No one walks into a theatre expecting a real room. So why does sound get held to a different standard? On emotional truth over documentary accuracy — and what that means for atmosphere, music, and ambience that feels alive.

"Do we hire a sound designer or not" is the wrong question. Here's what actually drives the scale and cost of theatre sound design — and when a simpler approach is the proportionate choice.

Sound's schedule doesn't map onto other departments — part of it needs the lead time of an upstream department, part of it can't be finalised until rehearsal has settled. Here's what actually needs to happen, and when.

Whether sound design serves a production or competes with it has less to do with talent than with how the working relationship between director and designer is set up. Here's how to get that right.

Most productions have someone responsible for sound — but few can say clearly what that person actually decides, or how the role differs from simply operating a playback system on the night.