Interview: Aaron J. Dootson, lighting designer for “Into the Woods” at NYMT London

During 2024, the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) put on three musicals in London, and showcased actors who were all teenagers and young adults between the ages of 11 and 23 who were cast during extensive auditions. Three different British lighting designers were responsible for the lighting design – two of whom we have already introduced: Jamie Platt, lighting designer for “Our House”, and Bethany Gupwell, lighting designer for “Catastrophe Bay”. Aaron J. Dootson concludes our interview series with “Into the Woods” from the pen of legendary musical composer Stephen Sondheim.

Aaron, what have been the highlights of your career as a lighting designer up until now?

Aaron J. Dootson: Firstly, the Off West End Award 2023 for my work as lighting designer on the play “The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me” at New Wimbledon Studios, and secondly the Chester Mystery Plays in 2023 at the famous Chester Cathedral, which was also featured in the FOCUS magazine of the Association for Lighting Production and Design (ALPD).

What important experiences have you gained from these groundbreaking projects?

Aaron J. Dootson: This applies not only to these two projects, but actually to all shows: How can you achieve high production standards efficiently even with low budgets and limited time? And this was also something that was relevant for the NYMT production of “Into the Woods”. We basically only had 1.5 days to put together a complete musical with a group of young performers and musicians.

©Harry Elletson

You carried out your work as a lighting designer for the NYMT on a voluntary basis – what motivates you to get involved?

©Harry Elletson

Aaron J. Dootson: I’ve been doing this since 2019 – with the exception of the COVID-19 years – and I’m just excited about the concept of giving young people a realistic experience of how things work in theatre and what it takes to raise a production to a professional level. What always impresses me is the talent and passion of the actors. Over the years, I’ve developed many close friendships at NYMT. That’s another reason why I love coming back here every summer.

How would you describe the lighting design for “Into the Woods”?

Aaron J. Dootson: In three words: spatial, focused, and playful at the same time.

©Harry Elletson

Did you experience any particular challenges with the lighting?

Aaron J. Dootson: Firstly, we (editor’s note: Aaron J. Dootson and his two lighting design colleagues Jamie Platt and Bethany Gupwell) had to get by with a lighting rig that was split between and used by all three productions. Secondly, working in front of a light-coloured back wall is always a bit of a challenge, but I think it worked well for this show.

How did you use the various Cameo lights?

Aaron J. Dootson: The AZOR SP2s were used as shutter units, combined with a wash toplight in the form of the EVOS W7. The AZOR S2s were deployed as FOH spots for special shots and textures. The PIXBAR IP G2 also surprised me with its light intensity and spectacular colours.