White Light Connects With Evening All Afternoon At The Donmar Theatre

As Evening All Afternoon closed at the Donmar Theatre earlier this month, White Light (WL) spoke with Lighting Designer Natasha Chivers about her creative vision for Anna Ziegler’s latest play.

Evening All Afternoon explores the complexity of relationships. It is a story about things lost and remembered, and how sometimes, in order to live, you have to face what is no longer there. To realize the lighting design for the production, Chivers worked closely with WL, who supplied the lighting rig.

From the outset, the lighting approach focused on how the audience reads relationships. “The play is about family and connection,” says Chivers, “that deep-seated sense of belonging, or not belonging, to the people closest to you.” The design responded by expanding and contracting the space, with tightly focused states reflecting isolation and internal thought, and wider states marking moments where the characters genuinely connect. This allowed emotional shifts to be communicated spatially, as well as through performance and text.

The script’s structure played a key role in shaping the design language. With a mix of monologues, duologues and scenes that move between interior and shared experience, the lighting needed clarity and restraint. “I wanted there to be a real contrast between the moments when someone was in their own head and when they were connecting,” Chivers explains. Characters held in small, isolated pools of light gradually became part of a shared space as the light spread, visually reinforcing the transition from separation to proximity.

Colour temperature was used consistently to guide the emotional journey. Warm, soft light suggested intimacy, inclusion and the idea of family, while cooler, whiter states reflected emotional distance and resistance. “Warm light was family to me,” says Chivers. Shifts between softness and hardness in the light were carefully calibrated in response to vulnerability, emotional withdrawal, and moments of openness between the characters.

A defining visual element came from the introduction of hanging tungsten light bulbs early in the play. These became central to the production’s visual and narrative language, representing the ghost of Delilah’s mother, who returns throughout the story. “The light bulbs in the space represented a ghost,” Chivers explains. Individual bulbs were flown in at different moments to suggest her presence, while the final scenes introduced many more together, signaling a broader emotional resolution. The quality of this warm, domestic light also informed the use of overhead par cans during monologues, creating soft, enveloping states that could overlap and expand as scenes required.

Close collaboration between the creative team was essential, particularly in resolving how the revolve would be used. All duologues were ultimately staged on the revolve, creating a clear visual rule for shared scenes. “Every time they both appeared together on the revolve, we knew they were in the scene together,” says Chivers. This simple, consistent approach allowed lighting to reinforce storytelling choices with confidence.

The technical solution balanced flexibility with efficiency. Working within a limited budget and a theatre surrounded by audience on three sides, a compact moving light rig provided the adaptability needed to place light exactly where it was required. Martin MAC Encores formed the backbone of the rig, selected for their strong color mixing and reliability, alongside par cans, X-bars and ETC Lustrs. DMX winches were used to fly the hanging bulbs in and out of the space, supporting both practical staging and narrative intent.

Chivers describes the process as a genuinely collaborative experience, praising her Assistant Lighting Designer, Amelia Hawkes, who joined via the Donmar Catalyst Youth program, as well as the directorial approach and working environment at the Donmar.

“It really was a complete pleasure to work with Diyan,” she says, noting the openness and trust that characterized the rehearsal room. She also reflects on the production as personally moving, drawn to a script that is delicate but expansive in its emotional reach.

WL’s Key Account Manager, Jedd Hamilton, comments: “It was a pleasure working closely with the creative team to deliver a lighting solution that supported performance, respected the architecture of the Donmar Theatre and placed storytelling at the center of every decision.”

The result was a design that demonstrated how considered lighting can define space, clarify relationships, and guide audiences through a complex emotional landscape.

Photography by Marc Brenner

LX Team Credits:

Lighting Designer: Natasha Chivers

Assistant Lighting Designer: Amelia Hawkes

Donmar Head of Lighting: Miguel Figueiredo

Donmar Deputy Head of Lighting: Joe Watts

About White Light

White Light, a d&b solutions company, is your trusted lighting specialist operating in a range of markets including performing arts, music, leisure, education, and trade. Since 1971, we have built a strong reputation for delivering lighting sales & hire projects of all sizes across the UK, Europe, and globally.

We take pride in maintaining a client-centric approach and upholding the high standards of quality that have driven our success. Our commitment extends beyond technical excellence. We value the wellbeing of our employees and customers while fostering sustainability.

As a B Corp certified company with ISO 14001 and albert accreditations, we actively promote environmentally responsible practices at both corporate and individual levels.

‍

Photo Credit: Marc Brenner Photography