Finn Ross (born 1982) is a Scottish video designer working internationally. He works primarily on stage productions in the London's West End and on Broadway in the USA.  He has also worked extensively in opera throughout Europe and has collaborated with designers like Es Devlin and theatre companies like Complicite. Ross has won a Tony Award and two Olivier Awards.

Early life and education

Ross was born and raised in Glen Tanar, Aberdeenshire.  He was educated at Aboyne Academy where he became interested in theatre thanks to his drama teacher, Yevonne Wheeler.[1]  He also spent time at The Scottish Youth Theatre.

He studied at Central School of Speech and Drama in London from 2000 to 2003 earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Practise.[2]

Career

Ross began his career in 2005 being mentored by Dick Straker and Sven Ortel of the video design collective Mesmer, working as an associate on many of their productions and later designing for them.[3]

Notable work in Broadway and the West End includes Chimerica, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Betrayal, American Psycho, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Frozen, Mean Girls, Bat Out of Hell, Top Girls & The Tempest at the RSC.

Ross has design many opera productions, especially at the ENO[4] and has been cited as part of the movement of Video designers who helped develop the form to maturity.[5]  Notable work in opera includes The Magic Flute for DNO and ENO,[6] The Damnation of Faust with Terry Gilliamat The ENO,[7] The Death of Klinghoffer for ENO and The Met[8] and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at the ROH[9] and Turn of the Screw, Beatrice & Benedict and Pearl Fishers & La Traviata at Theatre an der Wein.[10]

He has also had collaborations with British Theatre director Simon McBurney and his company Complicite, designing 4 shows over a 10-year period.[11]

Ross is also a Design Champion of the V&A Dundee.

In 2015 he formed FRAY Studio in Partnership With Adam Young.

In December 2019 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama[12]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2013 Olivier Award Best Set Design Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-Time Won
2014 Olivier Award Best Lighting Design Chimerica Won
2015 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Projection Design Curious Incident of the dog in the Night Time Won
Tony Award Best Scenic Design of a Play Won
2016 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Projection Design American Psycho Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Projection Design Won
Tony Award Best Scenic Design of a Musical Nominated
2017 What's on Stage Awards Best Video Design The Tempest Nominated
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (with Ash Woodward) Won
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle CGI/Video Design Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Won
2018 Tony Award Best Scenic Design of a Musical Mean Girls (with Adam Young) Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Projection Design Into The Body of the World Nominated
Frozen Nominated
Mean Girls (with Adam Young) Nominated
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (with Ash Woodward) Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Projection Design Mean Girls (with Adam Young) Nominated
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (with Ash Woodward) Won
Knight of Illumination Awards Projection Design Mean Girls (with Adam Young) Won
2022 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Video Design Frozen Won
Back to the Future: The Musical Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Aberdeen man nominated for prestigious Tony Award". Evening Express. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Royal Central School of Speech & Drama". Plasa 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Finn Ross". Mesmer. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Finn Ross | Video Designer | English National Opera". Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  5. ^ Jeffries, Stuart (10 February 2014). "How video saved the opera star". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Review: Old Dog, New Tricks... The Magic Flute Plays Again At The ENO". Londonist. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  7. ^ Gilliam, Terry (3 June 2014). "Terry Gilliam's opera diary: 'We have a big head problem'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Adams, The Death of Klinghoffer, English National Opera". The Independent. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Finn Ross – People – Royal Opera House". roh.org.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  10. ^ "The Turn of the Screw". Theater an der Wien. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Complicite – Finn Ross". complicite.org. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Honorary Fellows & Honorary PhDs | The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama". www.cssd.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2020.

External links

Awards for Finn Ross
Authority control databases
Categories