{{Short description|British sound designer}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=April 2025}} {{citation style|date=April 2025}} {{copy edit|date=April 2025}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = <!-- defaults to article title when left blank --> | image = | birth_place = United Kingdom | years_active = 2006–present }}
'''Gareth Fry''' is a sound designer based in the United Kingdom. Fry has won several accolades including Tony and Olivier awards.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Awards |url=http://www.garethfry.co.uk/awards |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Fry grew up between Wales and Exeter, the son of a teacher and a panel beater. He was not interested in theatre growing up,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sound designer Gareth Fry: 'People are leaving theatre in numbers I've never experienced – I don't know what the solution is' |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/sound-designer-gareth-fry-people-are-leaving-theatre-in-numbers-ive-never-experienced--i-dont-know-what-the-solution-is |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=The Stage |language=En}}</ref> and planned to study artificial intelligence. His path into theatre started at age 17 when he enrolled on an adult education class that taught MIDI & recording techniques for music production. He became interested in theatre while covering for a sound operator on a production of ''Amadeus'' at the Edinburgh Festival in 1992. He went on to study Theatre Design at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1996. He then spent three years working for AMS Acoustics, starting off doing data entry before moving into programming speech intelligibility modelling software.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q&As for students |url=https://www.garethfry.co.uk/qas-for-students |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Career == Fry started off designing sound for fringe theatre productions, many of which were at the Southwark Playhouse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gareth Fry {{!}} Theatricalia |url=https://theatricalia.com/person/1e9z/gareth-fry |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=theatricalia.com}}</ref> Simultaneously, he was also working as a sound operator in London's West End, mixing musicals such as ''Oh What A Lovely War!'' and touring internationally with companies like Complicite.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gareth Fry |url=https://www.complicite.org/people/gareth-fry/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Complicité |language=en}}</ref> Over the course of about 6 years, his design work built up to the point where he became a full-time sound designer.
He has worked extensively in the subsidized theatre sector, with dozens of shows at venues like the National Theatre,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gareth Fry {{!}} National Theatre |url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/artists/gareth-fry/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=www.nationaltheatre.org.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Royal Court and Young Vic Theatre. He has specialized in devised theatre, or theatre that uses a similar process. His work includes over 40 productions with the director Katie Mitchell, including pioneering the use of live Foley sound<ref>{{Cite web |title=Live Foley Sound |url=https://www.garethfry.co.uk/live-foley-sound |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref> and live cinema shows, for which he won his first Olivier Award for the sound design of ''Waves'' at the National Theatre in 2006.
Gareth also worked on many of Simon McBurney's productions for Complicite, such as ''The Encounter'', for which he also became known for his use of binaural sound on headphones. He has worked extensively with the director John Tiffany, starting in 2006 with the National Theatre of Scotland's ''Black Watch''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black Watch |url=https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/past-performances/black-watch-2008 |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=National Theatre of Scotland |language=en}}</ref> and on ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'', both of which he won Olivier Awards for.
He has also been involved in a lot of events and site-specific theatre, such as the ''Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games''. He worked again with director Danny Boyle on ''Free Your Mind'', an adaptation of ''The Matrix'' films, in 2024 at Aviva Studios in Manchester, subsequently televised on the BBC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 December 2023 |title=Gareth Fry Implements HOLOPLOT at Free Your Mind |url=https://ct-group.com/us/gareth-fry-implements-holoplot-at-free-your-mind/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=United States}}</ref>
Fry has designed radio plays for the BBC, including ''[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvp7/episodes/player?page=2 The Dark is Rising], Shifts, Omay, OK Computer'' and ''Jump''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FILM, TV, RADIO, PODCASTS |url=https://www.garethfry.co.uk/filmstvradiopodcasts |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref> He has also designed exhibitions such as the V&A's ''David Bowie Is, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser'', and ''Diva''<ref>{{Cite web |last=González-Lafita |first=Alicia |date=21 December 2023 |title=A stage for DIVA • V&A Blog |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/museum-life/a-stage-for-diva?srsltid=AfmBOopqrs0EW5NFVjPQkERSG0vXBUDsV6fFwHS22rzrCQFL4DGS1FWU |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=V&A Blog |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Merlin |first=Lalla |date=22 August 2023 |title=DIVA: celebrating iconic performers at the V&A |url=https://blooloop.com/museum/in-depth/diva-exhibition-v-and-a/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Blooloop |language=en-GB}}</ref> exhibitions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EXHIBITIONS |url=https://www.garethfry.co.uk/exhibitions |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== Binaural sound and immersive work === Beginning with Complicite's ''The Encounter'' in 2015, Fry became more well known for his work in binaural sound and immersive audio. This touring theatre production featured a binaural head onstage, alongside actor Simon McBurney, plus a recorded binaural soundtrack. An audience of up to 850 people wore wired headphones to hear the show's soundtrack. Fry created the sound design with Pete Malkin, and spent time in the Amazon rainforest recording sounds for the show.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramsey |first=Colby |date=19 February 2016 |title=Complicite's The Encounter - Bringing binaural to the Barbican |url=https://audiomediainternational.com/complicites-the-encounter-bringing-binaural-to-the-barbican/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Audio Media International |language=en-GB}}</ref> The sound design was highly praised by reviewers and received multiple awards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 |url=https://www.garethfry.co.uk/2016 |access-date=27 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref> He used a similar technique for a production of Macbeth in 2023, starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, which was nominated for an Olivier Award, and received a WhatsOnStage award for best sound design in 2025.
