LXCO lights up the Olivier Awards

3 March 2004

UK - LXCO, in conjunction with DLD, created the lighting visuals for the prestigious Olivier Awards, which took place recently at London's Park Lane Hilton Hotel. The awards ceremony brought together some of today's greatest theatrical stars for a celebration of the year's productions. Clive Anderson, aided by the cast of The Rat Pack, presented the awards for the sixth consecutive year. Awards were presented to Eileen Atkins for Best Actress in Honour, Matthew Kelly for Best Actor in Of Mice and Men and Jerry Springer-The Opera for the Best New Musical. The Best Lighting Design Award went to Hugh Vanstone for Pacific Overtures and the inaugural Best Sound Design Award went to Mike Walker for Jerry Springer-The Opera.

LXCO and DLD were asked to create a lighting system based on the design already used for The Rat Pack production at the Strand Theatre, to produce a similar look for the awards. The challenge for the LXCO team was to recreate the look of the West End musical with less equipment, less time and in a smaller space. Director of The Rat Pack, Mitch Sebastian and the cast had developed a good relationship with the LXCO team, headed by LD Mark Wheatley, and trusted them to create the show's look for the awards ceremony, which LXCO completed successfully. Mark commented: "As we have been working on the show, it meant we understood the desired ambience for the numbers performed at the Olivier Awards. We were able to make decisions about the equipment and set that would not affect the integrity of the show's original look."

The set was made up of a Perspex stage, which was ideal for increasing the dynamics of the lights, and allowed them to shine from under the stage as well as above it, creating impressive changes in the colours. The lighting changed throughout the awards, producing a different backdrop for each song performed and an elegant effect for the awards presentations.

LXCO used Par cans, 10 Martin Pro MAC 600s and six MAC 500s with eight four-cell ground rows and Source Fours to create the stunning set, all controlled by a Celco Ventura console with Avolites dimmers. From gaining access to the room at 4.30am on show day, it took the team six hours to complete the set-up ready for rehearsals.

Working alongside DLD and LXCO, Orbital supplied the sound system, Creative Technology the projection and LGH the truss and rigging for all of the technical equipment flown above the guests.

(Lee Baldock)