Set designer – NSW

Set designer Ralph Myers is used to having to explain his job.

Chatty taxi drivers are often puzzled when they ask questions about his work and the father of a former girlfriend was baffled when he one day visited Myers’ office.

“He was always a bit confused about what I did and then he saw me gluing tiny little chairs together for a set model and said, ‘Ah, you make doll houses’,” Myers says.

Creating small-scale models to demonstrate his design for a production is only a small part of the job for Myers who, after a decade in the industry, is now one of Australia’s most in-demand designers.

After attending Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, Myers, 30, did one year of a jewellery-making course before starting the three-year design course at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.

After graduating, Myers, who will take over from Neil Armfield as artistic director at Company B in 2011, scored jobs with companies including Griffin Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company and soon became a favourite with Sydney’s top directors.

It was a steep learning curve but he says he felt supported all the way.

“Stuffing up is part of the training and I’ve been lucky to have people like Robyn Nevin and Neil Armfield let me stuff things up over the years, and still continue to give me opportunities,” he says.

As a designer, Myers is required to imagine and create sets for theatre, opera and dance productions, which he does by working closely with the director and the production team.

The job requires precision, good communication skills and a wide knowledge of design.

“You have to know a lot about place, space and architecture, so you need to research things and go to the library to build up an idea of where you’re going,” he says. “Audiences have very keen eyes.”

His work is currently on display at Belvoir St Theatre, where he has collaborated with director Benedict Andrews on a new production of Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure featuring an elaborate revolving set equipped with video cameras.

Myers describes the hours as “awful” and the pay as “not good at all”, but he loves his job.

“I love watching theatre so this is a way for me to be involved in it and to see how it is made,” he says.

How to be a Set Designer

Qualifications: Ralph Myers (pictured) attended the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

Course: NIDA offers a three-year, full-time course in design, which teaches students to imagine and create the design and crafted finish for productions across all performing arts including opera, theatre, film and television.

Similar courses are also offered interstate. The Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne offers a Bachelor of Production, with Master of Theatre Design by research for further specialisation, and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts offers a three-year Advanced Diploma of Live Production For Theatre and Events (Design).

Assumed knowledge: An interest in arts and practical ability must be demonstrated.

Cost: The course at NIDA is from $5800 a year.

From the inside: “Initially no one knows you so they can only employ you on the basis of having seen one of your shows, photos of your work or on faith in you,” Myers says.