Brian Thomson - Bus Concept and Production Design

Brian Thomson

After designing Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar in Australia, Brian was invited to London to design JCS (Palace, 1972). In between engagements at the Palace he has designed for the stage and screen, for opera houses and stadiums internationally.

His work includes The Rocky Horror Show (original productions in London at the Royal Court, Los Angeles, Sydney and Broadway), The King and I (Sydney, Broadway and London Palladium), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which continues to entertain and inform*), Housewife Superstar!!! (London and way-Off-Broadway) and Dame Edna Back with a Vengeance (San Francisco and Broadway), both gorgeous entertainments starring Australia’s most dazzling theatrical treasure.

He designed Kylie Minogue’s Intimate and Live concert tour, Billy Budd (English National Opera) and Sweeney Todd for (Chicago Lyric Opera and Royal Opera House).

He has also designed for an Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 closing ceremony), a Rugby World Cup (2003 opening and closing ceremonies) and for the Commonwealth Games (2006 Melbourne closing).

In arenas, he has designed  Grease (with Danii Minogue) and The Boy from Oz (with Hugh Jackman).

Brian has won many awards including a Tony for The King and I in 1996 and he was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in 2005.

He designed Stephan Elliot’s first feature, Frauds (with somebody called Phil Collins), and most recently designed the musical Keating! and Eddie Perfect’s Shane Warne - The Musical.

*There are many very serious published theses which dissect the film from diverse perspectives including gender and queer studies, disability studies, cultural studies, genre studies, and film studies. Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls.