About
Max Johns is a designer for live performance and film based in London. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School with an MA in Theatre Design and a BA in Drama and German from Bristol University. He was the recipient of a BBC Performing Arts Fellowship Award in 2015.
Recent work in the UK has included productions at The Royal Court, Almeida, Young Vic, RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, The West End, National Theatre Scotland, Edinburgh Lyceum, Manchester Royal Exchange, Birmingham Rep, The Bush, Leeds Playhouse, Royal Festival Hall, The V&A, and Bristol Old Vic.
Max lived for a number of years in Germany where he worked for companies including Maxim Gorki Theater, HAU, Kampnagel, Radialsystem, Ballhaus Ost, and WLB Esslingen.
Alongside his freelance practice Max is an associate lecturer in Theatre Design at Wimbledon College of Arts. He is a contributor to the Theatre Green Book, is carbon literate, and has worked as a consultant with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to improve sustainability in teaching environments. Max also sits on the panel for the 2025 Linbury Prize.
Current and upcoming work: A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Shakespeare’s Globe and Headlong.
ANTI-RACISM IN THEATRE DESIGN
Click here to read the framework Max created on anti-racist practice in theatre design
SUSTAINABLE AND GREENER PRACTICE IN THEATRE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Click here to read the framework Max created on sustainable practice in theatre design
CV
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
MA Theatre Design, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 2014
BA (1st Class Hons) in German and Drama, University of Bristol 2009
AWARDS
BBC Performing Arts Fund Fellowship with Bristol Old Vic 2015
TEACHING
Lecturer in Theatre Design at Wimbledon College of Arts (UAL) 2023 - 2024
Visiting lecturer in Theatre Design at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Leeds University, 2016 - 2023
Associate lecturer in Production Design at Bristol University 2015
PREVIOUS DESIGNS
2025
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE Longborough Festival Opera (dir Jenny Ogilvie) (set design)
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA Longborough Festival Opera (dir Louise Bakker) (set design)
WAHNFRIED Longborough Festival Opera (dir Polly Graham) (set design)
LAVENDER, HYACINTH, VIOLET, YEW Bush Theatre (dir Debbie Hannan)
2024
WHY AM I SO SINGLE? Garrick Theatre (dir Lucy Moss) (costume design)
THE DUCHESS [OF MALFI] Trafalgar Theatre (dir Zinnie Harris) (co-design with Tom Piper)
2023
CHOIR BOY Bristol OId Vic (dir Nancy Medina)
AS YOU LIKE IT Shakespeare’s Globe (dir Ellen McDougall) (costume design)
THE CHERRY ORCHARD Bristol School of Acting / Tobacco Factory (dir Stuart Wood)
LORD OF THE FLIES Leeds Playhouse Quarry Theatre / UK tour (dir Amy Leach)
SOUND OF THE UNDERGROUND Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs (dir Debbie Hannan) (co-design with Rosie Elnile)
2022
CASH MONEY NOW The Big House (dir Bel Parker) (set design)
THE P WORD The Bush (dir Anthony Simpson Pike) (Winner: Oliver Award for outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre)
THE CLIMBERS Theatre by the Lake (dir Guy Jones)
BIRTHMARKED Bristol Old Vic / MAYK (dir Sally Cookson)
2021
THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART Manchester Royal Exchange (dir Debbie Hannan)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN NAZI OCCUPIED TUNISIA Almeida (dir Eleanor Rhode)
OVERFLOW The Bush (dir Debbie Hannan)
2020
HEARTBREAKIN’ - DIE BIENE UND DER KURT WLB Esslingen, Germany (dir Christine Gnann)
URINETOWN Central School of Speech and Drama (dir Chelsea Walker) (co-design with Rosanna Vize)
2019
KING JOHN RSC Swan Theatre (dir Eleanor Rhode)
NICCE: AFTERS set design for winter collection launch event at NICCE showroom (dir Andrew Whyment)
THE PANOPTICON National Theatre Scotland / Traverse Theatre (dir Debbie Hannan)
RUST The Bush / Hightide (dir Eleanor Rhode)
STRANGE FRUIT The Bush (dir Nancy Medina)
THE HALF GOD OF RAINFALL Fuel / Kiln / Birmingham Rep (dir Nancy Medina)
RANDOM Leeds Playhouse Pop-up Theatre (dir Gbolahan Obisesan)
KES Leeds Playhouse Pop-up Theatre (dir Amy Leach / Martin Leonard)
2018
WENDY & PETER PAN Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh (dir Eleanor Rhode)
UTILITY The Orange Tree (Dir Caitlin McLeod)
BUGGY BABY The Yard (Dir Ned Bennett)
2017
BADDIES Synergy Theatre Project at HMP YOI ISIS (Dir Ned Bennett)
YELLOWMAN The Young Vic (Dir Nancy Medina)
ENRON The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath (Dir John East)
TWELFTH NIGHT The Orange Tree / schools tour (Dir Alex Thorpe)
FIDELIO London Philharmonic Orchestra / Royal Festival Hall (Dir Daniel Slater)
2016
THERE SHALL BE FIREWORKS The Plasticine Men / UK tour (Dir Simon Day)
UNDER A CARDBOARD SEA Bristol Old Vic (Dir Lisa Gregan / Matt Grinter)
BUCKET LIST Theatre Ad Infinitum / UK tour (Dir Nir Paldi)
KES West Yorkshire Playhouse Courtyard Theatre / local tour (Dir Amy Leach)
HAMLET / ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory / UK and European tour (Dir Andrew Hilton)
2015
KID CARPET'S NOISY NATIVITY Tobacco Factory Theatres (Dir Kid Carpet)
OUR TOWN The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath (Dir Nik Partridge)
THE SPOOKY SHIP Bristol Old Vic and SS Great Britain (Dir Lisa Gregan)
DOGTAG Theatre West (Dir Nancy Medina)
LIFE RAFT Bristol Old Vic (Dir Melly Still)
MEDUSA Bristol Old Vic Studio / schools tour (Dir Toby Hulse)
THE LIGHT BURNS BLUE Bristol Old Vic Studio (Dir Lisa Gregan)
2014
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Old Red Lion Theatre (Dir Gus Miller)
THE ELEVENTH HOUR The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath (Dir John East / Hannah Joss)
INFINITY POOL Theatre West / TFT / UK tour (Dir Deirdre Mullins / Nik Partridge)
AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN Poonamallee Productions / UK tour (Dir Simon Reade) (set design)
STRAWBERRY & CHOCOLATE Tobacco Factory Theatres (Dir Nancy Medina)
LONDON ROAD Bristol Old Vic Studio (Dir Nicholas Bone) (set design)
DUTCHMAN Tobacco Factory Theatres (Dir Nancy Medina)
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR Redgrave Theatre (Dir John Hartoch) (costume design)
THE MERRY OWLS: SHAKESPEARE TRIBES V&A Museum / Wilderness Festival (Dir Max Johns / Elly Hopkins)
2011-2012
DIE RICHTIGE ZEIT, DER RICHTIGE ORT Das Weite Theater, Berlin (Dir Kalma Streun / Tilla Kratochwil)
TACHELEß! Theater unter der Dauseck (Dir Christine Gnann) (co-design with Judith Philipp)
HERZ - SO KALT Theater unter der Dauseck (Dir Christine Gnann) (co-design with Judith Philipp)