Photo by Debabrata Ray
GARY McCANN
Originating from Northern Ireland, and now based in Brighton, England, Gary works internationally as both set and costume designer.
He is the recipient of Italy’s 2026 Abbiati Award for
Best Set Design for both Hamlet (Teatro Regio, Turin) and Die Liebe Der Danae (Opera Carlo Felice, Genoa).
Since attaining his first-class honours degree in Theatre Design. Gary has gone on to collaborate with many of the world’s most significant opera and theatre companies. Renowned for using wide-ranging stylistic approaches that combine contemporary and historical elements, Gary is an advocate of emerging digital technologies who harnesses their power within his design practice.
Current engagements include his highly anticipated design debut at Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Nabucco), Siegfried (National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing). and Eugene Onegin (Santa Fe Opera).
Recent productions include his first ballet designs for The Great Gatsby (Royal Danish Ballet, Copenhagen), The Merry Widow (Glyndebourne), and Fedra (Fondazione INDA) which was presented in the ancient amphitheatres of Syracuse and Pompeii.
Gary’s artistic scope encompasses major installations for the National Trust that include‘Folly!’ at UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Fountains Abbey’, in addition to creating an ornate golden shrine that now displays the 1300-year-old relics of Saint Wulfram.
With work engagements and international travel schedules meaning much of Gary’s time is spent abroad, he savours opportunities to enjoy time at his home on the south coast of England including sea-swimming at any time of year and walking the South Downs. Otherwise, he can be found soaking up the sun in the serenity of his peaceful garden within the ‘regency’ square in which he lives.
Gary likes to ‘cut a dash’ with his unique sartorial style, which he describes as “a cross between Tsar Nikolas II and a WW2 dispatch rider”. As an unabashedly proud vintage motorcycle enthusiast (and official ambassador for Scottish tweed brands), he can often be found gracing the pages of gentlemen’s style magazines.