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City Theatrical - Banner - July 2025

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Theatrical sound design and rental specialist Autograph Sound Recording has recently been involved in a concert tour of Les Misérables across Scandinavia - the first time that the concert production of the world-famous musical has toured multiple cities. The concert, which captured the atmosphere of the stage production by using giant cinema screens, live video and stills from the production, commenced in late October and ran throughout November, taking in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland along the way.

Autograph has been involved with Les Misérables since chairman Andrew Bruce designed the original London production in 1985. To address the scale of the tour, the company supplied an extensive Meyer Sound M3D Line Array Loudspeaker System in a sound design realised by Autograph's Nic

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John MacPhail’s Edinburgh-based Studio 4 recently won the contract to upgrade the sound system in The Cavendish - a landmark venue in the Scottish capital - for operators, Luminar Leisure.

The two-level nightclub at Tollcross - affectionately known as The Cav - has now taken possession of a series of Wharfedale Programme 50s and 52s as part of a complete refit. The recently-launched two-way ported trapezoidal enclosures - designed to meet the requirements of high-output, nearfield reproduction - have been used creatively to deliver peripheral sound throughout the club’s off-dancefloor areas. Eight of the Programme 50s and four of the Programme 52s feature in the installation. The Programme 50 features a 5.5" woofer and 3/4" titanium driver, while the Programme 52 features a pair of woofers and 3/4" titanium driver.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Bandit Lites UK is supplying the king of horror-rock theatre Alice Cooper with a dramatic, and somewhat gruesome lighting rig for the European section of his current Dragontown World tour. The lighting designer for this spectacular heavy metal mayhem is Mick Thornton, who has designed a colourful contrasting show that captures a myriad of moods.

These include all the normal Cooperesque antics like the nightly baby massacre, a melange of cod violence and destruction, lunatics being straight-jacketed and hauled off to the asylum (bit like a day in the L&SI office). The onstage entertainment culminates with the guillotining of Pop Princess Britney Spears - the ultimate axis of evil in Alice’s dark world - as played by his daughter Calico.

Thornton needed a versatile lighting rig to match the intricate stage set and the manic pace of action onstage. At the aorta of the set is the

Doughty - Banner - from 4 July 2025

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Front-of-house engineer Simon Honywill is using a new Yamaha DM2000 digital console to mix Chris Rea, currently on the front leg of his European tour. Playing a wide variety of venues seating anywhere between 1500 and 5000 people, the tour is carrying a compact production rig including the RG Jones/Ampco ProRent Synco PA system.

Simon Honywill has been involved with the DM2000 since its launch in the UK, and RG Jones has been considering purchasing one of the digital consoles for inventory. But the main reason for ordering the new desk from Marquee Audio was the Rea tour. "It's a one-truck tour," explains Honywill, "which meant that we were looking for equipment that was as compact and bijou as possible. The DM2000 makes a lot of sense, primarily because of its small size, and the opportunity it allows for us to cut down on a load of outboard."

He describes the ne

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American DJ has released the Centurion - a DMX512 Intelligent moonflower effect, which features 14 revolving gobos, including 12 solid colour and 2 multi-colour gobos. Featuring a beam spread that covers a wide area, American DJ’s Centurion is ideal for use in larger clubs and venues, as well as on a musician’s stage, roller rink or bowling alley floor. Yet, it is compact and lightweight for easy transport by mobile DJs.

To add to this versatility, the Centurion offers three operation modes - DMX, master/slave and sound activated. In the intelligent DMX mode, a unit can be individually programmed and controlled with any universal DMX512 controller to craft a customized light show. In the master/slave mode, up to four lighting units can by linked by XLR connection. In the sound activation mode, the Centurion will chase to the beat of the music using its own built-in programs

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Selwo Adventure Parks have expanded their leisure offering with the newly inaugurated Selwo Marina park in Benalmádena , Malaga, Spain. The new concept of marine park brings together the sea life and exotic fowl of South America and complements the theme of the already well known Selwo Adventure wildlife park in Estepona, Spain. Visitors to Selwo Marina participate in expeditions in which they discover the amazing ecosystems of the South American continent.

The sound system design and installation for the park was carried out by the Madrid-based Himesa Professional SL, using a variety of D.A.S. products. The system designed by the company provides ambient sound and paging utilizing 60 Factor-5Ts keenly camouflaged within the decorative elements of the park.

The park is accessed through the Plaza of the Americas where shops and food services are available. Through the plaza, visitor

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At a mere 5mm in diameter, and available in either beige (skin tone) or black, the new AT899 is intended for those critical applications which require minimum visibility and high quality audio. The subminiature omnidirectional element is enclosed in a rugged, low profile housing with internal construction designed to minimize noise from handling, clothing and wind. The microphone plugs into the included AT8537 power module, which features battery/phantom power operation, low-frequency roll-off switch, and an integral XLR3M connector supplying a low-impedance balanced output. The extensive accessory kit which comes as standard with the AT899 includes single and double-mounts, clothing clip, viper clip, magnetic clip, two open-pore foam windscreens, and two metal mesh element covers to protect the condenser element from moisture, make-up and other contaminants.

