Hi, I'm Ben. I'm originally from Sheffield. I lived in Northumberland for a year after leaving school and was part of an in-house team at Alnwick Playhouse, working with touring shows and helping with some amateur productions. Since then, I've been living in London and am studying Lighting Design at the Central School of Speech and Drama while also depping on the West End. In my spare time I enjoy video games, video editing, card games and reading. You can contact me at benedict.1.cassels@gmail.com
Click a show to view more information on the production.
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About the Production
I worked on Fear and Misery as the Associate Lighting Designer and Lighting Programmer for Anabella. It was my second time programming in the Embassy and I wanted to take on a more active part in both of these roles, rather than only doing tasks when asked to.
Production Credits
Director - Josh Roche
Set Designer - Marzieh Dehghan
Costume Designer - Aija Miranda
Lighting Designer - Annabella Day
Associate Lighting Designer and Programmer - Benedict Cassels
Sound Designer - Jesper Raymond
Composer - Alex Sands
Movement Director - Zoë Grain
Projection - Vee Nagan
Stage Manager - Lesha Grundy
DSM - Kel Acreman
Assistant Stage Manager - Charli Sweeney & Jemima Stiff
Head of Lighting - Isaac Roitt & Oliver StilwellProduction Process
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About the Production
I was offered this role by William Gibbs, the production electrician, as he thought it would be a good introduction the role of a professional programmer. I wasn't able to meet with Leo, the designer, before the process began, which meant I was thrown a bit into the deep end on the first day of focus. I used this experience as a great opportunity to improve my plan drawing ability, and took pleasure in the positive feedback that Leo gave about it. At the end of the production process Leo asked if he could have a copy of the A1 lighting plan, I replied "of course, but why?", he responded "I'd like to take it home for my children to show them what I do at work. They'll think their father is cool".
Production Credits
Director - Shani Erez
Set & Costume Designer - Dana Tsarfaty
Lighting Designer - Leo Steele
Sound Designer & Composer - Bili Keogh
Stage Manager on Book - Lisa Cochrane
Assistant Stage Managers - Daisy Halligan & Emmily Pettican
Costume Supervisor - Nicola Stimpson
Production Manager - Sean Laing
Production Electrician - William GibbsProduction Process
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About the Production
This production of Arthur Miller's American Clock was an exciting challenge. I was the only member of the creative team that wasn't an industry professional employed by CSSD which was slightly daunting! I enjoyed the process of refining my ability to create a lighting design, where previous projects hadn't allowed me much time. This show was part of a double-bill so I created the lighting plan along with another student, where one lighting rig had to suit two vastly different shows, one filled with many warms, mine with colds (on a mainly tungsten rig!) and with very different sets. I managed to catch tonsilitis on the first day of tech, which dimmed my enthusiasm for tech slightly, but I was really pleased with the outcome and what the lighting team achieved!
Production Credits
Director - Irina Brown
Set and Costume Designer - Jida Akil
Associate Set and Costume Designer - Seoeun Hong
Lighting Designer - Benedict Cassels
Head of Lighting and Lighting Programmer - Oliver Stilwell
Stage Manager - Abby Walsh
DSM - Leo Tsokolaeva
Assistant Stage Managers - Jesper Raymond & Kel Acrean
Sound Designer - Deanna H. Choi
Music Director - Joseph Roberts
Choreographer & Movement Director - Ana Marambio
Dialect Coach - Andrea Fudge
Costume Supervisor - Bex Kemp
Lighting Design Mentor - Joshua Gadsby -
About the Production
I worked on Whitelight New Technology Showcase 2026 as one of two Lighting Programmers. Felix Weis and Anabella Day designed the rig, aiming to make a more immersive experience for the audience with lights coming far out into the audience in new lighting positions. The show had historically been programmed on MA, however because of the availability of some of the regular MA teachers, Isaac and I weren't able to learn MA - supported or unsupported - in time to be able to program it how he wanted to, so we settled on EOS. It goes without saying that EOS wasn't really build for the kind of workload we wanted to give it, but we managed to make it work and I even managed to show a sting to the tune of the Johnny English theme music!
Production Credits
Lead Lighting Designers - Annabella Day & Felix Weis
Lighting Designers - Mika Privat, Penny Lougher, Vinay Nagah, Penny Lougher, Benedict Cassels, Shakur Higgins-Jones
Lighting Programmers - Isaac Roitt and Benedict Cassels
Production Manager - James Milne
Head of Lighting/Crew Chief - Gregory Essex
Deputy Head of Lighting - Lewis Ashton
Bar Area Designer - Deejay Clayton
Video Technician - Ryan Watson
Show Caller - Finn Meader
Whitelight Representative - Tom Tomkins -
About the Production
Mary Stuart was my first public production as a lighting designer, and I completely loved the experience. Amanda the director was fantastically supportive and trusted my vision for the play, allowing me to create a design that I was really proud of.
Production Credits
Director - Amanda Noar
Set and Costume Designer - Dec Santiago
Costume Supervisor - Bex Kemp
Lighting Designer - Benedict Cassels
Head of Lighting - Adam Lloyd
Deputy Head of Lighting and Programmer - Aimie Partridge
Stage Manager - Hazel Matteson
DSM - Charlotte Hamlin
Sound Designer - Alex Baute-Sands and Emily LynchProduction Process
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About the Production
I worked as the lighting designer for this production, and it was the first musical I had lit out of school. We had no tech time at all, missing out on time to tell the DSM where the cues were, so I ended up operating both shows. I could definitely have created a more polished lighting design with more time, but I believe any lighting designer would say the same about any show they've lit.
Production Credits
Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
Head of Lighting and Programmer - Isaac Roitt -
Production Credits
Director - Mark Maugan
Set and Costume Design - Alex Gunnarsson
Lighting Designer - Ryan Watson
Associate Lighting Designer and Programmer - Benedict Cassels
Sound Designer - Alex Sands
Movement Director - Ali Bianchi
Fight Director - Jonathan Leverett
Costume Supervisor - Nenni Alenius
Assistant Director - Aloïs Guian-Illanes
Associate Set Designer - Sam Tam
Associate Costume Designer - Matilda Wheeler
Stage Manager - Jacob Hirschkorn
DSM - Flo Crowson
Head of Lighting - James Milne
Deputy Head of Lighting - Lewis Ashton
Production Sound Engineer - Daniel LeafProduction Process
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Production Credits
Director - Eleanor Henderson
Set & Costume Designer - Erica Li-Wu
Lighting Designer - Nell Golledge
Assistant Lighting Designer - Benedict Cassels
Lighting Programmer - Isaac Roitt
Head of Lighting - Jake Robson
Sound Designer - Dominick Kennedy
Costume Supervisor - Bex Kemp
Stage Manager - Tina Hörning
DSM - Tilda Finlow
Assistant Stage Manager - Jurui Yu
Production Manager - James ThompsonProduction Process
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My production desk! Production Credits
Director - Andy Low
Assistant Director - Emma Magenty
Lighting Designer & Head Technician - Benedict Cassels
Sound Operator - Will Drury
Technicians - Ethan Brocklehurst, Jack Benton, Danny Whiteland
Musical Director - Adrian Jordan
- [@bencassels210]
View my CV.