Biog

Alyson is an award winning set and costume designer. She began by studying architecture in University College Dublin where she was the winner of the AGA gold medal for graduating in first place.

Following an internship in the Abbey theatre and assisting various designers in theatre and television, she was awarded an Arts Council grant to train at the Motley Theatre Design School in London and was a finalist in the Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design. She went on to participate in Rough Magic’s seeds programme. She has won the Irish Times theatre award for best set design for her work on Pentecost and Volcano

Her work to date includes the following stage designs:

Colic written by Eoghan Quinn, directed by Annabelle Comyn for Dublin Theatre Festival and Hatch; Morrígan by John O’Brien and Éadaoin O’Donoghue, directed by John O’Brien for Cork Opera House; Wires, Strings & Other Things directed by Wouter Van Looy, written by Brian Irvine for the Ark Children’s Theatre and Music Network; Volcano directed and devised by Luke Murphy for Attic Productions at the Galway International Arts Festival; L’amico Fritz directed by Julia Burback for Opera Holland Park; Così Fan Tutte directed by Simon Iorio for the Royal Academy of Music; Our New Girl By Nancy Harris, directed by Annabelle Comyn at the Gate Theatre, Dublin; Medea by Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks after Euripides, directed by Oonagh Murphy at the Gate Theatre, Dublin; The Tale of Little Bevan by Robert Alan Evans, directed by Sophie Motley for Pentabus; Last Orders at the Dockside by Dermot Bolger, direcetd by Graham McLaren at the Abbey theatre Dublin; L’Arlesiana Francesco Cilea, directed by Oliver Platt for Opera Holland Park; Midsummer by David Greig, directed by Eoghan Carrick at Project Arts Centre Dublin; Iolanta & L’Enfant et les Sortilèges double bill at the Royal Academy of Music, directed Oliver Platt; Thick as Thieves by Katherine Chandler, directed by Róisín McBrinn for Clean Break and Theatr Clwyd; The Lion in Winter directed by Derek Anderson at the English Theatre Frankfurt; Così Fan Tutte directed by Oliver Platt for Opera Holland Park; Tosca directed by Greg Eldridge for The Icelandic Opera at Harpa Reykjavik; Eyes Closed Ears Covered by Alex Gwyther directed by Derek Anderson at the Bunker theatre; Zazà directed by Marie Lambert at Opera Holland Park; Sinners directed by Mick Gordon at the Lyric Theatre; Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at the Gate Theatre Dublin; Christmas double bill at the Lyric Belfast: The Nativity… What the Donkey Saw directed by Frankie McCafferty & The Gingerbread Mix Up directed by Richard Croxford; The Nest by Franz Xaver Kroetz adapted by Conor McPherson, directed by Ian Rickson at the Young Vic & Lyric Belfast; Quietly (Abbey theatre) at the Peacock Dublin and The Irish Rep New York, directed by Jimmy Fay; Fabric by Abi Zakarian directed by Tom O’Brien, winner of a Fringe First at Edinburgh 2016; Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi at Iford Arts directed by Bruno Ravella; This Lime Tree Bower by Conor McPherson at Project Arts Centre & Irish tour directed by Eoghan Carrick; I Know All The Secrets in my World directed by Natalie Ibu for Tiata Fahodzi; The Lighthouse by Peter Maxwell Davies at the Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House directed by Greg Eldridge; The Night Alive written and directed by Conor McPherson for the Lyric Belfast and Dublin Theatre Festival; At The Ford written by Gavin Kostick directed by Bryan Borroughs for Rise Productions; Gulliver’s Travels with music by Duke Special directed by Des Kennedy for YMT; The Wishmaker for Haringey Shed at The Bernie Grant Arts Centre; Heartbreak House directed by Róisín McBrinn and The Risen People directed by Jimmy Fay at the Abbey Theatre; Pentecost at the Lyric Belfast directed by Jimmy Fay – winner Best Set Design at the Irish Times Theatre awards 2015; Be Infants In Evil (Druid) directed by Oonagh Murphy at the Mick Lally Theatre as part of the Galway International Arts Festival; Summertime (Tinderbox) directed by Michael Duke at the Mac, Belfast; Its a Family Affair… (We’ll Settle it Ourselves) at Sherman Cymru directed by Róisín McBrinn; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (The Company) at the Lowry Salford, directed by Tom O’Brien; Mixed Marriage at the Lyric Belfast directed by Jimmy Fay; Before it Rains at Bristol Old Vic & Sherman Cymru directed by Róisín McBrinn; Perve and No Escape (Abbey theatre) both at the Peacock, directed by Róisín McBrinn; Pigeon (Carpet theatre) directed and devised by Ciaran Taylor at Project arts centre; Pornography (Waking Exploits) directed by Mathilde Lopez at Chapter Cardiff and Welsh tour; Ruben Guthrie (Iron Bark) directed by Nicola Samer at the New Wimbledon studio; How the World Began (Tom Atkins) directed by Des Kennedy at the Arcola; The Yellow Wallpaper (Then This) directed by Aoife Spillane Hinks at the Boys School, Smock Alley; Hamlet (Second Age) directed by Aoife Spillane Hinks at the Helix Dublin and Irish national tour; The Colleen Bawn (Project/Civic/Bedrock) directed by Jimmy Fay at Project arts centre and Irish national tour; The Trailer of Bridget Dinnigan directed by Dylan Tighe and Off Plan directed by Rachel West both at Project arts centre Dublin; Serious Money directed by Aoife Spillane Hinks and Dying City directed by Des Kennedy both at Project cube Dublin (Rough Magic seeds); Extremities (Spark to a Flame) directed by Sophie Motley at Mill theatre Dublin; Crosswired directed by Mathilde Lopez for the East London dance festival, Stratford Circus & Shoreditch festival London; The Trials of Brother Jero (Arambe) directed by Bisi Adigun at the Samuel Beckett theatre Dublin; Daily Bread (Dublin Youth Theatre) directed by Rachel West at the Project cube; Top Girls (Galloglass) directed by Jason Byrne at the New theatre Dublin and Irish national tour; Forget-me-not Lane (the Lit) directed by Monty Holender at Teatro Technis, Camden; Through a Film Darkly (Arambe) directed by Bisi Adigun at the Project cube; Ya Get Me (Old Vic education dept) directed by Nathan Curry, schools tour, London.         

She has also assisted several designers including: Rae Smith, Es Devlin, Monica Frawley, Tom Pye and Eileen Diss. Roles include design associate on The Goat Theatre Royal Haymarket; Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Prince of the Pagodas and Les Troyens at La Scala.