Wireless and unterminated

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The first customer was already leaving Professional Music Technology (PMT) with his newly-purchased Wharfedale loudspeakers even before the inaugural celebrations began. To commemorate the opening of their new 22,000sq.ft superstore in Birmingham - the largest in Europe - the directors hosted an industry party which was attended by many of the captains of MI. Posing alongside Wharfedale’s LiX range of MI enclosures (in front of PMT’s sound stage) are company directors Simon Gilson, Terry Hope and Gary Chapman. The LiX range is one of several Wharfedale MI-based systems on show in the superstore.

(Ruth Rossington)

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James Thomas’s new Pixelrange LED fixtures are making a high profile debut in the world of retail installations - as part of the current James Bond 007 window display at Harrods.

Spread across two full windows, the 007 montage includes the special agent’s fantastic silver Aston Martin V12 Vanquish and General Zao’s electric green Jaguar XKR from the latest movie Die Another Day. The latter vehicle is complete with reclining blonde spread-eagled on the bonnet! Other window props include 007 dummies, plus several plasma screens showing action from the various Bond movies.

The display is highlighting a special Bond video promotion offered by Harrods, celebrating 40 years of the UK’s favourite special secret agent. Paul de Ville, MD of Lightfactor Sales, was called in to design the lighting scheme for the windows. He was approached by AV installer Andy Evans from

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Advanced Audio, the Melbourne-based ARX dealer, has completed the installation of an updated audio system into the recently refurbished Melbourne Royal Exhibition Buildings.

Rated as one of Australia's most prominent and historic public buildings, the REH was originally erected for the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880 -1 at the end of Melbourne's early Gold Rush heyday. The building was also the venue for the Australian Federation ceremonies in 1901 that marked the birth of Australia as a nation and were used as the country's Houses of Parliament until 1922, prior to the competition of Canberra as the nation's purpose-built capital city.

Advanced Audio installed ARX ZR 850 C 100V constant voltage Installation Series power amplifiers to power a sizeable array of Bose 402 loudspeakers spread out over 3km of loudspeaker cabling.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Drapes and fabrics specialist Blackout was recently appointed by London-based Production House Pci:Live to assist in the realisation of a Moulin Rouge-themed After Party for Cisco Systems’ annual Networkers Conference in Copenhagen.

Staged in The Forum - one of Copenhagen’s largest live music venues - over 1100 guests attended two party evenings, which re-created the spirit of the legendary Parisian music hall. The show, which featured many different European artists, was a spectacular combination of contortionists, sword swallowers, fire-eaters and aerial performers, culminating in a sensational Can Can finale. Kid Creole and his Coconuts maintained the pace with a fantastic performance, before the evening wound up with a DJ and podium dancers.

From the outset, Blackout’s project managers Chris Brain and Kevin Monks collaborated with Pci:Live’s technical dire

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When Audi launched the A8 at the British Motor Show this year, it wanted to steal the limelight from its competitors. Prima ballerina Darcey Bussell was called in and the rest is history. While most of us only saw Bussell on the front page of our newspapers, the guys at Fourth Phase London got to see her in the flesh.

Having already worked together twice on Audi projects, event organizers Pandemonium chose Fourth Phase London to supply lighting, including a selection of Source Four Pars and Zooms, a Jands Event Desk and ETC SmartPack portable dimming, for the occasion at Audi's London showrooms in Piccadilly.

As photographers surrounded Bussell, her luxurious 11 metre silk cloak fell away in a stunning reveal of both the car and Bussell's striking Scott Henshall dress, made of the same leather as the A8’s upholstery. Bussell, who is a fan of Audi's cars and has driven one since

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Martin Professional has appointed Mark Frihagen as international business development manager for Jem smoke machines.

The role is a new position created in order to further develop sales of the Jem product range. The position, effective as of November 18, involves the sale, marketing and development of Jem products worldwide. Frihagen has been sales manager for Traded Goods at the Martin Professional headquarters in Denmark for the past two years, a role he has successfully expanded and made profitable. His skills are expected to help Jem develop in new directions, creating success and profitability in Martin’s entertainment smoke segment.

Jem is one of the leading producers of entertainment smoke products with a product line that includes smoke, haze and heavy fog machines, as well as a complete line of fog fluid and accessories. The Jem product line is developed and manufac

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TeleStage Associates Plc has secured the contract to provide stage engineering equipment for the prestigious Wales Millennium Centre. The contract calls for the design and supply of a wide range of stage equipment, covering multiple orchestra elevators, seating wagons, fire and acoustic doors, counterweight flying, powered hoists, movable auditorium towers, house curtain and adjustable proscenium.

