ABOUT

"When in doubt, add another row of sequins!"

Mike Lees is an award-winning, London-based Costume, Production, Set Designer and stylist working across Musicals, Straight Theatre, Ballet, Opera and Television.

With over a decade of experience on a vast and eclectic mix of projects, Mike has built up a successful reputation as a Designer with an outstanding passion and eye for detail. As well as designing, Mike can offer a combined wardrobe and make-up service, as well as being an accomplished scenic artist, stage manager and model maker.

Creative, dedicated and highly organised as a Head of Department and crew member, Mike provides services that work on time, on specification and on budget. Liaising effectively with all departments to bring the vision of the Director, Producers and Performers to life, Mike has an obvious love for his work and thrives on perfection, bringing a unique and individual approach to each project, tailoring each production to the company’s needs.

From an early age Mike's obsession with creating was obvious. He learnt to draw, sew and paint and was soon making costumes and designing scenery for school plays and drama companies he was a member of.

With a brief foray in front of the curtains, with varying success, Mike decided his role was firmly behind the scenes.

Having studied at the Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama, covering Production Design and

Realisation, Mike began his career designing and creating costumes for the BBC and for West End productions, obtaining experiences and knowledge that can only be truly learnt “hands on” and/or being thrown in at the deep end.

He assisted and accompanied several Designers Choreographers, Directors and

Creatives, learning on the job and picking up key skills needed to thrive. This experience, coupled with a history of acting and stage management, allowed him to have a completely well-rounded skill set and an understanding of the importance of all the departments working together. Now, over a decade later, Mike has the knowledge and skills to take on any project, no matter how big, small or bizarre.

Mike has designed sets and costumes for more than 200 productions throughout the UK, Europe, Middle East, and America. Productions include:

‘Uncle Vanya’ (Harold Pinter Theatre: Olivier Award Nominated 2020)

‘Night of the Iguana’ (Coward Theatre: WhatsOnStage Award Finalist 2020)

‘Rosmersholm’ (Duke of York’s Theatre: Olivier Award Nominated 2020)

‘Salad Days’ (UK Tour)

'My Friend Misty' Seasons 1 & 2 (SkyTV)

Bridgerton #3 (Netflx)

'This England' (Sky Atlantic)

'Great Expectations' (BBC/Disney)

‘Undine’ / ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (Bolshoi Ballet & Yekaterinburg Ballet Russia)

‘Salad Days’ / ‘Privates on Parade’ (Theatre Royal Bath & Union Theatre: Both Offies Nominated 2017)

‘Le Baiser de la Fee’ (Perm Ballet Russia)

‘The Toxic Avenger’ (Southwark Playhouse: Offies Nominated 2016)

‘Shoot! – I didn't mean that!’ (National Theatre Shed)

‘Stop The Play!’ (Trafalgar Studios)

‘Mathilde’ (Vaudeville Theatre)

‘Fred Astaire: His Daughter's Tribute’ (London Palladium)

‘What I Heard About Iraq’ (Arts Theatre)

‘Gone’ (New Ambassadors)

‘Madama Butterfly’ (Hackney Empire)

‘Miss Julie’ (Strindberg's Intima Theater, Stockholm & New Wolsey Ipswich)

‘Olga's Room’ (Abbaye de Neumunster, Luxembourg)

‘The Little Mermaid’ (National Theatre of Dubai)

‘Calendar Girls’ (Leicester & Tour)

‘A Tailor-Made Man’ (White Bear Theatre: Offies Nominated 2018, OnCom Award Winner 2020)

‘Holding Hands at Passchendaele’ (Lyric Belfast & Tour)

‘The Stanhope Sisters’ (Theatre Royal Bath)

‘Pete n Dud: Come Again’ (Leicester Square Theatre)

‘Whistle Down the Wind’ (Churchill Theatre Bromley)

‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ (Wilton’s Music Hall)

Mike has also worked on numerous designs on the London Fringe for the Finborough, Jermyn

Street, King's Head, Union, White Bear, Landor & Arcola Theatres, where he designed the UK premieres of Sondheim's ‘Do I Hear A Waltz’, ‘A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical’, ‘Myths and Hymns’, ‘Count Oederland’, ‘Abigail1702’ and ‘The Young Ones’.

Mike has designed private parties, corporate events and award ceremonies for clients including

Facebook, Palantir, Google, The Bulgari Hotel, Harrods, The Berkley, JP Morgan, Barclays Group, Aspen,

Corinthia Hotel, Northern Trust, and numerous high-profile individuals. He has also designed red carpet events and premieres including ‘Beauty & The Beast’, ‘Rogue One’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’.

As a Costume Designer and maker, Mike has created costumes and outfits for Sky TV, Netflix, the National Theatre, the BBC, the Theatre Museum, the World Trade Fair, and numerous cabaret and recording acts and artists including Lady Gaga, KACTA, and for X Factor and DowntonAbbey.

He has contributed work to several publications on design and theatre history, and his designs have been exhibited at the V&A,

4Dimensional, Bloomsbury Gallery, The Candid Gallery, The Royal National Theatre Craic Galore, The University Women's Arts Club and The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Mike has designed 7 recipient productions of the Edinburgh Fringe First Award, all of which have transferred to successful London runs, and he is holder of a Mercury Award for Design. In 2017 he was a finalist at the Off West End Awards for his work on ‘The Toxic Avenger’ and was a finalist for the 2018 Off West End Awards for his Costumes on ‘Salad Days’, ‘A Tailor-Made Man’ and ‘Privates On Parade’. He was nominated for Russia’s prestigious Golden Mask for his work on ‘Romeo & Juliet’.  His production of ‘Night of the Iguana’ was a finalist of the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Set Design, and he was nominated twice for Best Set Design at the 2020 Olivier Awards for his productions of ‘Rosmersholm’ and ‘Uncle Vanya'.

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To download a copy of a current CV

CLICK HERE

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