Charles is an award-winning designer for theatre, opera, dance and film, working and living on Gadigal land. A graduate of NIDA, Charles’ approach to theatrical design is strongly influenced by his earlier studies in architectural design at Monash University.
With a decade’s worth of experience designing for live performance, his work has featured at Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, West Australian Opera, State Opera of South Australia, Stephanie Lake Company, Sydney Chamber Opera, Pinchgut, Adelaide Festival, Rising, Sydney Festival, Perth Festival, Brisbane Festival, Griffin and Ensemble Theatre.
He is currently designing Circle Electric for the Australian Ballet with choreography by Stephanie Lake and a new opera conference production of Rusalka, directed by Sarah Giles, both of which will premiere in mid 2024.
Charles was awarded a 2018 Mike Walsh Fellowship to travel to Europe and undertake international observations. He was the recipient of the 2022 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Stage Design of an Independent Production for his work on Happy Days, having been nominated for the same award twice previously. In 2024, he received the Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship, with which he will travel to Berlin in May.
Charles has been a regular lecturer and mentor for NIDA’s undergraduate design programme since 2015 and has also taught set design within the Interior Architecture programme at UTS since 2019.
DESIGN CREDITS
2024
Rusalka, set designer, West Australian Opera, dir. Sarah Giles
Circle Electric, set designer, The Australian Ballet, choreography by Stephanie Lake
No Pay, No Way! set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Sarah Giles
2023
La Traviata, set and costume designer, Opera Australia, dir. Sarah Giles
Do Not Go Gentle, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Paige Rattray
Twelfth Night, set and costume designer, Bell Shakespeare, dir. Heather Fairbairn
The Importance of Being Earnest, set designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Sarah Giles
La Boheme, set and costume designer, West Australian Opera, dir. Matt Ward
2022
La Traviata, set and costume designer, Opera Queensland + SOSA + WAO dir. Sarah Giles
Manifesto, set designer, Stephanie Lake Company + Adelaide Festival + Rising, choreography by Stephanie Lake
The 7 Deadly Sins + Mahagonny Songspiel, set designer, Redline Productions, dir. Constantine Costi
Médée, set and costume designer, Pinchgut Opera, dir. Justin Way
2021
The Dismissal, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Jay James Moody
Happy Days, set designer, Redline Productions, dir. Craig Baldwin
2020
No Pay, No Way! set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Sarah Giles
Breaking Glass, set and costume designer, Sydney Chamber Opera, dir. Clemence Williams + Danielle Maas
Rules for Living, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Susanna Dowling
The Wharf Revue 2020, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Galas 2020, set designer, pro. Clare Hammond
Sydney Theatre Company 2021 Season Brochure, lead stylist, photographer: Rene Vaile
2019
The Real Thing, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Simon Phillips
The Wharf Revue 2019, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Jonathan Biggins
Ned Kelly, set and costume designer, Perth Festival / Lost and Found Opera, dir. Janice Muller
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Galas 2019, set designer, pro. Clare Hammond
Sydney Theatre Company 2020 Season Brochure, lead stylist, photographer: Rene Vaile
2018
Artaserse, set and costume designer, Pinchgut Opera, dir. Chas Radar-Schieber
The Wharf Revue 2018, set and costume designer, Sydney Theatre Company
Wonderbabes, set and costume designer, NORPA / The Quad, dir. Elsie Edgerton-Till
A Smoke Social, set designer, Brown's Mart Theatre, dir. Alex Galeazzi
The Widow Unplugged, set and costume designer, Ensemble Theatre Company, dir. Mark Kilmurry
Lano and Woodley - Fly, set designer, Token Events, Melbourne International Comedy Festival
