MIKE LEES
Design for Performance
"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, providing 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, tailor making 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 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 learnt truly hands on, and or, being thrown in the depths. He assisted and accompanied several Designers, Choreographers, Directors and Creatives, learning on the job and picking up key skills needed to survive. This experience, coupled with a history of acting and stage management, allowed him to have a completely well rounded skills set and understanding of the importance of all the departments working together. Now, 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.
Recent productions include: Salad Days (Uk Tour); Undine; Romeo & Juliet (Bolshoi Ballet & Yekaterinberg Ballet Russia); Salad Days; Privates on Parade (Theatre Royal Bath & Union Theatre; Both Offie Nominated 2017); Le Baisier de la Fee (Perm Ballet Russia);The Toxic Avenger (Southwark Playhouse Offie 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 Offie Nominated 2017); 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) as well as numerous designs on the London Fringe for the Finborough, Jermyn Street, King's Head, Union, White Bear, Landor & Arcola Theatres; where he has 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 both 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. As well as 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 the National Theatre, The BBC, ITV, The Theatre Museum, The World Trade Fair and numerous Cabaret and recording acts and artists including Lady Gaga, KACTA and most recently for the Black Mirror, The Crown, XFactor and Downton Abby. He has contributed work to several publications on design and theatre history; and his designs have been exhibited at the V&A, 4Dimensional, The Bloomsbury gallery, The Candid Gallery, The Royal National Theatre Craic Gallore, The University Women's Arts Club and MakeBelieve: the Society of British Theatre Designers' showcase.
Mike has designed 7 recipient productions of the Edinburgh Fringe First Award, all of which have transferred to successful runs in the West End and Off-,West End. He is holder of a Mercury Award for Design for his sets for An Inspector Calls. In 2017 he was a finalist at the Off West End Awards for his work on The Toxic Avenger and a 2018 Off West End Awards Finalist for his designs on Salad Days, Privates On Parade and The Tailor Made Man. He is nominated for Russia’s prestigious Golden Mask for his work on Romeo & Juliet.
Le Nozze Di Figaro Associate Design with Rae Smith
2021 Fesitval Opera Aix En Provence Dir Lotte de Beer
Hello Dolly! Assistant Design to Rae Smith
2020 Adelphi Theatre Dir Dominic Cooke
Paradise! Assistant Design to Rae Smith
2020 Olivier National Theatre Dir Ian Rickson
Uncle Vanya Associate Design with Rae Smith
2020 Harold Pinter Theatre Dir Ian Rickson
Night of the Iguana Associate Design with Rae Smith
2019 Noel Coward Theatre Dir James MacDonald
Rosmersholm Associate Design with Rae Smith
2019 Duke of Yorks Theatre Dir Ian Rickson
Dirty Dancing (Secret Cinema) Costume Design
2019 The Entertainment Department World Cruises Dir Amy Smith
The Nutcracker Costume Design
2018 Ballet Central Tour Chor Chris Marney
Equality Chant Costume Design
2018 Twickenham Stadium& Parliament Square Chor Anne-Marie Smalldon
Tainted - The Musical Production & Concept Design
2018 Vaults Theatre London Dir Bryan Hodgson
Salad Days Production Design
2018 UK Tour Dir Bryan Hodgson
An Honorable Man Production Design
2018 White Bear Theatre Dir Jolley Gosnold
100undred (Deeds Not Words) Costume Design
2018 Victoria Station Site Specific Chor Anne-Marie Smalldon
Anthony and Cleopatra Assistant Design to Hildegard Bechtler
2018 National Theatre Olivier Dir Simon Gould
Privates on Parade Costume Design
2017 Union Theatre Dir Kirk Jameson
Macbeth Production Design
2017 Bussey Building Dir Paul Callen
Salad Days Costume Design
2017 Theatre Royal Bath Dir Bryan Hodgson
The Tailor Made Man Production Design
2017 White Bear Theatre Dir Bryan Hodgson
Salad Days Costume Design
2017 Union Theatre Dir Bryan Hodgson
The Toxic Avenger The Musical Production Design
2017 The Arts Theatre London Dir Benji Sperring
La Baiser de la Fee Associate Design
2017 Perm Ballet Theatre, Russia Des Anthony Macilwaine
How to Succeed in Business Production Design
2017 Wilton’s Music Hall Dir Benji Sperring
Undine Associate Design
2016 Bolshoi Ballet, Russia Des Anthony Macilwaine
The Toxic Avenger The Musical Production Design
2016 UK Premiere Southwark Playhouse Dir Benji Sperring
Romeo & Juliet Associate Design
2016 Yekaterinberg & Bolshoi Ballets Des Anthony Macilwaine
Don’t Dribble on the Dragon Production Design
2016 Theatre Royal Bath & Tour Dir Paul Daniels
Rockston Stories. Production Design
2015 Hoxton Hall. Dir Mark Rylance
The Drowsy Chaperone Set Design
2015 Guthrie Theater Shakopee Minnesota Dir Thom Admunsen
Stop! The Play. Production Design
2015 Trafalgar Studios. Dir John Swab
Stop! The Play Production Design
2015 Fairfield Halls Croydon. Dir John Swab
Shoot!....I Didn’t Mean That Production Design
2015 National Theatre- Shed. Dir Catriona Kerridge
Lend Me A Tenor Production Design
2015 Pleasance Theatre. Dir Laura Checkley
Blind Eye Production Design
2014 Theatre 503. Dir Bennet Catty
KACTA Costume Design
2014 Music Video. Dir. Mikhail Segal
Vesting Day Production Design
2014 Southwark Playhouse. Dir. Tommo Fowler
Chicken Shop Production Design
2014 Park Theatre. Dir Jemma Gross
Sommer 14 Production Design
2014 Finborough Theatre. Dir Chris Loscher
Crystal Springs Production Design
2014 Park Theatre. Dir Jemma Gross
The Midnight Hour/En Vogue Costume Design
2014 Seaborne Quest Cruises. Dir Lisa Cotterill
Gypsy Costume Design.
