Catja is a freelance Lighting Designer. Her work has included theatre, opera, and musicals, and she has a particular interest in new writing. Catja co-runs Airlock Theatre, and is a former Creative Associate at Jermyn Street Theatre and Resident Designer at NDT Broadgate.

Catja first became involved in Lighting Design while studying English at Cambridge University. During her studies, she was the Lighting Designer and Technician for over 20 shows, including The Cambridge Footlights International Tour Show 2016, which toured the UK and the US, and the Cambridge European Theatre Group’s production of ‘Hamlet’, which toured to Switzerland and Belgium.

Previous productions include: ’Acid’s Reign’ (VAULT Festival); ‘Lesbian Space Crime’ (Soho Theatre); ‘Time and Tide’ (Norwich Theatre Royal and touring); ‘Paradise Lost’ (The Shipwright); ‘The Anarchist’ (Jermyn Street Theatre); ‘The 4th Country’ (Park Theatre); ‘Hot Gay Time Machine’ (Soho Theatre); ‘Patient Light’ (The Undercroft); ‘Venus and Adonis’ (Bussey Building); ‘ERIS’ (Bunker Theatre).

She has also worked as an Associate and Assistant on productions at the Hampstead Theatre and Southwark Playhouse, live-streams for the Young Vic, and was the inaugural Creative Team Associate in Lighting on the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in May 2021.

‘From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, Catja Hamilton’s lighting design is excellent’ – All That Dazzles, for ‘Acid’s Reign’

‘cleverly effective work from set designer Caitlin Mawhinney and lighting designer Catja Hamilton’ – The Guardian, for ‘The Anarchist’

‘hauntingly lit’ – The Prickle, for ‘Venus and Adonis’

‘a masterclass in how to bring to life an otherwise sparse stage’ – Jack The Lad Mag, for ‘ERIS’

‘Airlock Theatre’s polished production – currently at the Bunker Theatre (and, to lighting designer Catja Hamilton’s credit, MADE for that space)’ – ArthursSeat.com, for ‘ERIS’

‘carefully crafted and fantastically executed lighting’ – Varsity, for ‘Hamlet’

‘creatively atmospheric lighting design’ – The Tab, for ‘Othello’