Fry also used binaural sound on the podcast series, [https://open.spotify.com/show/3PdRioSNU3mX0108wb9oH5 ''The Discovery Adventures''], primarily recorded on location across the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |last=nomipalony |date=2 November 2017 |title=Why you need to download The Discovery Adventures podcast by Land Rover for your family car journeys #TheDiscoveryAdventures |url=https://www.nomipalony.com/why-you-need-to-download-the-land-rover-discovery-adventures-podcast-for-your-family-car-journeys/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Nomipalony |language=en-GB}}</ref> He also used it again for the BBC and Complicite radio drama, ''The Dark is Rising'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Dark Is Rising Preview Episode released from the BBC World Service |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/the-dark-is-rising-preview-episode-released-bbc-world-service |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> which was nominated for a Best Use of Sound award at the BBC Audio Drama awards.
He has also created work featuring Spatial Audio for VX, AR and XR formats, with his work showing at the Sundance, Tribeca, Venice and London Film Festivals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMMERSIVE |url=https://www.garethfry.co.uk/immersive |access-date=27 February 2025 |website=Gareth Fry - Sound Design |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== Association of Sound Designers === Fry co-founded the charity Association of Sound Designers, and served as chair of the board from 2011 to 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers |url=https://www.associationofsounddesigners.com/asdhistory |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Association of Sound Designers |language=en}}</ref>
=== Writing === Fry is the author of ''[https://www.crowood.com/products/sound-design-for-the-stage-by-gareth-fry Sound Design for the Stage]'', published in 2019 by Crowood Press.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Press |first=The Crowood |title=Sound Design for the Stage |url=https://www.crowood.com/products/sound-design-for-the-stage-by-gareth-fry |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=The Crowood Press |language=en}}</ref> He has also authored many articles for the Association of Sound Designers magazine, ''The Echo.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers |url=https://www.associationofsounddesigners.com/echoarchive |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Association of Sound Designers |language=en}}</ref>
== Accolades ==
* Fry was awarded an honorary fellowship to The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 December 2016 |title=2016 Graduation Ceremony |url=https://www.cssd.ac.uk/news/2016-graduation-ceremony#:~:text=On%20Monday%2012%20December,%20The,Honorary%20Doctorate%20to%20Lee%20Hall. |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |language=en}}</ref> * He was named No. 92 in ''The Stage'' 100: Theatre's Power List of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Stage 100 theatre power list in full for 2017 |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/the-stage-100-theatres-power-list-2017 |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=The Stage |language=En}}</ref> * He won the 2007 Olivier Award<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Winners 2007 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-2007/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref> for his work on ''Waves'' at the National Theatre with Katie Mitchell.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Szalwinska |first=Maxie |date=3 October 2008 |title=Now hear this: theatre's revolution in sound design |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2008/oct/03/theatre.sound.design |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> * He won the 2009 Olivier Award<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Awards Winners 2009 -Official London Theatre |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-2009/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref> for his work on the National Theatre of Scotland's ''Black Watch'' directed by John Tiffany. * He won the 2008 Helpmann Award for ''Black Watch'''s performances in Australia. * He won the 2017 Olivier Award for ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Winners 2017 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-2017/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref> * He won an IRNE Award for Best Sound Design in 2013 for ''Wild Swans.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Independent Reviewers of New England Awards: 2013 |url=https://www.abouttheartists.com/award_groups/24-irne-awards/year/2013 |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=www.abouttheartists.com}}</ref> * He was awarded a Tony Award in 2017 for ''The Encounter'', with Pete Malkin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin to Be Honored with 2017 Special Tony Awards |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/news/gareth-fry-and-pete-malkin-to-be-honored-with-2017-special-tony-awards/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=www.tonyawards.com |language=en-US}}</ref> * In 2018, his work on ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' was rewarded with a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and an Outer Circle Critics Award''.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/year/2018/category/any/show/any/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |website=www.tonyawards.com |language=en-US}}</ref> His Tony Award wins are notable as ''The Encounter'' and ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' were the only two shows he has ever designed on Broadway - most of his work in New York has been off-Broadway and thus ineligible for a Tony Award. * Fry also received the ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award for Best Design in 2016 for ''The Encounter'', as well as a Drama Desk Awards and a Helpmann Awards in 2017.<ref name=":0" /> * He won the 2025 WhatsOnStage Awards for Best Sound Design for ''Macbeth''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 February 2025 |title=David Tennant and Cush Jumbo-led Macbeth wins three WhatsOnStage Awards |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/david-tennant-and-cush-jumbo-led-macbeth-wins-three-whatsonstage-awards_1663841/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref> He was also nominated in the same category for Punchdrunk's ''Viola's Room.''
== References == {{reflist}} {{OlivierAward SoundDesign}} Category:British sound designers {{DEFAULTSORT:Fry, Gareth}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Tony Award winners Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Category:Helpmann Award winners Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners