A conversation with Barnaby Steel

Dan Hadley is a concert lighting designer and programmer whose calling card is control under chaos. With Foo Fighters, he builds systems that can stretch, shrink, or turn on a dime, because the set list can and will. His rigs favor modular geometry, strong brightness hierarchy, and repeatable timing so the band stays the brightest object in the room while the picture still plays to camera. Dan’s approach is quietly crew centric: show files that invite safe improvisation, cue architecture that won’t collapse when the song doubles in length, and practical choices that keep load-ins calm. The result is stadium scale energy with a storyteller’s restraint, color when it serves the lyric, silence when it serves the moment. Offstage, he’s known for mentoring younger programmers and for the unglamorous discipline that makes tours feel bulletproof. Big feeling, clean execution, zero fuss, that’s the Dan Hadley signature.

Sean Dane is a wireless-control specialist who turns noisy RF realities into reliable show systems. At LumenRadio, he works with designers, rental partners, and manufacturers to spec and scale CRMX/W-DMX networks that actually behave, on tours, TV shoots, and permanent installs. (He joined in 2019 and now serves as an International Sales Manager.) Before that he was deep in the trenches at RC4 Wireless, building battery-powered props and pixel rigs for productions where placement, power budget, and camera safety matter more than pretty charts. And before all of that, Sean spent 10 years as a prop master, which is why his advice lands in the real world: he’s lived the deadlines, the tape marks, and the last-minute rewrites. His superpower is translation, spectrum scans into channel plans, specs into on-site habits, and creative intent into wireless that feels as trustworthy as copper, without the cable.

Mark Ravenhill is a lifelong lighting nerd in a suit when needed and a translator the rest of the time. He cut his teeth at Martin Professional, helping steer touring/theatre products in the MAC era, then jumped to GLP in 2009 to build the US presence and champion fixture design that serves the song, the camera, and the crew. He currently leads US sales and marketing from Nashville. Colleagues know him for the same north star he’s had since day one: lights that earn applause without stealing it, reliable optics, honest output, and looks that read from the pit to the nosebleeds. If there’s a through-line, it’s this: connect makers to designers, turn feedback into better tools, and keep the magic repeatable night after night.

João Blümel is a Portuguese entertainer and mentalist who performs not only in Portugal, but also around the world. You can see him regularly on stage and on TV, where he "reads minds" using a combination of techniques from Psychology, Illusionism, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Body Language, and Intuition.João is also a gadget and high-tech enthusiast and recently created a unique show of its kind.His new show combines mentalism with virtual and augmented reality, bringing the audience a unique and absolutely immersive experience.Due to the uniqueness of his performances and regular media appearances, João Blümel is often called "the Portuguese mentalist".

Stephen Dobbie makes immersive worlds sound alive. He’s been Punchdrunk’s longtime sound designer/composer, helping shape the pulse of shows like Sleep No More, from New York’s McKittrick Hotel to Shanghai, where whole buildings are treated like instruments. Think original music, curated tracks, and smart zoning that quietly guides you from room to room..Beyond Punchdrunk, Stephen co-runs A Right/Left Project with Colin Nightingale, creating deep-listening installations (like ORIGIN) that turn attention into a ritual. In galleries, he helped build Beyond the Road with Nightingale and UNKLE’s James Lavelle, a multi-room exhibition that’s shown in London and Seoul, expanding his “building as instrument” approach into a free-roaming, museum context.What ties it all together is feel over flash: sound that orients, breathes with performers, and holds the story without shouting. Whether it’s a maze of scenes, a contemplative installation, or a gallery adventure, Stephen’s focus is the same, design systems that let wonder repeat, night after night.

David March builds bridges between big ideas and the gear that makes them real. He helped shape the UK scene from every angle: he set up and managed value added distribution for VARI*LITE and High End Systems, co-founded Projected Image Digital (PID) when lighting met media, ran PRG Distribution, built the lighting arm at VER UK, jumped manufacturer-side at Green Hippo and advised on LED ecosystems at ROE Visual. Three decades in, his superpower is translation, turning a designer’s mood board into kit lists, partners, and road-ready systems that don’t fall over on load-in. He now runs BuddyMarch, a fractional, hands-on BD outfit for lighting/LED folks who need a grown-up in the room without the suits. This is a man who is less about hype, and more about delivery.   This episode is dedicated to Buddy, David's dog, who passed away a few days after the recording of this episode. 

Barnaby Steel, co-founder of Marshmallow Laser Feast, traces the path: early sparks, formative collaborators, and why science isn’t garnish but the spine of his work. We dig into the realities of making for others, institutions, brands, audiences, and what it takes to protect ideas without losing generosity. Barnaby shares how he balances research with rehearsal, when to say yes (and no), and the unglamorous craft behind keeping a studio curious, solvent, and kind. This is a conversation about process over myth: how to build a practice that listens, negotiates, and still lands a feeling that stays with people long after they leave the room.

Laura Frank spent her early career establishing herself as a top lighting programmer with projects spanning rock tours with David Bowie and Madonna, to Broadway shows like Spamalot and television events like the Concert for NY. As the media server market started to evolve, Laura made the shift to screen content and control.After a decade of refining a media delivery workflow, she established herself as a Screens Producer leading a highly regarded Media Operations team for prominent events around the world. Her shows included the MTV Video Music Awards, The Game Awards, the Turner Upfront and the CMA Music Awards.Currently Laura is focused on education, community development through Frame:Work and consulting for live events & virtual production.

Louis Oliver is a creative director, production designer, and lighting designer known for bold, music-driven spectacles that balance concept with rock-solid engineering. As founder of LO&CO, he works end-to-end across creative direction, scenic and lighting to deliver tourable systems and signature looks for artists and brands. His credits span CHVRCHES’ “Love Is Dead” era arena-scale collaborations like 30 Seconds to Mars’ 2024 world tour (with Flare’s Ben Cash), the recurring design collaboration for Shawn Mendes and many others. His ability to reframe artists in new visual languages through scalable set pieces and precise cue architecture, has made him, one of the most interesting designers out there. Recognized early as a Live Design “Young Designer to Watch” and later with a Knight of Illumination Award, Oliver has become a go-to partner when the brief calls for cinematic staging, agile workflows, and unforgettable light architecture.

Keri Elmsly is a curator-producer and creative executive known for delivering ambitious, tech-driven cultural experiences on the global stage. She most recently served as Executive Director of Programming at ACMI, Australia’s national museum of screen culture, where she directed exhibitions, film, public programs, collections, and residencies (2022–2025). Before ACMI, Keri joined Madison Square Garden Company to lead immersive development for Sphere in Las Vegas, and earlier was Chief Creative Officer at Second Story (Publicis Sapient), advancing interactive installations for museums and brands. A long-time advocate for artists working with emerging technologies—and a mentor at NEW INC—her portfolio spans public art, touring shows, and large-scale immersive projects that connect audiences to ideas with clarity and wonder.