Poland - The mercury hit record highs in Warsaw, while theatre-goers visiting the Stanisław Witkiewicz Studio Theatre were treated to a performance of Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables staged by the Śródmiejski Teatr Muzyczny. The company - made up from school pupils aspiring to be acting / performance professionals - produces an annual musical which was lit by LD Michal Piskorski who has also lit the previous two such productions, 2017’s Footloose and the Monty Python’s Spamalot. He worked closely with programmer Krzysztof Gantner from the show’s technical sponsor, Prolight, on the spectacle which was directed by Antoniusz Dietzius who also designed the set. Six Robe T1 Profile moving lights were utilised, provided by Warsaw-based lighting and technical sales specialist Prolight. Also, part of this ‘specials’ package were five R
Europe – TSL Lighting Design director, Anthony ‘Turbo’ Hall, has set off on a mammoth 22,000-mile return road trip from Kent to Ulan Ude in Russia to raise money for the technical entertainment charity, Backup. Turbo set off on Friday 19 July in Poppy - a wholly unsuitable 1000cc Perodua Kanari – with his teammate Abby 'Henri' Cooper. Over the next 12 or so weeks, they will drive through 22 countries. The car joins a fleet of vehicles as part of the world-famous Mongol Rally. Turbo and Henri have named their intrepid team the Nomadic Numpties, which is certain to be eye-catching as they race through eastern Europe and into lesser travelled terrains towards deepest Russia. “I’ve known about the Mongol Rally for many years and it's always something I’ve dreamed of doing,” says Turbo. “When the chance arose to enter, we jumped at it. It’s an unsu
UK - Theatre lighting specialist Howard Hudson has deployed GLP’s new RGBY version of its best-selling impression X4 on the West End production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ -The Musical. The adaptation of Sue Townsend’s best-selling book recently transferred to the Ambassadors Theatre. Hudson had first worked on the production back in 2015 when it was at The Curve in Leicester. He had previously collaborated with the director, Luke Sheppard and designer, Tom Rogers on various projects prior to this and we were all put together for that first production. The show was then produced at the Menier Chocolate Factory before transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre. In terms of how the show should be lit, much of the musical is written from Adrian’s point of view, with a lot of his sections of the piece as direct address to the audience. “Theref
USA - Production designers Robert Long and Sooner Routhier of SRae Productions, along with associate designer Ashley Zapar, specified the Vari-Lite VL6000 Beam luminaire to add a bold and dynamic presence to their show design for the farewell tour by KISS. The band’s End of the Road world tour, which continues through 2019, features all the rock and roll theatrics that fans expect of a classic KISS show (described by Long as “equal parts of fire, lasers, metal, leather, and controlled chaos”) but with a modern edge. “KISS requires an old school light show with simple cuing that accents the music but isn’t overly embellished,” says Long, discussing the KISS show style and their choice of lighting fixtures. “The music is simple, four on the floor, rock and roll with heavy guitar riffs. We need lights that reflect that, but in a modern, elevated way.
Australia - Riverside Theatres is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Parramatta CBD in the western suburbs of Sydney. Opened in 1988, its various venues include the 761-seat proscenium arch Riverside Theatre, the 213 capacity Lennox Theatre, and the Raffety's Theatre which can accommodate an audience of 88. In the last year, the Riverside has invested in Robe DL4S Profiles and LEDWash 300 moving lights for the main venue. These are the first moving lights they have owned and the second batch of LED lights to be installed in the space, part of a programme that will transition the entire complex to more sustainable light sources. The timing of the purchase was also designed to reduce the need for external sub hires of LED fixtures which had accelerated during the previous season. Technical co-ordinator Sean Clarke and his colleagues Mike Brew and Josh Stringe
Mauritius - The 26th annual World Travel Awards recently took place on the island nation of Mauritius and the tropical surroundings were made even more enticing with a dress of Elation dynamic lighting designed and delivered by Seven Amps. Seven Amps, a Mauritian gear rental and integrated systems provider, provided all the technical equipment for the event, which included outdoor lighting for the venue’s stately Manor House and cocktail area, as well as lighting for the awards ceremony at the indoor marquee. The company also handled decorative and branding elements for the awards event. Held on 1 June at the Sugar Beach Hotel in Flic-en-Flac, Seven Amps chose an array of Elation lighting fixtures for the awards event, along with lighting from sister company ADJ, as well as Duratruss. “We needed an IP-rated LED Par light and wash panel for the outdoor ligh
