YIMEI ZHAO Performance design
Yimei is a performance designer based in London. She graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a first class BA in Design for Performance. In 2023, she was selected as one of the Linbury Prize winners. She is currently a resident design assistant at the NT Max Rayne design studio.
Her creative interests span from dance and opera to the intricate realm of projection design. She loves exploring new concepts and creating innovative, functional spaces that serve as compelling canvases for storytelling. Provoking unique feelings and responses in audiences is an integral aspect of Yimei's design. Apart from theatre and performance, she is also passionate about illustrating imaginative stories on papers with fineliners.
Current
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The Hot Wing King National Theatre | Associate Set and Costume Designer (Des. Rajha Shakiry | Dir. Roy Alexander Weise)
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King Troll New Diorama Theatre | Associate Set and Costume Designer (Des. Rajha Shakiry | Dir. Milli Bhatia)
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Society For New Cuisine Omnibus Theatre | Set and Costume Designer (Dir. Rupert Hands) 2025
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Dog Women Sadler's Wells, South East Dance, The Lowry | Set and Costume Designer (Chore. Becky Namgauds) 2025
Award
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The Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2023 Recipient
Past Productions
2024
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Unbound BYMT Birmingham Hippodrome | Set and Costume Designer (Dir. Sarah Jane Schostack)
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Dog Women (working title) R&D | Designer (Chore. Becky Namgauds)
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Men Without Women - short film | Production Designer (Dir. Masha Novikova)
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Before After Southwark Playhouse | Set and Costume Designer (Dir. Georgie Rankcom)
2023
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Magical Bones: Soulful Magic Bloomsbury Theatre | Set Designer
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AWAKE Soho Rep, NY | Set Designer (Dir. Melvin Yen)
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Dare You Say Please King's Head Theatre | Set Designer (Dir. Alexzandra Sarmiento)
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Light of Million Hope 万家灯火 Guangzhou Art Centre | Assistant Set and Projection Designer (Dir. Lie Wang)
2022
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Absolute Hell Embassy Theatre, RCSSD | Set Designer (Dir. Robert Styles)
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KISS the musical Webber Douglas Studio, RCSSD | Assistant Set Designer (Dir. Keziah Serreau)
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The Hugging Project Site-specific, RCSSD | Lighting and Sound Lead (Chore. Scarlett Perdereau)
2021
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The Burnt City Punchdrunk| Design Assistant (Dir. Felix Barrett/Maxine Doyle)
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Going Underground Shorditch Town Hall | Associate Designer (Dir. Gareth White)
Press
2024
'...Linbury prize winner Yimei Zhao’s elegant, paint-spattered set has an understated charm, its huge framed canvases ready to be coloured with life.' The Guardian
'...The design makes effective use of the small stage. Ben is a struggling artist and the set is cleverly constructed for him to hang paintings on the backdrop.' West End Best Friend
'...Zhao’s clever use of massive reversed canvases shroud both the musicians and function as props: for other, smaller (and real) paintings executed in post-impressionist style by Zhao.' FringeReview
2023
'...The small space is used well and the bleak, inhospitable environment is clearly evoked by Yimei Zhao’s slick, minimal set design.' London Pub Theatres
'...Yimei Zhao’s set design is simple yet captivating, the diamond shape on the floor helped to build a constrictive atmosphere and the dangling phones and surveillance equipment helped to build the dystopian society the two characters were in.' 1ShowMore
©2024 by yimeidesigns.