Richard Roberts is a freelance theatre designer and design teacher, based in Melbourne.
His design experience has included designs for drama, dance, film, television and opera. Since his first professional engagement in 1977 as a resident designer at the State Theatre Company of South Australia, he has worked for all the major performing arts companies in Australia as well as working extensively internationally.
As a teacher, he was the inaugural Head of Design at West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth (1991 – 96), Head of Production at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne (2000 – 2010) and Head of Design at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (2013 – 15). He is now a Professor at the University of Melbourne and teaching in the department of Design and Production at the Victorian College of the Arts.
Recent design work includes, sets and costumes for Victorian Opera’s 2023 production of The Visitors, sets for Victorian Opera/Opera Australia’s 2024 production of Idomeneo (mounted this year at San Francisco Opera) and sets and costumes for Victorian Opera’s 2024 production of La Rondine. He is currently preparing the set designs for a production of La Fille Mal Gardee for Estonian National Ballet opening in March 2026.