France - All eyes were on the pitch at the Stade de France even after the finals of the French National Rugby League’s Top 14 concluded on 15 June. French hip-hop brother duo Bigflo & Oli closed the event playing to packed stands as a large complement of Claypaky fixtures illuminated their set. The Top 14 competition has been played in France since 1892 and features 14 participating teams, hence its name. Lighting designer Damien Dufaitre deployed Claypaky Sharpy Plus, Sharpy and HY B-EYE K25 LED wash lights provided by Regietek for the brothers’ performance. He positioned 19 K25s at the ground around the edge of the field. “The power of the fixtures’ projector allowed me to alternately coat the lawn with solid colors or play their powerful beams tight in the bottom,” says Dufaitre. “Even at 40m, they did the job.” Sharpys, located at the
USA - TMB’s ProPlex IQ network tester was recognised with a Cine Gear Expo Technical Achievement Award, coming first from 130 entries in the Lighting Technology Accessories category. The tool is applicable to networks of all kinds - lighting, video, audio, special effects, rigging, etc. - this hand-held product is billed as the world’s first portable network tester for entertainment staging and production use. This is the third official accolade that the IQ tester has been granted by industry professionals, having already claimed the LDI Debuting Product award and a PLASA Award for Innovation. (Jim Evans)
USA - Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth was one of three bands that opened up for Slayer this past spring on the metal rockers’ extended farewell tour. Martin Müller has been designing lighting and serving as lighting operator on Amon Amarth shows since 2016 and for the 16-date trek across the southern US and east coast chose to reinforce the band’s melodic guitars and growling vocals using Elation Smarty Hybrid moving heads as contre-jour lighting effects. With lyrical themes that deal with Norse mythology and history, the opportunity for interesting supporting visuals on Amon Amarth shows, such as a centre stage Viking ship, is great. “On an Amon Amarth tour, we have a lot of stage props, fabrics and other shushu that needs to be lit up in a tasty way so that the audience will always be able to discover something new when they look on stage,” Müller s
China - Hangzhou is the capital of the Zhejiang province on China’s eastern seaboard, and considered one of the country’s most prosperous areas. Its diverse nightlife scene has just been further enriched with the opening of a new One Third club destination, another of the NOA’s Arc Group’s premium entertainment ventures. At the heart of the lighting and visuals associated with the One Third identity is creative director Daan Oomen and his team from Netherlands-based Live Legends. They specified nearly 250 Robe moving lights to ensure One Third Hangzhou stands out in a competitive marketplace. Live Legends delivered all creative elements from concept to execution, including show production, interior and technical design which included co-ordinating all the visual disciplines and optimising the guest experience. Having a ‘named’ European manufacturer as
Italy - AMG International has recently purchased 150 Sharpy Plus units, Claypaky's new hybrid lights. Alex Vinciguerra, general manager of AMG International, reports: “Our initial requirements were to add a high performance light to our range, one which was suitably versatile for our events. In order to choose the equipment which suited our needs best, we carried out a series of comparative tests and asked lighting designers and operators for their opinions. Claypaky's Sharpy Plus was the only one that really had all the features we were looking for, including power, versatility and low weight.” The Claypaky Sharpy Plus is a fully-fledged hybrid light, with two independent operating modes, weighing only 23kg (50.71lb). In beam mode, its aerial effects stand out thanks to the unit’s extraordinary light output. In spot mode, its light is diffused more evenly allow
USA - Irma Suarez-Ruiz had one request for Dustin L. Derry when she asked him to light her dance composition Pasión Oculta, which premiered at Chicago’s North Shore Centre For The Performing Arts this summer. She told him to ‘think big’. The artistic director of Ensemble Español, Suarez-Ruiz wasn’t thinking in terms of a giant rig replete with special effects when she proffered this advice. Her words had more to do with the visual impact and emotional force of his design than its size. Derry, who has been working with Ensemble Español since 2015, did not let his friend and colleague down. His lighting for the sensual six-minute Flamenco-style dance piece glows with raw passion and the aching yearning that boils at the heart of this dance narrative as it swirls around hidden desires. Yet, at the same time, his design also flows gracefully with the dance’s