An Act of God, set and costume designer, Darlinghurst Theatre Company / Mardi Gras, dir. Mitchell Butel & Richard Carroll
2017
Muriel's Wedding, associate set designer, Sydney Theatre Company / Global Creatures, dir. Simon Phillips, designed by Gabriela Tylesova
The Merry Widow, associate set designer, Opera Australia, dir. Graeme Murphy, designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell
The Coronation of Poppea, set and costume designer, Pinchgut Opera, dir. Mark Gaal
Buyer and Cellar, set and costume designer, Ensemble Theatre Company, dir. Susanna Dowling
The Kitchen Sink, set and costume designer, Ensemble Theatre Company, dir. Shane Bosher
Smurf in Wanderland, set and costume designer, Griffin Theatre Company / National Theatre of Parramatta, dir. Lee Lewis
Love at Fifth Sight, assistant designer, Grumpy Sailor / Google / Adelaide Fringe Festival, dir. Shannon Murphy, designed by Elizabeth Gadsby
Biographica, set and costume designer, Sydney Chamber Opera / Sydney Festival, dir. Janice Muller
2016
Twelfth Night, assistant set designer, Belvoir, dir. Eamon Flack, designed by Michael Hankin
Carmen, associate designer, Opera Australia, dir. John Bell, designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell
The Great Fire, assistant set designer, Belvoir, dir. Eamon Flack, designed by Michael Hankin
Lake Disappointment, assistant designer, Carriageworks, dir. Janice Muller, designed by Michael Hankin
The Peasant Prince, assistant designer, Monkey Baa Theatre Company, dir. Tim McGarry
Grand Hotel, set and costume co-designer with Jeremy Allen, Sydney Grammar School, dir. Peter Rudge
Unfinished Works, set and costume designer, Seymour Centre, dir. Clemence Williams
Oh Mensch!, costume designer, Sydney Chamber Opera / Sydney Festival, dir. Sarah Giles
The Whale, set and costume designer, Old Fitz Theatre, dir. Shane Anthony
2015
Hansel and Gretel, set and costume designer, Queensland Conservatorium, dir. Michael Gow
North by Northwest, model maker, Melbourne Theatre Company, dir. Simon Phillips, designed by Nick Schlieper
Baku European Games 2015, medal ceremony designer, Great Big Events
Speaking in Tongues, set and costume designer, Sydney Grammar School, dir. Peter Rudge
Arms and the Man, model maker, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Richard Cottrell, designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell
Endgame, model maker, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Andrew Upton, designed by Nick Schlieper
Death and the Maiden, model maker, Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Leticia Cáceres, designed by Nick Schlieper
2014
Writing for Performance, set and costume designer, NIDA Parade Studio, dir. Michael Gow
Switzerland, model maker, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. Sarah Goodes, designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell
Perch Carnival, Glasgow Commonwealth Games, animation artist, Conflux, dir. Patrick Nolan and Allan Richardson, designed by Alex Rigg
Jasper Jones, model maker, Barking Gecko, dir. John Sheedy, designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell
Kandahar Gate, set designer, NIDA Parade Theatre, dir. Jeff Janisheski
A Moment on the Lips, set designer, Old Fitzroy Theatre, dir. Mackenzie Steele
Tearing the Mask, co-event designer with Emma Vine, NIDA, curated by Jeff Janisheski
Once in Royal David's City, model maker, Belvoir St Theatre, dir. Eamon Flack, designed by Nick Schlieper
2013
The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet, co-set and costume designer, NIDA Parade Studio, dir. Constantine Costi
No Sound, co-production designer, Triple J/RAGE, dir. Angus Wilkinson
Stormboy, model maker, Sydney Theatre Company, dir. John Sheedy, designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell
ExpoNIDA, co-exhibition designer, NIDA
Horrie the Wog Dog, costume designer, AFTRS, dir. Lucas Li
2012
In Bloom, set and costume designer, NIDA Parade Space, dir. Stephen Nicolazzo
The Venetian Twins, design assistant, New Theatre, dir. Mackenzie Steele
The Farm, costume assistant, NIDA Parade Space, dir. Sarah Giles
Loot, set and props assistant, NIDA Parade Playhouse, dir. Darren Gilshenen