My Favourite Things by Patrick Woodroffe

With a 40-years career in light design, Patrick Woodroffe is one of the revolutionary minds behind the evolution of entertainment lighting. Throughout a lifetime shared with the stars at the back of the stage, Patrick has collected memories as well as memorabilia, and MAG_BTMMusic Archive Gallery: Beyond The Music has asked him to share a favourite from his extensive personal collection.

With a distinguished career spanning 40 years of astonishing collaborations, Patrick is a key figure in the world of lighting and set design, and is considered to be one of the revolutionary minds behind the evolution of entertainment lighting.

Starting from 1973, Patrick has lit and brought to life the shows of some of the greatest artists of all times, including ABBA, AC/DC, The Police, Lady Gaga, Pet Shop Boys and Elton John, to name but a few.

Since 1982 Patrick works as lighting designer and creative director for the Rolling Stones, curating the band’s live and film performances. His contribution was key in the curation of the Stones’ touring exhibition Exhibitionism, which travelled worldwide to showcase artifacts and memorabilia that encapsulate the band’s work over 50 years.

In addition to live music, Patrick has worked in theatres at world renown musicals and shows, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Monty Python, West Side Story and Ben Hur. He lit the 25th and 30th anniversary performances of Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, and brought his expertise in film too, lighting This Is It with Michael Jackson and Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light.

Because of his craft and talent, Patrick was called to light global events such as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympics Games in London in 2012, and was made Royal Designer by RSA in 2013. The following year (2014) he was awarded an OBE by the late Queen for his contribution to the Arts.

Today, with his long-time collaborator Adam Bassett, Patrick runs the lighting design consultancy Woodroffe Bassett Design, and the latest recognition of his innovative work in the lighting industry was the lifetime achievement LIT Award, which Patrick was given in 2022.

Throughout his career and lifetime, shared with the stars at the back of the stage, Patrick Woordroffe has collected memories as well as memorabilia, and MAG_BTMMusic Archive Gallery: Beyond The Music has asked him to share a favourite from his extensive personal collection, built up over the years.

Although he has no real plans to display his archive publicly and no desire to sell, we are delighted to share an exclusive peep into his world: this, is one of Patrick Woodroffe’s favourite things.