SCHRÄDER - UMNEY - PRODUCTION - costume stage light sound

CHRISTOPHER DENNIS UMNEY
 
BA Hons in Visual & Performing Arts - Theatre (1992-1995)
from the University of Brighton
 
 
Born in Cardiff, Wales
Date of birth: 26/03/1963
 


LIGHTING

I was fortunate to begin my professional lighting career whilst studying in my first year the Visual & Performing Arts (Theatre) BA Hons. degree course at the University of Brighton.  From 1992 until 1999 I worked with Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie’s dance company Divas, lighting 7 productions throughout the UK and Europe. Highlights included performing “Falling Apart At The Seams (So It Seems)” and “Absurdities” at Kampnagel in Hamburg; at Podewil in Berlin; at the Zurich Theater Festival in 1993, and the Divadlo Arca in Prague in 1995. In 1996 we took “The Fetching Bride” to Ludwigsburg at the end of a UK tour, and in 1997 we performed “Divagate” in Mainz after performances in Brighton and London. During this time I also designed the lighting for Brighton Theatre Events’ “Get Oscar”; “The Greatest Hits Of British History” and “The Football Factory”. These shows toured nationally during 1997 and 1998.

Other companies I worked for in the latter half of the decade included Teatrul Sophrozin in Bucharest, Camille Thoman (a New York based performance artist), the Sarah Lloyd Dance Company, Facepack Theatre, Quirk Productions, Southern Actors, and Clout Dance Theatre. In 1999 I worked as lighting designer for 4 shows at the Edinburgh Festival, including Camille Thoman’s “Numb” for which I shared a Total Theatre Awards nomination for best overall production design.

In 2000 I designed the lighting for 2 further shows at the Edinburgh Festival, Martin Sutherland Productions’ “So I Killed A Few People” and Mark Mander’s “Maybelline”. The following year I became the lighting designer for Swamp Circus and that Autumn we toured “Moto” to 24 theatres in The Netherlands. UK touring followed in 2002, and in 2003, a new show, “Fragile” that toured until Summer 2004. Other design work during this time included Theatre and Beyond’s “Looking For Christian” and Bright FX’s “Ignite!” at the 2002 Brighton Festival; Prodigal Theatre’s “The Tragedian Part 1” at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival; Brighton Theatre Events’ “Blue And White Christmas” at the Komedia, Brighton, December 2002 and Bandbazi’s “Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus” that toured the UK 2002 - 2003.  

In 2003 I also worked relights for Chahine Yavroyan on a 40 date UK tour of People Show 101 “Slideshow”, and I became the production manager for Sound & Fury, touring the UK and to Macedonia with “The Watery Part Of The World”. During the next 5 years further productions followed with Theatre & Beyond, Sound & Fury, Prodigal Theatre, Bright FX, and I also lit shows in the UK and in Europe for a number of new clients including Voodoo Vaudeville, Trio Con Brio, Take The Space, Periplum, Patter, John Paul Zaccarrini, Inservice, Highspin, and Company Collisions.

In October 2007 I became the technical manager for Tim Crouch and News From Nowhere touring 3 productions, “An Oak Tree”; “My Arm” and “England”, both nationally and Internationally until the Summer of 2009.  

In the last two years I have relit two shows for designer Katharine Williams: Darren Johnston / Array’s “Outré” and Inspector Sands “Hysteria”. Performances include visits to London, Valencia, Edinburgh, Yerevan, Berlin and Moscow. I have also designed the lighting for Prodigal Theatre’s outdoor show “Fusion”, that premiered at the Volvo International Yacht Race in Alicante in October 2007;  Periplum’s “The Bell” that toured Mexico in November 2008; Liz Aggiss and VDT’s “Double Vision” that toured nationally Spring 2009; and for Array’s latest show “Ousia” that opened at the Edinburgh Festival 2009.



