About Me:

About Me
Jonah Stein’s journey into the world behind the curtain began, quite literally, with a curiosity about the shadows. As a child in Bristol, he grew up in the dance studio and would slip into rehearsals—drawn less to the dancers’ movement and more to the warm glow of the lights, the hum of the speakers, and the quiet choreography of the production process. That early fascination became a purpose: to help stories come alive in ways no audience member ever sees, yet everyone feels.

After earning a UAL qualification in Performing Arts & Production Arts (Technical Theatre) at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, Jonah chose to deepen both his craft and his perspective at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. From 2020 to 2023, he balanced late-night essays on stage management with days of hand on rigging, finding joy in the precision of a lighting desks and the creative challenge of a complex ground plans. He didn’t just learn technical skills; he discovered that every spike mark, every backstage call, is an act of storytelling.

Jonah’s first taste of lighting design came in 2017 for Untold Dance Theatre’s, Women Wise. Preparing for that first preview, he remembers wrestling with an impractical lighting rig and the relief of delivering a flawless show on a manual desk. “It felt like magic,” he says, magic he’s chased ever since.

During his college years, he worked across Cardiff’s thriving theatre scene, joining Wales Millennium Centre and Sherman Theatre as a Casual Theatre Technician. He also stepped up as Assistant Production Manager for Wonder Boy and Dr Semmelweis at Bristol Old Vic. These roles tested his patience, taught him the value of calm communication under pressure, and reinforced his belief that a production lives or dies in the preparation and details.

By late 2023, Jonah was ready for a bigger challenge. He flew to Saariselkä, Finland, to serve as Technical Site Manager for Les Enfants Terribles’ immersive experience Santa’s Lapland. Managing teams in extreme weather became a true test of his resilience and teamwork. Battling sub-zero temperatures and snowbound logistics, he learned that adaptability is just as vital as any piece of kit. 

Today, Jonah works as a freelance Production Manager and Lighting Designer, after spending two years leading the Technical Department at Ballet Cymru. Jonah’s honest approach-acknowledging the long nights, the near-missed cues, the triumph of a well-executed blackout-has become his signature. He champions collaboration, believing the best technical work isn’t about showing off, but about serving the story.


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