Theatre Sound Designer

Meet Rob Summers, a seasoned Theatre Sound Designer and Sound Engineer hailing from West London.

With over 36 years of experience in the industry, Rob brings a wealth of expertise to every production he touches. His passion lies in crafting captivating soundscapes for live musicals and plays and theatre sound training, and he's had the privilege of working on numerous acclaimed shows across London stages and national and international tours.

From the moment the curtain rises, Rob's meticulous attention to detail and artistic flair come alive. He collaborates closely with top-notch sound designers, talented directors, and a dedicated production team to ensure that every sound resonates with perfection. Whether it's a soaring musical number, a carefully timed sound effect, or finding the ideal balance between voices and instruments, Rob's dedication shines through.

Rob's journey began in the enchanting world of CATS at The New London Theatre, and he continued to make waves with the original production of Miss Saigon at the prestigious Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Since then, he has lent his expertise to an array of remarkable productions, leaving a lasting impact on each project.

But it's not just his technical prowess that sets Rob apart; it's his warm personality and collaborative spirit. Throughout his career, he has built strong relationships with industry professionals who appreciate his integrity, patience, and friendly approach. Rob's ability to navigate complex challenges with grace and a smile has made him an invaluable member of every production team.

Let his expertise elevate your next production.

Head of Sound | The Old Vic

Sound Designer: Tony Gayle

Director: Richard Jones

Producer: The Old Vic

"Rob joined our production as sound operator and the quality of the mix was noticeably much improved thanks to his care and experience. His attention to detail, professional work ethic and personal approach, gave the company much reassurance and security. He was a huge asset to the production."

Steven Dexter - Director - Pippin

Head of Sound | National Tour

Sound Designer: Mike Walker

Director: James Brining

Producer: Playful Productions

"Rob's outstanding teamwork skills were truly commendable. He effortlessly blended with his colleagues, fostering a harmonious work environment where everyone felt valued and motivated."

Neil White - Company Manager - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Head of Sound | Trafalgar Theatre

Sound Designer: Steve Kennedy / Tony Gayle

Director: Des Mcanuff

Producer: The Dodgers

"His mixing ability is of the highest standard and his knowledge of theatre practices is with out doubt and is able to follow through to ensure that the job gets done."

Tony Gayle - Associate Sound Designer - Jersey Boys

Head of Sound | The Savoy Theatre

Sound Designer: John Shivers

Director: Jerry Mitchell

Producer: ATG Productions

Rob’s an incredibly skilled and detailed sound no.1 and was always a resilient company member. He would be an asset to any Sound Department and ATG productions hope to work with him again on future productions.

Johhny Wood - General Manager, ATG - Pretty Woman

Head of Sound | The Turbine Theatre

Sound Designer: Chris Whybrow

Director: Tania Azevedo

Producer: Paul Taylor-Mills

Rob is true gem of the industry. He understands the complexities around working on shows (large scale and small) and has always gone above and beyond the cal of duty for us. I couldn’t recommend him more.

Paul Taylor-Mills - Producer - But I'm a Cheerleader

Head of Sound | Wimbledon Theatre

Sound Designer: Richard Brooker

Director: Ian Talbot

Producer: CrossRoads Productions

Rob is a very competent and knowledgeable technician. His work on the show was consistent and of a very high standard and never were his duties on the sound desk ever question or criticised.

Roger Richardson - Company Manager - Dick Whittington

Head of Sound | Park Theatre

Sound Designer: Paul Gavin

Director: Bronagh Lagan

Producer: Aria Entertainment

Rob's professionalism and charisma make him a pleasure to work with on any project! If you're looking for a number one sound operator or sound designer on your show, I would wholeheartedly recommend Rob Summers!

Michael Bradley - Musical Supervisor - Pippin

Head of Sound | Charing Cross Theatre

Sound Designer: Keegan Curran

Director: Steven Dexter

Producer: Adam Branshay Productions

Rob’s ability to solve any problem thrown at him with patience, grace and the highest level of professionalism made him an invaluable member of our production team. Rob fitted in seamlessly with our already running production, joining to fix ongoing issues which he did with speed and ease. He is a joy work with and an asset to any team.

Ava Millard - Producer - Pippin

Head of Sound | Southwark Playhouse

Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson

Director: Guy Retallack

Producer: Bray Productions

We were extremely fortunate to have Rob Summers as the key component to bring the sound dynamically to life, you couldn’t ask for a better work partner.

Guy Retallack - Director - John & Jen

Head of Sound | Lyric Theatre

Sound Designer: Chris Whybrow

Director: Gary Lloyd

Producer: Flying Music

Rob is one of my top choices of operators. He has a wealth of technical knowledge, and a great set of ears. I can always rely on him to mix a perfect show, maintain that mix, and lead the department well.

Chris Whybrow - Sound Designer - Thiller Live

Head of Sound | Ambassadors Theatre

Sound Designer: Tony Gayle

Director: Simon Phillips

Producer: Songs 4 Nobodies Ltd

Head of Sound | Wimbledon Theatre

Sound Designer: Chris Whybrow

Director: Kerry Michael MBE

Producer: Qdos Entertainment

Head of Sound | Peacock Theatre, London

Sound Designer: Chris Whybrow

Director: Pamela Tan-Nicholson

Producer: Covent Garden Soloist (CGS)

Head of Sound | UK Tour

Sound Designer: Chris Whybrow

Director: James Tobias

Producer: Our House Ltd

POST LOCKDOWN

Pygmalion (The Old Vic), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (National Tour), Jersey Boys (The Trafalgar Theatre), Pretty Woman (The Savoy Theatre), But I'm a Cheerleader (Turbine Theatre), Dick Whittington (Wimbledon), Little Women (Park Theatre), Pippin (Charing Cross Theatre), John & Jen (Southwark Playhouse).