LICHTDESIGN

Bereits während meines ersten Studienjahrs der Visual & Performing Arts (Theater) - abgeschlossen mit dem BA Hons an der Universität Brighton -, hatte ich das Glück meine berufliche Laufbahn in Richtung Lichtdesign zu lenken. Zwischen 1992 und 1999 tourte ich mit Liz Aggiss und Bill Cowie´s Dance Company Divas und gestaltete das Lichtdesign für 7 Produktionen in ganz England und Europa. Die Highlights (Lichtdesign & Ausführung) waren: Falling Apart At The Seams (So It Seems) und Absurdities im Kampnagel in Hamburg und im Podewil in Berlin. 1993 auf dem Zürich Theater Festival und im Divadlo Arca in Prag, 1995. 1996 führten wir The Fetching Bride in Ludwigsburg auf. Ende der UK Tour 1997, lieferten wir die Performance für Divagate in Mainz, was zuvor in Brighton and London aufgeführt worden war. Während dieser Zeit entwarf ich außerdem das Lichtdesign für verschiedene produktionen der Brighton Theatre Events Kompany: Get Oscar; The Greatest Hits Of British History und The Football Factory. Diese Shows tourten zwischen 1997 und 1998 innerhalb Englands.

Andere Veranstalter, für die ich in der ersten Hälfte der letzten zehn Jahren gearbeitet habe sind: Teatrul Sophrozin in Bukarest, Camille Thoman (ein New Yorker Performance Künstler), die Sarah Lloyd Dance Company, Facepack Theatre, Quirk Productions, Southern Actors, und das Clout Dance Theatre. 1999 arbeitete ich als Lichtdesigner für 4 Veranstaltungen des Edinburgh Festivals. Darunter Camille Thoman´s Numb, wofür ich (u.A.) mit dem „Total Theatre Awards“ nominiert wurde, für das beste  Gesamt-Produktionsdesign.

2000 gestaltete ich das Lichtdesign für zwei weitere Shows des Edinburgh Festivals: die Produktionen von Martin Sutherland: So I Killed A Few People und von Mark Mander: Maybelline. Im darauf folgenden Jahr das Lichtdesign für den Swamp Circus; mit Moto tourten wir im Frühjahr durch 24 niederländische Theater. Eine England Tournee folgte 2002. 2003 dann die neue Show Fragile, die bis zum Sommer 2004 tourte. Andere Lichtdesign Arbeiten aus dieser Zeit waren für Theatre Beyond’s Looking For Christian und Bright FX’s Ignite! auf dem Brighton Festival 2002; Prodigal Theatre: The Tragedian Part 1 auf dem Edinburgh Festival 2002; die Brighton Theatre Events Blue And White Christmas in der Komedia in Brighton im Dezember 2002 und Bandbazi’s Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus, was zwischen 2002 und 2003 durch England tourte.

2003 entwarf ich das Lichtdesign für Chahine Yavroyan auf einer 40-tägigen Tournee der People Show 101 Slideshow. Als Produktionsmanager begleitete ich die Produktion für Sound & Fury, die mit The Watery Part Of The World durch England, inklusive Mazedonien tourten. Über die folgenden 5 Jahre folgten weitere Produktionen mit Theatre & Beyond, Sound & Fury, Prodigal Theatre, Bright FX. Ich übernahm die Beleuchtung von Veranstaltungen zahlreicher neuer Kunden in England und Europa, darunter Voodoo Vaudeville, Trio Con Brio, Take The Space, Periplum, Patter, John Paul Zaccarrini, Inservice, Highspin und Company Collisions.

Im Oktober 2007 wurde ich Technischer Manager für Tim Crouch and News From Nowhere, die mit drei Produktionen: An Oak Tree; My Arm und England bis zum Sommer 2009 sowohl innerhalb Englands, als auch international tourten.

In den letzten zwei Jahren habe ich die Lichttechnik zweier Shows gestaltet: für die Designer Katharine Williams: Darren Johnston / Array’s Outré und Inspector Sands Hysteria. Die Inszenierungen waren mit Aufenthalten in London, Valencia, Edinburgh, Yerevan, Berlin und Moskau verbunden. Für die Outdoor Show Fusion des Prodigal Theatre habe ich das Lichtdesign entworfen. Die Show wurde auf dem Internationalen Volvo Yacht Rennen in Alicante, im Oktober 2007 uraufgeführt. Es folgte das Lichtdesign für Periplum’s The Bell, was im November 2008 durch Mexico tourte; Liz Aggiss und VDT’s Double Vision im Frühjahr 2009 (England-Tournee) und Array’s letzte Show Ousia, die auf dem Edinburgh Festival 2009 eröffnet wurde.



