WNO is saddened to hear of the death of Ralph Koltai, a highly influential figure who almost single-handedly brought the aesthetic of Modernism to the British theatre. Having designed over one hundred opera productions, he worked at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Sadler's Wells Opera, he created hugely original designs for the RSC and a major new design of Wagner’s Ring Cycle for English National Opera. For WNO he designed Simone Boccanegra and the Figaro Trilogy. He was a highly influential figure in the development of design in British theatre and a magnificently larger than life character. He will be missed.