Ralph Koltai CBE, RDI

Ralph Koltai studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts from 1948-51 after serving in the Royal Army Service Corps and with British Intelligence on War Crimes Investigation. He was an Associate Designer with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1963 to 1966 and was Head of the Theatre Design Department at the Central School of Art and Design from 1965 to 1972.
He has designed some two hundred productions of opera, drama, dance and musicals all over the world, including Britain, America, Germany, France and Japan.
He was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1983 and elected Royal Designer for Industry of the Society of Arts in 1984.
A retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Central Saint Martins Lethaby Gallery in 1997, which was accompanied by the publication 'Ralph Koltai - Designer for the Stage', published by Lund Humphries. This book is available in the Museum Collection