Paul Hawthorne: Lighting Designer/Director

Paul Hawthorne began his career in the theatre with the 1970 professional production of Pippin at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, under the lighting direction of Harold Bird. He went onto light Jesus Christ Superstar at the Palais Theatre, starring Marcia Hines and John Farnham, before touring with AC/DC and Sherbet and working on some of the early Skyhooks concerts. His first film project was as a member of the lighting crew for Peter Weir’s Picnic At Hanging Rock.

He has since formed his own business – Paul G & Jan Hawthorne Lighting – and has worked as a contractor on a long list of film, television, theatre, concert and large-scale event productions, including the Sydney Olympics, Melbourne Arts Festival and numerous fashion parades, concerts and television commercials (one his most recent being the Toyota RAV 4 series of ads).

A Mornington Peninsula local, Paul’s recent gigs include being on the lighting team for Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge at Fox Studios, Sydney, Carols By Candlelight for Channel 9 and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.