Matthew Cassar: 'Every project has its own pace and quirks'

Matthew trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School as a set and costume designer. His artistic repertoire in production design is an array of different works with various established Maltese and British companies. Matthew lives in London and when he’s not working on his personal projects, he contributes his talents as an associate designer at Morgan Large Design Studio. 

1. What’s been the most defining moment in your career so far? 

I still feel like I’m at the beginning of my career, and I’ve been lucky to have some incredible moments already, but one memory I hold especially close is the opening night of Catastrophe Bay. It’s a musical written by Tim Barne and Kit Buchan, directed by Derek Bond at Bristol Old Vic, and it also happened to be the very first time I designed a musical professionally. No pressure, right?

What made it unforgettable wasn’t just the production (although it was a wild, wonderful ride), but the fact that my family and friends flew up from Malta and were there to see it. For the first time, I had this deep feeling of “yes, this is exactly what I want to be doing with my life”.

I’d secretly booked an extra seat next to my parents as a surprise, so just before the curtain went up, I casually asked: “Is this seat taken?”. My parents were completely over the moon. We all sat there together, looking out at the stage, me feeling a delightful cocktail of nerves, excitement, and that unique, slightly terrifying joy that comes from realising that people are actually going to see this thing I made.

That emotion, a mix of accomplishment, anticipation, and “please let everything work”, has hit me before every show since. But that night was special because I got to sit beside the two people who first took me to the theatre, unknowingly lighting the spark that led me here. It felt like a full-circle moment—except I wasn’t sitting on a booster seat this time around; I was part of the magic.

2. As a creative, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media?

As artists, we’re encouraged to post constantly, but to do that, we often have to package our work into easily digestible little nuggets of ‘content’. And just like that, your months of creative blood, sweat and tears end up being reduced to a carousel of behind-the-scenes images and sped-up time-lapses.

The trouble is, in theatre design, the process is long, collaborative, and often quite secretive. It’s not exactly Instagram-friendly to post a mood board captioned, “trust me, it’ll make sense in 9 months”. Most of my work can’t be revealed until opening night, because let’s face it, no one wants spoilers, especially not when your big dramatic set reveal is involved. So, while the algorithm wants daily updates, I’m more on the “see you in six months with a single photo” plan.

For Into the Woods, we tried to strike a balance. We released a few carefully curated sneak peeks to stir up interest and let audiences know that something exciting was coming, without giving away the magic.

Ultimately, theatre isn’t designed for the scroll—it’s built for the stage. So, I try to share just enough to pull people in, without giving the whole show away before curtain up.

Matthew with costumes

3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity? 

To be honest, I see artificial intelligence as more of a threat than an opportunity, particularly in the creative industries. Much like other artists, I work in a field that relies heavily on creativity and I need to be able to pull ideas and inspiration from my surroundings and experiences. This is not something that can be generated or replicated by a computer. 

While I understand that AI might be useful as a tool in certain practical or day-to-day aspects, I believe it’s important to push back against the idea that it can, or should, replace artists. Art isn’t about simply producing images, it is about telling stories, provoking thought, and connecting people. 

4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard?

That’s a great question, and one I ask myself regularly, usually while buried under a pile of fabric scraps or staring blankly at a scale model at 2am. The truth is, I hit that “this is hard” wall on pretty much every project. I think a big part of it is that our work, as designers, depends so much on external feedback. Whether it’s the director, the producers, or the audience, there’s always this underlying hope that someone will look at what you’ve made and say, “yes, that works!” And when that reassurance doesn’t come straight away, the self-doubt starts knocking.

What keeps me going is the people around me. I’ve been lucky to build a really solid support system. My friends and family are absolutely essential! Whether it’s a quick call so I can vent about running out of fabric for the leading lady’s costume or stress-spiralling over how on earth I’m going to pull off a mid-scene transformation, they’re always there, cheering me on (and occasionally pretending to understand what I’m talking about).

My partner, Callum, is a huge part of that support. We’re in totally different careers, which I think actually helps! He’s my escape hatch when the theatre world gets a bit too... theatrical. That said, he has absolutely been roped into model-making at ungodly hours, glue in one hand, coffee in the other, all while I’m frantically packing for a flight to Malta. I think he’s earned at least an assistant designer credit by now.

And as cheesy as it sounds (and people who know me know I do love a bit of cheese), one of my go-to sources of inspiration is simply going to see live theatre… especially musicals. There’s just something magical about sitting in the audience, being transported into another world. It’s a reminder of why I fell in love with this in the first place. It recharges my creative batteries and makes me want to dive back in, stress and all.