PRE LOCKDOWN

Thriller Live (Lyric Theatre / International Tour), Songs 4 Nobodies (Ambassadors Theatre), Aladdin (Wimbledon), TriOperas (Peacock Theatre).

Our House (UK Tour), Anything Goes (Lost Theatre), The Wild Party (The Other Palace), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (The Civic Theatre, Auckland NZ), Jack and the Beanstalk (Wimbledon), Sleeping Beauty (Woking), American Idiot (The Arts Theatre/UK Tour).

Singin’ in the Rain (Killworth House), CBeebies Christmas Show, Peter Pan (BBC, 2014), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre).

War Horse (New London Theatre), Mamma Mia (International Tour), Les Misérables (Queens Theatre, London), Beautiful and Damned (Lyric Theatre, London), My Fair Lady (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), The King and I (The London Palladium), Fiddler on the Roof (The London Palladium).

Spirit of the Dance (World Tour), Annie (UK Tour), Joseph (UK Tour), Jesus Christ Superstar (UK Tour), Grease (UK Tour), Summer Holiday (Blackpool & UK Tour), Sunset Boulevard (Comedy Theatre), Tommy Steele, What a Show (UK Tour), Pickwick (UK Tour), Scrooge (UK Tour), Carmen Jones (UK Tour), Jekyll (Bromley), Re-Arranged (Trafalgar Studios, London), Buddy (UK Tour), Barnum (UK Tour), Joseph (The London Palladium), Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), CATS (New London Theatre).

Eddie Izzard's DICKENS Great Expectations (Turbine Theatre), Light's Up (Turbine Theatre), Sunday Soul (Chiswick Playhouse), Let There Be Love (Millfield Theatre), The Stripper (Hornchurch Theatre), The Sound of Music (QNCC Theatre, Doha), The Sound of Music (Jordan), Tommy Steele, In Concert (UK Tour), Michael Barrymore’s Laid Back Tour (UK Tour), Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, (UK Tour) and Spirit of the Dance (World Tour).

From There (Chiswick Playhouse), Woyzeck (The Old Vic), Stephen Ward ( London), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (The Savoy Theatre), Rock of Ages (Shaftsbury Theatre), War Horse (UK Tour), Singin’ in the Rain (Palace Theatre, London), Wicked (Apollo Victoria), Million Dollar Quartet (Noel Coward Theatre), All New People (London), Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace), Shrek (UK Tour), CATS (UK Tour), The Hired Man (St James Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (The Old Vic), Sleeping Beauty (UK Tour), South Pacific (UK Tour), Play Without Words (UK Tour), Nutcracker (UK Tour), Evita (UK Tour), The Lion King (UK Tour), The Pajama Game (Shaftsbury Theatre), Witches of Eastwick (UK Tour), Spring Awakening (London), Spamalot (Palace Theatre,  London), Fiddler on the Roof (UK Tour), Buddy (UK Tour), Summer Holiday (UK Tour), Scrooge (UK Tour) and Re-Arranged (Trafalgar Studios, London).

A sound designer in theatre is the person responsible for making sure that everything the audience hears is just right. They work with the creative team, performers and crew to create the perfect soundscape for each show. Whether it's playing music, sound effects or balancing voices and instruments, the sound designer makes sure that the audio quality is top-notch.

To start the sound design process, the team brainstorms ideas for the show's audio, from sound effects for a play to the musical style and feel for a musical. Then, the sound designer works on building and creating the necessary sound effects and sonic enhancements for the production, collaborating closely with the performers and other creatives during workshops and rehearsals.

Choosing the right audio equipment is key, and the sound designer carefully selects the best loudspeakers and microphones to achieve the desired audio quality. They then mix all the different audio signals together using control equipment to create the final sound design. The sound system can range from just a few sources to hundreds of inputs and outputs depending on the performance space and sound concept.

Overall, the sound designer plays a crucial role in creating an immersive and captivating auditory experience for the audience.

WELCOME

Welcome to Rob Summers Sound Design. Providing details of previous work and forthcoming productions. Rob has worked with top sound designers like Tony Gayle, Gareth Owen, Andrew Bruce, Bobby Aitken, Rick Clarke and Chris Whybrow.

WEST END SOUND DESIGNER

Rob Summers is a Sound Designer and Operator with extensive experience in West End and large scale touring musical productions. Further information can be found on his contact page.

"Rob is, without a doubt, by far one of the best in his profession. He has proven himself to be excellent at this job whilst maintaining a friendly working relationship with other departments."  

Chris Ma

Musical Director

"Rob's experience and passion allows him to deliver only the very best on every project he works on. I can not recommend Rob highly enough for all things theatre sound related."

Wayne Glover-Stuart

Producer

"On a personal level, Rob has shown a great deal of integrity and has been a delight to work alongside. Amiable and honest, he has never lost his passion for keeping the show at it’s absolute best."

Graham Hubbard

Resident Director

"Rob is regarded as one of the industry’s best Sound Operators and Sound Designers. I would have no hesitation in engaging Rob on my future productions and projects."

Daniel Sparrow

Producer

"Rob's ability to deal with ‘difficult’ personalities together with his obvious ability for mixing a large scale production made him an invaluable member of the team."

Nick Sagar

Sound Designer

"Rob was always concerned with the detail of the design, working hard to balance the clarity and quality of the vocals and music whilst serving the wishes of the director and producers and led the sound team well."

John Payton

Producer

"Rob has very good technical skills combined with a natural flair for mixing music and a solid, practical approach to problem solving. He also shows good skills as a strong team-leader and would be a valuable asset to any production."

Brian Buchanan

Sound Designer

"Rob's contribution has been consistently of the highest standard and has helped make this production"

Justin Teasdale

Sound Designer