EXAMPLES OF WORK


Liz Aggiss & VDT "Double Vision"
Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton (2009) company (c)
Liz Aggiss & VDT "Double Vision"
Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton (2009) company (c)
Liz Aggiss & VDT "Double Vision"
Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton (2009) company (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Zacatecas Festival, Mexico (2008) Johnny Goodwin (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Zacatecas Festival, Mexico (2008) Johnny Goodwin (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Zacatecas Festival, Mexico (2008) Johnny Goodwin (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Brighton Festival (2008) U.Shehadeh (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Brighton Festival (2008) U.Shehadeh (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Brighton Festival (2008) U.Shehadeh (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) company (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) company (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) company (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Brighton Festival (2008) Ray Gibson (c)
Array "Outré" LX design by Katharine Williams
VEO Fest, Valencia (2008) company (c)
Inspector Sands "Hysteria" LX design by Katharine Williams
Stanislavsky Theatre, Moscow (2007)
Periplum "The Bell"
Hastings Coastal Currents (2007) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Hastings Coastal Currents (2007) Sama Mara (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Hastings Coastal Currents (2007) Ray Gibson (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Watch This Space @ The National Theatre (2007) Rosie Reed Gold (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Watch This Space @ The National Theatre (2007) Rosie Reed Gold (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Watch This Space @ The National Theatre (2007) Jules Deering (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Watch This Space @ The National Theatre (2007) Rosie Reed Gold (c)
Periplum "The Bell"
Watch This Space @ The National Theatre (2007) Rosie Reed Gold (c)
Prodigal "Queen Of The Slaughter"
Edinburgh Festival (2007) company (c)
Prodigal "Queen Of The Slaughter"
Edinburgh Festival (2007) company (c)
Prodigal "Queen Of The Slaughter"
Edinburgh Festival (2007) company (c)
Company Collisions "Nothing Left To Lose"
London International Mime Festival (2007) Usama Shehadeh (c)
Company Collisions "Nothing Left To Lose"
London International Mime Festival (2007) Usama Shehadeh (c)
Company Collisions "Nothing Left To Lose"
London International Mime Festival (2007) Usama Shehadeh (c)
Company Collisions "Nothing Left To Lose"
London International Mime Festival (2007) Usama Shehadeh (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Watch This Space @ The National Theatre (2006) Alex Whittaker (c)
Periplum "Arquiem"
Bracknell Premiere (2006) Robin Manuell (c)
Bright FX "Ignite!"
Glastonbury Festival (2005) company (c)
Bright FX "Ignite!"
Glastonbury Festival (2005) company (c)
Highspin "Whodunnit?"
Brighton Corn Exchange (2004) Ben Johnson (c)
Prodigal "The Tragedian Part 1"
Edinburgh Festival (2002) company (c)
Bright FX "Ignite!"
Brighton Festival (2002) company (c)

Divas "Die Orchidee"
The Purcell Rooms, London (1999) company (c)
Divas "Die Orchidee"
The Purcell Rooms, London (1999) company (c)
Divas "Die Orchidee"
The Purcell Rooms, London (1999) company (c)
Divas "Divagate"
The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London (1997) company (c)
Divas "Divagate"
The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London (1997) company (c)
Divas "Divagate"
The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London (1997) company (c)
Divas "Absurdities"
The Place, London (1995) company (c)
Divas "Absurdities"
The Place, London (1995) company (c)
Divas "Falling Apart At The Seams (So It Seems)"
The Gardner Centre, Brighton (1992) company (c)
Divas "Falling Apart At The Seams (So It Seems)"
The Gardner Centre, Brighton (1992) company (c)
Divas "No Man's Land"
The Gardner Centre, Brighton (1992) company (c)
Divas "No Man's Land"
The Gardner Centre, Brighton (1992) company (c)

SOUND

Alongside my lighting and production work I have continued a lifelong interest in music and sound. Recent sound projects include a monthly radio show featuring local field recordings with Joseph Young as Field Radio on Brighton's Radio Reverb: April 2007 - July 2008 and "The Reading Room", an installation collaboration with artist / performer Miriam King for The Point in Eastleigh in April 2008. I am currently writing music inspired by the novel "Oxossis Farben" by Kerstin Westerbeck for release on CD in 2010. In 1993 I co-founded the music & performance collective WEVIE STONDER with Alan Boorman and Richard Sothcott. Almost 17 years later we are still going strong!
 
 
 
Click here to explore the world of Wevie!
 
 
 
The new album THE BUCKET was released on our very own
CACK RECORDS label on April Fool's Day 2009!
 
 
 
 
Since 20th October 2008 in England     
              
Schräder - Umney : Design and Management
 
 
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