5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators?

Oh, this is a tricky one… and to be completely honest, I’m still figuring it out! I think most designers are. At the heart of what we do is self-expression, so there’s always going to be a personal stamp on the work. We all have our signature touches and the things we secretly (or not-so-secretly) get excited about putting on stage. In my case, it’s confetti. I am absolutely a confetti person and it’s slowly become my unofficial trade mark.

That said, theatre is one giant collaboration—a creative group chat where everyone’s talking at once, but somehow it works. Directors, designers, choreographers, musical directors; we all bring different ideas, and ideally, we’re all pulling in the same direction. For me, the key has been working with people I genuinely get along with.

Morgan, who I work for here in London, always says: “Trust your gut.” And it’s true—you can usually tell straight away if something feels off or just isn’t sitting right. I’m learning to carry that same instinct into my own projects, even when the pressure is on to deliver what others might be expecting.

As for audiences; we all do it: We go into shows with certain expectations, whether we realise it or not. So, part of the fun is giving them what they want just long enough… and then flipping it on its head. It’s about building trust and then surprising them.

6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine you follow?

I like to think I’m quite methodical when it comes to starting a new project. Some might call it ‘organised’, others might say ‘mildly obsessive’, and honestly… both are fair. I usually begin at least a year before the show opens (if the schedule allows). Give me a theme or an era, and I’ll go full detective, researching the period in depth, collecting visuals, and making Pinterest boards that could probably qualify as historical archives.

I also love taking myself to museums, exhibitions, or even just a good rummage through vintage shops, anything that helps me connect to the world I’m about to bring to life. But when I’m working on something new, I become unbearable. It completely consumes me. I’ll talk about it non-stop, daydream about it in queues, and if it’s a musical or a panto, the soundtrack will be playing on loop until everyone around me knows the lyrics by osmosis.

When it comes to costume design, I always try to speak to the actors early on. I love hearing how they imagine their characters. It’s often full of unexpected details that help shape the design in really fun ways. Plus, it helps me build a look that feels personal and collaborative rather than just dressing them like mannequins in fancy fabric.

Every project has its own pace and quirks—some unfold slowly and luxuriously while others are more of a high-speed sprint with a scale model in one hand and a pile of half-finished costume drawings in the other. But more or less, that’s my process—immerse, obsess, repeat.

7. Can you let us in on some of the future projects, works?

I’m currently back in London, where I’m based, after the exciting opening of Into the Woods at the Manoel Theatre in Malta. Now I’m gearing up for the next season both in London and in Malta. At the moment, I’m working as an associate designer with the fantastic Morgan Large on a brand-new musical called Maria Theresia, which is set to premiere in Vienna this October. Working with Morgan is always a blast, and this show is shaping up to be a fun challenge, so plenty of creative puzzles to keep me on my toes!

As for Malta, I’m thrilled to say I’ll be returning to the Manoel over the festive season as the set designer for Alibaba the Panto. There’s something really special about being in Malta at Christmas—great energy, great people, and yes, plenty of mince pies (ideally the one that my mum makes!). It’s extra exciting because I’ll be working with a brand-new creative team while also catching up with some familiar faces.

After that, I’ve got a couple of projects in the pipeline that I can’t talk about just yet—top secret, for now! But I can say there’s a couple of fun musicals lurking somewhere on the horizon, so stay tuned!

Matthew with set design

Extra round

What’s the quirkiest or most unexpected thing that’s ever ended up as part of your set or costume design, and how did it happen?

Oh, where do I start? Honestly, if it hasn’t ended up on stage at some point, it probably will eventually! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had this habit of “borrowing” things from around the house for my little projects. One clear memory is from when I was about five years old: I sneakily cut a piece of lace from the curtain in my parents’ upstairs washroom because, to me, it was the perfect finishing touch for a miniature model I was making. Safe to say, my mum was less thrilled about the missing lace! You can still see the little notch in the fabric to this day.

As designers, we’re always on the lookout for those perfect little details to add authenticity, humour, or character to our work. Over the years, I’ve ‘borrowed’ baskets from friends, scarves from random people at parties, and even my grandmother’s vintage ’60s dresses have made surprise appearances in past shows. There was even that time I asked a barman on a night out if I could take some empty beer glasses because they’d be perfect for a pub scene I was designing. He was bewildered, but luckily said yes.

So, if I ever compliment something in your home, or even your outfit, consider yourself warned—it might just be making its stage debut in my next production.