Egypt - The Al Masah Hotel and Spa in Cairo has installed 16 Claypaky Supersharpy moving heads provided by AV equipment retailer, Audio Technology. The fixtures were part of a new build phase at the luxury hotel, a favourite for hosting prestigious weddings and events in the capital. The Supersharpys were installed in the lighting grid of the hotel’s Andalusite Hall, one of the largest ballrooms in Cairo. It seats up to 1,200 guests and features 15 balconies for private celebrity and VIP invitees. “We know the outstanding performance of the Supersharpy with its powerful beam light and recommended it to the client,” says Emad Adly, Audio Technology’s president. “The fixtures are used in many different set ups as required by the events staged in the ballroom,” adds Adly. “The Supersharpys offer diversity and flexibility for these events and have been
USA - Multi-platinum entertainer Chris Young kicked off his headlining, 45+ dates Raised On Country world tour on 16 May in Georgia before it was due to wrap in November. Ayrton Ghibli LED spot luminaires, with framing shutters, fill out the rig for the slate of arena and amphitheatre shows coast to coast. The design of the show is based on a W-shaped videowall with four individually moving panels. Chevron-shaped lighting trusses increase in size moving upstage to downstage; six individually moving light pods are located between the downstage and midstage truss. Lighting designer, Chris Lisle, has positioned 36 Ghibli fixtures throughout the three midstage and upstage trusses. He selected them after staging a fixture shootout before the tour. “We were super-happy with the output and parameters of the Ghiblis,” he reports. “They are the punchiest and bright
USA - Bandit Lites, has named long time team member Chris Barbee as vice-president of sales and integration. Barbee started at Bandit nearly 20 years ago and quickly ascended to the leadership team as the national director of sales and installations. Since then, Barbee has led the team for many years. “Chris is simply one of the most knowledgeable, hardest working people in the industry, period,” says Bandit chair Michael T. Strickland. “There is no way to measure what Chris brings to the table every day, and his leadership is world class. Chris is above all a great person and a lot of fun to work with. The entire sales division is loaded with high quality individuals and Chris has led the development of that team. My hat is off to Chris for his many accomplishments. “Chris has been operating as the vice president of sales for ages; it is simply time we recogni
USA - Gary Simon is City Theatrical’s new sales specialist focusing on the tristate area. He has 25 years of experience working as a theatre electrician, stagehand, and supervisor with demonstrated success in leading crews and meeting production schedules. Simon will play a pivotal role in supplying lighting professionals with the electrical and electronic, beam control, hardware, and software solutions that best meet and exceed their needs. He has installed, operated, and maintained lighting, video and audio systems for Jazz at Lincoln Centre and Lincoln Centre Theatre as well as many Broadway productions, concerts, and corporate events. (Jim Evans)
Australia - LSC Lighting Systems continues to develop its range of LED control technologies with the release of the new LED-CV4 DINrail mount driver. The LED-CV4 is a 4-channel LED driver with a 5A per channel output and a 100% duty cycle, significant when compared to the competition. It also has built-in, short-circuit protection per channel with auto-reset, thereby eliminating the need to change fuses if the LED tape or cabling gets damaged. Controlled via DMX and configured by RDM, the LED-CV4 has true 16-bit dimming for seamless professional dimming. If used in 8-bit mode, there is a smoothing algorithm that allows for stepless dimming across the 0-255 DMX input range. Current monitoring per channel and variable frequency output come as standard and can be monitored and configured by LSC’s new Houston-X software tool. Power input can be either a 12V or 24V
Portugal - Lisbon’s Colombo Centre, one of the largest shopping centres in the Iberian Peninsula is playing host the ninth edition of the Art Comes to Colombo project, an immersive installation designed to honour the works of famed Portuguese artist Maria Helena Vieira da Silva. The summer-long installation which runs through until the end of August has been organised by event planners Europalco as an immersive digital museum designed to showcase works from the artist. The concept was to create an immersive digital and multimedia experience that uses perspective and colour to celebrate 35 of Vieira da Silva’s works. The use of digital and multimedia allowed Europalco to add life to them digitally and offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the art. Five hundred and sixty Prolights Omega X26B panels have been temporarily installed as canvas for the
