Unlike actors and directors, who usually take the applause, theatre designers rarely steal the show. This seems a shame, considering that they are responsible for the overall look of a theatre production. They work with a script, director, lighting and costume designers and oversee the whole creative process, which can involve making storyboards and 3-D modelling. They also ensure that it's on time and on budget.

You need a love of the theatre, artistic flair, an eye for design and craft skills - many theatre designers supplement their income by making costumes and props. Personal skills such as diplomacy are also essential because of the number of people involved, says Es Devlin, a freelance

theatre designer with 12 years' experience. “You are the interface between the imaginary aspect of the production and the aspect of it that is going to take a concrete form,” she says.

Theatre designers - who often work freelance - need to be determined and talented to succeed. “There are about 12 degree courses [in theatre design] and each of them take on about 30 students a year,” Devlin says. “It is a niche profession but it is oversubscribed.”

Siobhan Ferrie, another freelance theatre designer, completed a foundation course in art and design before studying theatre design at Nottingham Trent University. Her first break came when she was offered work with York Theatre Royal after a successful undergraduate project. She was fortunate to graduate with work lined up. Some graduates go on to work in fringe theatre and in film to build up a portfolio of work. “A lot of it is luck at the end of the day,” Ferrie says. “You quickly realise what a small industry it is, that one contact inevitably has contact with somewhere else so you are constantly trying to prove yourself to get noticed.”

Theatre designers earn from £1,990 for a show, according to Equity, the trade union, but rates vary according to the production. Fees for an opera can be up to £6,200.

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