Johanna is one of the UK’s leading Lighting Designers. She has worked across theatre, opera and events designing no less than 400 productions both internationally and in the UK. Her work has been seen in the West End and on Broadway as well as UK tours and international productions.
Originally from Blackpool, Johanna has since gone on to work with some of the UK’s most respected theatrical institutions including the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre, The Bridge, Chichester Festival Theatre and The Manchester Royal Exchange.
Over the years, Johanna has worked with a vast array of the most respected directors and designers in the industry. She takes an enormous amount of inspiration from these people as well as the world around her. Johanna’s passion for the arts extends to sharing her ideas and artistic musings with the next generation of lighting practitioners. To this end, in 2015, Johanna was made a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she still regularly designs and mentors.
Prior to her illustrious career in design, Johanna was the Head of Lighting at London’s Royal Court Theatre for many years including designing and working alongside the architects on their lighting refurbishment in 2000.
In addition to her impressive variety of work, she contributes to numerous publications both internationally and at home. Johanna is the Chair of The Association of Lighting Production & Design; an International Lighting Association for people in production lighting, and sits on the advisory board for Jermyn Street Theatre.
Director: Tamara Harvey
Designer: Adrian Gee
Photographer: Kirsten McTernan
Director: Tamara Harvey
Designer: Lucy Osbourne
Photographer: The Other Richard
Director: Trevor Nunn
Designer: Rob Jones
Photographer:
Director: Robert Hasstie
Designer: Janet Bird
Photographer:
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Designer: Anna Fleischle
Photographer: Helen Maybanks
Director: Daniel Slater
Designer: Robert Inness Hopkins
Photographer:
Director: Ryan McBryde
Designer: Amy Jane Cook
Photographer: Pamela Raith
Director: Alice Hamilton
Designer: Anna Reid
Photographer: Helen Murray
"The lighting ripples like water"
The Guardian
Director: Dawn Walton
Designer: Simon Kenny
Photographer: Marc Brenner
Director: Caroline Steinbeis
Designer: Max Jones
Photographer: The Other Richard
"Scenes seamlessly transition from one to the next via incredible lighting effects."
The Broadway World UK
"Johanna Town's Lighting lends things to an almost sci-fi sheen."
The Stage
"Stylishly lit by Johanna Town"
The Guardian
Director: Adjoa Andoh
Designer: Jessie McKenzie
Photographer: Shonay Shote
Director: Matthew Xia
Designer: Ben Stones
Photographer: Johan Persson
"In one of the most striking moments, lighting designer Johanna Town uses a zigzag of neon when the creature is brought to life" The Stage
Director: Caroline Steinbeis
Designer: Max Jones
Photographer: The Other Richard
"Scenes seamlessly transition from one to the next via incredible lighting effects."
The Broadway World UK
"Johanna Town's Lighting lends things to an almost sci-fi sheen."
The Stage
"Stylishly lit by Johanna Town"
The Guardian
Director: Sean Foley
Designer: Alice Power
Photographer: Manuel Harlan
"Wondefully imagined. Credit must be paid to the design team, Alice Power, Johanna Town and Ben & Max Ringham." The Public review
Director: Caroline Steinbeis
Designer: Lucy Sierra
Photographer: Richard Davenport
Director: Kate Price
Designer: Ben Stones
Photographer: Simon Prince
"A word of praise, too, for Johanna Town’s lighting design which is perfectly synchronised with the action, triggering the physical comedy with the split-second timing."
"The lighting design by Johanna Town, is intricately designed."
Dance Informa - digital dance magazine
Direcxtor: Paul Robinson
Designer: James Perkins
Photographer: Flavia Frasser-Cannon
"There’s great lighting from Johanna Town."
Director: Alan Rickman
Designer: Hildegard Bechtler
Photographer: Stephen Cummiskey
"Johanna Town’s lighting captures shifts in mood, time, and location, adding significantly to the productions overall ambiance."
Theatre Mania New York
"Johanna Town and Emma Laxton’s sound take on a new urgency as the more world-wise activist is thrust into the conflict." Live Design New York
"Johanna Town’s subtle lighting evoke an unsettling world of danger." Variety
Director: Elizabeth Newman
Designer: Amanda Stolley
Photographer: Anthony Robling
Director: Sarah Francome
Designer: James Cotterill
Photograher: Jonathan Keenan
"Johanna Town’s lighting is evocative throughout." Online
Director: Michael Buffon
Designer: Signe Beckmann
Photographer: Jonathan Keenan
Director: Blanche McIntyre
Designer: Jonathan Fensom
Photographer: Mark Douet
"Johanna Town's lighting is excellent and the time shifts are beautifully handled."
British Theatre
Director: Max Stafford Clark
Designer: Es Devlin
Photographer: John Haynes
Director: Cat Robey
Designer: Emily Stuart
Photographer: Marc Brenner
Director: Tom Littler
Designer: Louis Whitemore
Photographer: Robert Workman
Director: Sam West
Designer: Ben Stones
Photographer: Manuel Harlan
Director: Rob Hastie
Designer: Ben Stones
"Whilst Johanna Town's pulsing lights rachet up the tension."
The Guardian
"Aside from its pace and the arresting and almost cinematic use of sound and Lighting."
Whats on Stage
"Clever Lighting effects by Johanna Town." The Reviews Hub
"Supported beautifully by Johanna Towns ingenious lighting."
The GayTimes
Director: Michael Buffong
Designer: Ellen Cairns
Photographer: Jonathan Keenan
"The lazy, summery atmosphere is effortlessly established by Johanna Town’s lighting."
The Times
"Johanna Town’s lighting is clever and subtle."
Whats on Stage
Director: Tristram Powell
Designer: Tim Shortall
Director: John Doyle
Designer:Liz Ascroft
Photographer: Miklos Szabo
"Johanna Town’s lighting was also colourful and was incredibly effective in setting the atmosphere in a set that was otherwise static. She really brought home the scorching sun and the steely sky just before the hurricane broke."
Seenandheard-international.com
Director: Elizabeth Freestone
Designer: Sutra Gilmore
PHotographer: Tristam Kenton
"The lighting is occasionally reminiscent of the exquisitely illuminated paintings of Joseph Wright of Derby’s celebrated 18th century science canvases." The Metro
"Subtly lit."
Daily Mail
Director: Joe Hill-Gibons
Designer: Ultz
Photographer: Donald Cooper
Director: Max Stafford Clark
Designer: Tim Shortall
Photographer: John Haynes
"It is also eerily lit by Johanna Town, who captures Australia’s dusty lemon light and vast blue skies, echoing to the screeches of strange birds." Mail Online
"Johanna Town’s lighting segues exquisitely from murk to exotic brightness." Daily Telegraph
Director: Michael Buffon
Designer: Signe Beckmann
Photographer: Jonathan Keenan
Director: Anna Linstrum
Designer: David Farley
Photographer: Robert Day
"Johanna Town lights with fine instinct." Online
Director: Jenny Seale
Designer: Liz Ascroft
Photographer: Johnathan Keenan
Director: Irina Brown
Designer: Chloe Lamford
Photographer: Keith Dundus
Director: Toby Frow
Designer: Mike Britton
Photographer: Keith Pattison
Director: Elizabeth Freestone
Designer: Amanda Stolley
Photographer: Johnathan Keenan
"Johanna Town's lighting is incredibly striking and works wonderfully, particularly when Joan of arc is onstage as it illuminates her and gives her an otherwordly presence' Online
"Brilliant use of space, sound and light" Online