Germany - TSL Production, a full-service event agency has purchased Elation Professional’s new Smarty MAX high-output hybrid moving head, the first to do so worldwide. The company, from Pulheim near Cologne, has ample experience with Elation products with the new Smarty MAX joining TSL Elation inventory of Artiste DaVinci, SixPar 100 IP and DARTZ 360 fixtures. Frank Schmitz, owner of TSL Production, spoke of the decision to add the Smarty MAX to their inventory. “We sought an all-round moving light for multiple purposes and after numerous tests and shootouts the decision fell on the Smarty MAX. The compact design and application as a spot, beam or wash impressed us. We were convinced of the unit’s CMY colour mixing as well as the fact that you can superimpose different prisms and still have enough output. “With its numerous features and enormous light output,
UK - Technical production specialist equip event services co-ordinated all the technical elements - lighting, audio and staging - for The House & Garage Orchestra’s (THGO) recent sold-out gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The ensemble, founded in 2015, has ignited an appetite for their energetic reimagining of some of the UK’s biggest house and garage hits. When production manager Kevin Jianoran joined in November 2018, they were an eight-piece with guest vocalists and just him on the crew as the touring sound engineer. Since then it’s quickly upscaled to become a 20-piece orchestra, complete with brass and string sections, 14 guest vocalists and a technical crew of eight. equip, based in Brixton, London, were approached by Kevin, who is also the band’s monitor engineer, to work on their tour last November, which was a big success. He then returned to
Europe - Last autumn, production designer Owen Pritchard-Smith (of Spirit Design) joined up with fast-emerging Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy for a European tour, having previously worked with the artist’s management on other projects. Though he was largely playing through house rigs on that initial tour, a UK stint quickly followed, enabling him to carry a basic floor package comprising four GLP X4 Bar 20 battens and four JDC1 hybrid strobes. “I had never used either before, but was interested in trying them, and the flexibility of the JDC1 - essentially two fixtures in one - was perfect for a small package,” he says. So far this year Kennedy has undertaken tours of the US and Canada as well as further dates in Europe and the UK - and the floor package has expanded accordingly, although it is still based around Owen’s favoured X4 Bar 20 and JDC1. “I
USA - City Theatrical’s Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology is currently being used to provide DMX data at eight-time Tony Award winning Broadway show Hadestown. Selected for its ability to communicate DMX data wirelessly in the 900MHz band at a distance of up to 300ft indoors, Multiverse Transmitters, in combination with Multiverse Nodes operating on a SHoW DMX Neo SHoW ID, broadcast DMX data to QolorFLEX Dimmers that provide dimming control for battery powered headlamps used for the show’s daily performances, as well as in the company’s 2019 Tony Awards performance at Radio City Music Hall. “Getting set up with Multiverse wireless DMX was unbelievably good,” says Justin Freeman, production electrician for Hadestown. “Communication with City Theatrical never stopped. If things changed, Multiverse changed with us. It has been very successful for our sh
USA - ADJ has introduced three single LED wash fixtures to its Encore Burst series. All new models feature IP-rated casing and flexible multi-purpose bracket, but come with LED engines of different intensities. The Encore Burst 100 IP has a 125W warm white CREE C.O.B LED and a 50° beam angle, making it ideal for use as an audience blinder or general wash fixture. The unit has a colour temperature of 2700K and also offers a dim-to-warm feature that authentically replicates the dimming profile of a traditional halogen lamp light source by introducing a 1200K (amber) low intensity LED element at lower dimmer settings. In addition, the model offers variable speed strobe and pulse effects which add to the flexibility of this professional lighting fixture. Also designed for use as a wash or audience blinder / strobe effect light, the Encore Burst RGBW IP offers RGBW c
UK - A Zero 88 lighting control solution - including FLX S48 lighting console and Bypass dimmer / switchpacks - has been supplied to St Andrew’s School in Woking, Surrey, UK, by rental, sales and installations specialist Henley Theatre Services (HTS). The school, founded in 1937, is a respected co-educational prep school for around 300 children aged 3 to 13. As part of a commitment to deliver a stimulating and vibrant educational and developmental environment for its pupils, last year St Andrew’s invested in a new, 230-capacity purpose-built theatre - the Little Field Theatre - and rehearsal space in its 11-acre grounds. The venue’s technical specification - including the Zero 88 elements - was delivered by consultants Theatre tech who designed the production lighting, sound and comms systems. A tender issued for the equipment supply was won by HTS who liaised c
