El Higgins

Elanor Higgins is a freelance lighting designer, educator and mentor with more than 30 years of professional experience. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, she also holds a PGCE in post-compulsory education and has completed ILM training in coaching and mentoring.

Elanor is based in Wales and has created lighting designs for theatre, opera, dance, musicals, children’s theatre, events and outdoor light trails. Her work spans large-scale venues, mid-scale theatres, site-specific projects and found spaces. She has designed productions across the UK and internationally, including work in Ireland, Spain, Japan and Australia.

Elanor’s recent lighting designs include:
‘Blaze of Glory!’, ‘Madam Butterfly’, ‘Rhondda Rips It Up’ – Welsh National Opera
‘Macbeth’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘La Bohème’ – Mid Wales Opera
Transmedia production ‘Galwad’ – National Theatre Wales / Collective Cymru
‘The Fight’, ‘Arandora Star’, ‘Eye of the Storm’, ‘The Ghost of Morfa Colliery’, ‘The White Feather’, ‘Halt’, ‘We Need Bees’ – Theatr na nÓg
‘Dawns y Ceirw’ (Japan 25), ‘Huw Fyw’, ‘Fy Enw I Yw Rachel Corrie’, ‘Pryd Mae’r Haf?’, ‘Merched Caerdydd’, ‘Nos Sadwrn o Hyd’, ‘Hollti’, ‘Y Negesydd’, ‘Pridd’, ‘Chwalfa’, ‘Sgint’ – Theatr Cymru
‘Daughters of the Sea’ – Krystal Lowe & Ballet Cymru
‘Remarkable Rhythms’ – Krystal Lowe

Elanor is a Creative Associate for Theatr na nÓg. Her work is featured in Light Collective’s international publication Women in Entertainment Lighting. She has delivered talks at PLASA 2023, PLASA Leeds 2026 and the international lighting symposium Showlight 2025.

She has lit numerous award-winning productions and continues to support the next generation of lighting designers.