The Wales Millennium Centre will be the focal point of the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay and will provide a world-class venue for the full range of performing arts. As part of the contract, TeleStage will work closely with Sir Robert McAlpine - the design and build contractor. Carr and Angier are the Theatre Consultants and this project also marks the next step in the long and productive relationship that has existed between the two companies.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Specialist audio-visual company, Blitz, has appointed Rob Piddington, as new sales manager to Blitz Vision. Piddington will be responsible for helping to ensure that the division is successful in meeting a number of key sales targets set for next year. His main focus is on long-term strategy aimed at breaking into several new market areas. Reporting to sales director Andy Watterston, he also takes charge of developing and restructuring the sales team and managing the ongoing sales drive.

Having spent the last 18 years within the sales and marketing environment, he is ideally suited to the role. Prior to joining Blitz Vision, he spent 15 months as sales director at Autograph Sales Ltd. Previously he was at Sennheiser UK for 10 years, six of which he spent as sales and marketingmanager. Andy Watterston, sales director of Blitz Vision, told us: "Our appointment of Rob reflects the

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Lightfactor Sales has collaborated with design and installation specialist Entserv to supply a series of high contrast lighting for temporary interactive maze attractions at Thorpe Park (The Freezer and Freakshow) and Chessington World of Adventures (Pirate Jack) theme parks.

Entserv’s Steve Richley was approached by The Tussauds Group Studios to design the show and electrical systems for the three mazes and to carry out the lighting and electrical installations. Both Lightfactor and Entserv are regular technical contractors to Tussauds, and engage in some of their most demanding and exciting projects.

Entserv also supplied the audio, pneumatics and technical infrastructure to bring The Freezer to ‘life’, with Lightfactor supplying the lighting. The overall concept design for the three mazes was by Sudden Impact Inc from the USA, who were in the UK for the first tim

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The Entertainment Services and Technology Association’s Board of Directors has voted unanimously to open up ESTA’s Code of Conduct to allow complaints to be filed by the general public, with effect from 1 January 2003. In 1999, ESTA led the industry in promoting ethical business practices and professionalism by creating and adopting a Code of Conduct for members. Received with enthusiasm by members, the Code was also used as a model by several other industry associations, including PLASA and CITT, in creating their own codes.

ESTA’s Code of Conduct plays a very important role in maintaining public confidence in the industry by assuring the public of uniformly high standards in their dealings with members of the Association. As one member of the public said: "ESTA membership does matter to many of us and we use it as a ‘recommendation’ when looking for

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XL Video UK is supplying leading UK pop band Blue with a full touring video hardware package and crew. Blue are currently riding the crest of a massive popularity wave and also establishing themselves at the credible end of the pop scale, with a nationwide arena tour finishing two days before Christmas, which you can read all about in the January issue of Lighting&Sound International.

Video is the central visual concept to Blue’s energetic, up-tempo show. The artistic director is Kim Gavin, whilst the set is designed by Paul Staples, and the show’s video baseline developed by lighting designer Peter Barnes. Central to video being the defining visual counterpoint is an enormous 60ft by 24ft low resolution Westerhagen LED screen from Germany. This was originally designed and built by XL Video for German touring and recording artist Paul Westerhagen. Barnes had heard about the

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Guests on board Crystal Cruises' Crystal Serenity, which goes into service June 2003, will be able to watch first-run movies in a luxury 200+ seat projection theatre with state-of-the-art audio visual systems, including audio enhancement for the hearing-impaired. Responsible for the entertainment design and installation for the Hollywood Theatre is MAVCO, whose Director of Engineering, Rob Shuard, asked Triple E to design and supply a custom projection screen, with variable pre-set masking using the company's Chaintrack system. Shuard said: "We needed a system that allowed for multiple masking presets including anamorphic 2.35:1, widescreen 16:9 and standard 4:3. Given the restricted space on board the vessel, Triple E's Chaintrack system was chosen for its ultra-low profile and its ability to turn tight corners."

The 4.7m wide x 2m high screen required black masking panels t

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Those involved in Fire Safety may be interested in a seminar being held at the Headquarters of the Institute of Electrical Engineers at Savoy Place. Taking place on 12 December, the focus is on the recently revised Building Regulations Part B - Fire Safety. Whilst the bulk is on prevention and accordant construction, time will be devoted to detection and warning systems.

For more information, contact the IEE or Alison Payton at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers on the e-mail address shown.

(James Eade)

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London-based rental specialist Sound Hire, which took delivery of one of the very first DiGiCo D5 Live digital mixing systems in September, has already committed further to the revolutionary platform by ordering an upgrade. Their second stage-end DigiRack (which contains the system’s inputs and A/D converters) expands their console’s capacity from 56 to 96 inputs, allowing it to replace two analogue consoles on many shows.

Says Sound Hire founder Richard Liénard: "It’s obvious that the future of sound has to be digital. For a long time it’s the thing that everyone’s thought would be wonderful but was scared about what would happen if it wasn’t totally stable. Then suddenly there was the answer at PLASA - the D5 Live - and we ordered it virtually the next day. The desk gives you an amazing amount of positive feedback on the input side: you can s

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