2014 Theatre on the Hill. Dir Jemma Gross
The Hard Man Production Design.
2014 Finborough Theatre. Dir Mark Dominy
The Visitor Costume Design
2014 Park Theatre. Dir Jemma Gross
The Peacock & The Nightingale. Production Design
2014 Tristan Bates Theatre. Dir Jemma Gross
X FACTOR series 10 Costume Design/Maker
2013 Freemantle/Syco.
Art Pop/Lady Gaga Stylist/Costume Maker
2013 Video/Promotional material and Public Appearances.
Twelfth Night Costume Design
2013 Rose Theatre Bankside. Dir Sean Turner
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Costume Design
2013 Shadwell Community Project. Dir Mark Duncan
Worbey & Farrell:Deviations. Production Design & Management
2013 International Tour. Dir Geoffrey Durham
White’s Lies Production Design
2013 Assembly Rooms. Dir Mark Pollard
Madama Butterfly Costume Design & Supervision
2013 Co-Opera-Co. Hackney Empire. Dir Jacapo Spirei
To Freedom’s Cause Production Design.
2013 Uk Tour. Dir Jemma Gross.
Miss Julie Production Design
2013 Strindberg’s intima Theatre Stockholm & New Wolsey Ipswich. Dir. Denis Noonan
1000 Miles of History Production Design
2013 Bussey Building. Dir. Harold Finley
The Beggars Opera Production Design
2013 Waterman's Arts Theatre. Dir. Mhairi Greallis
Olga's Room Production Design
2013 Arcola Theatre. Dir. Samuel Miller
Twelfth Night. Production Design
2012 Hoxton Hall. Dir. Jemma Gross
Olga's Room by Dea Loher Production Design.
2012 Abbaye de Neumunster, Luxembourg. Dir. Samuel Miller
Portrait of a Young Man Production Design
2012 Victoria & Albert Museum. Dir. Chris Loscher
Quills Set Design
2012 Second Skin Theatre. Dir. Andy McQuade
The Little Mermaid Production Design
2012 UAE Tour, Dubai. Dir Lori Dorman
Calendar Girls Production Design
2012 Leicester Little Theatre & Tour Dir. Ruth Cheetham
Kissing Sid James Production Design
2012 Jermyn Street Theatre. Dir. Jason Lawson
Rainbow Production Design.
2012 Edinburgh Festival. Dir. Emily Jenkins
Worbey&Farrell Well Strung. Production Design/Manager
2012 UK Tour. Dir. Geoffrey Durham.
Count Oederland Production Design
2012 Arcola Theatre Dir. Chris Loscher
Mervyn Peake’s Noah’s Ark Production Design
2011 Blue Elephant Theatre Dir. Mahiri Greallis
CV
Count Oederland Production Design
2011 White Bear Theatre. Dir. Chris Loscher
Piaf Production Design
2011 Rose & Crown Walthamstow. Dir. Dawn Kalani Cowle
The Drowsy Chaperone Set Design
2011 The American School London. Dir. Buck Herron
Worbey & Farrell: Well Strung Production Design
2011 Underbelly & World Tour. Dir. Cal McCrystal
Girlfriends Set Design
2011 Rose & Crown Walthamstow. Dir. Lydia Milman-Schmidt
Mojo Mickybo Production Design
2011 Old Red Lion. Dir. Emily Jenkins
Holding Hands at Passchendaele Production Design
2011 White Bear Theatre. Dir. Chris Loscher
I Never Get Dressed till After Dark Production Design
2011 Cock Tavern. Dir. Hamish Macdougall
Move On Up Costume Design
2011 TV Pilot. Media sans Frontiere. Dir. Michael Kingsbury
Black Chiffon Production Design
2011 White Bear. Dir. Andy Brunskill
Quality Street Costume Design
2010 Finborough Theatre. Dir. Louise Hill
Anansi. Production Design
2010 Southwark Playhouse. Dir. Lisa Cagnacci
More Light. Production Design
2010 Rose Theatre Bankside. Dir. Chris Hislop.
Rasputin Production Design
2010 British Museum/BBC Radio 4: History of the world in 100 objects. Dir. Andy McQuade
Out Of The Sun. Production Design
2010 Hen & Chickens Theatre. Dir. Marc Pollard
Mysterious Skin Production Design
2010 Gilded Balloon/Dublin Gay Festival/Drill Hall. Dir. Peter Darney
The Stanhope Sisters Production Design
2010 Theatre Royal Bath. Dir. Oscar Toeman
For a full list of design credits or for CVs relating to Styling, Costume Making or Wardrobe roles,
please do not hessitate to ask...please use the contact form in the link above.