracture of the country under plantation, and the political fallout and faction in its wake,” she says, adding its themes have much resonance with events currently playing out in the US and the Middle East. 

“It is concerned with looking at historical events through a contemporary lens — who gets to report, to control the narrative.

"It feels an important story to tell at this moment, and our director Des Kennedy has cast a brilliant bunch of actors whose performances are really nuanced.” 

The design will be contemporary but with elements and fragments from the period. “It’s such a great boon to The Everyman theatre, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of the team. The feeling in the rehearsal room is electric, it’s going to be very special.”

Having previously designed lighting for The Fair Maid of the West at the RSC, Emma at the Abbey Theatre, Così Fan Tutte at the INO and Parade at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, Sinead’s CV encompasses a wide artistic arc that includes the Donmar Warehouse, Fishamble, Rough Magic and Gare Saint Lazare. 

“I remember I had the strong sense that I wouldn’t be suited to a 9-5 job, and that I wanted to work for myself,” she explains of her early inclinations toward the artistic calling. 

“Which I find funny now, as all I do is work with other people. You actually have to be quite disciplined and structured to work well collaboratively — and to work for yourself.” 

Thriving on the energy of other creatives, she often works with the same colleagues, developing an artistic short-hand. 

“At the same time, I love to move on to new projects. Working with different people and perspectives all the time is quite energising.” 

Having taken the degree course in Trinity College, she cut her teeth working with a crew while studying, which delivered an early grounding in the industry. 

“I just loved the medium of light — there’s a certain magic that happens when the work lights are turned off and the stage lights are brought on one by one to be focused. It was something I found addictive back then, and it still captivates me.”

A career in lighting design does offer good prospects in Ireland, but with an attendant proviso of flexibility and overseas travel as part of the mix.

It is possible to make a career of it in Ireland, for sure. I think we pull above our weight in terms of our industry for such a small country. 

"But I like to travel and always like to do a certain percentage of the year’s work outside Ireland. It's a great way of learning new methods and seeing how things are done elsewhere. A lot of the departments would be a lot bigger when you work in Europe or the US, but it really makes you appreciate what we are capable of here, with less.” 

The opening of new film studios around the country, allied to the constant demand for products on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Paramount Plus, has also contributed to increased career options within the entertainment industry. 

There is massive growth in that area. With the advances in LED technology, everything can be integrated seamlessly — creating virtual sets and is an area of the industry that is rapidly growing and really exciting. 

"My own film and TV work has largely been around designing a stage show to be shot for film — as that is my area of expertise, but the growth in that whole area right now is huge. There are so many offshoots — creating more options for people branching out into other fields.”

Working across a variety of artistic disciplines — theatre, opera, dance and film — she explains there are no hard and fast rules, each with its own demands and requirements. 

“Designing dance and opera can mean a greater degree of artistic license. Practically, you aren’t too concerned with realism or catching every nuance of facial expression — the movement or the music is already doing a large part of that job, and then lighting for those disciplines can be closer to visual art or poetry.” 

Theatre ranks high on her list of favourites: “I absolutely adore theatre as a medium. I love a good solid text and great playwriting — and Friel was one of the best. I’ve just returned from Florida, lighting a production of Dancing at Lughnasa with Joe Dowling — who was a great friend of Friel’s — and it feels very serendipitous to be going straight into Making History here at The Everyman. There are so many threads that run through both.”

Sinead readily agrees collaboration and communication are key elements of the profession: “I love being a small part of a larger whole. There will often be strong opinions and big personalities in the room, but that all fades into the background when people are all working towards the same intention. 

"Everybody has an opinion, a valid viewpoint, and it is a learned skill knowing when to contribute and when to listen,” she adds. 

As in so many areas of life, technology has impacted the profession: “There’s just no comparison — even 10 years ago — to what we can do now. The leaps forward in technology mean we can be much greener in terms of our carbon footprint, and the opportunities for design are endless. 

Ten years ago, changing the colour or focus of a light would mean getting a ladder out to access each one — now we can change things at the tap of a button.

However, with greater use of technology comes greater complexity and the need for differing skill sets: “Things may be infinitely more complex now, but I look back on plans from 15 years ago and wonder how the hell I managed to create 10 different locations from five or six colour palettes and no moving lights.”

Constantly juggling the delicate act of managing stress, long hours and family life, the artistic calling is often one of being over-worked and over-stretched. 

“Being completely and wholly absorbed is also the part I love most about what I do — getting that feeling of flow. At its best, it can be likened to painting a giant living canvas. It is always a pressurised environment, even when working in venues with bigger budgets and more time. 

"Going into theatre tech is basically akin to stepping onto a giant roller-coaster that is only kept going by the sheer effort and will of everybody on board. It can be exhilarating.”