Robe lights American Idiot in Copenhagen
- Details
They chose Robe moving lights - DL7S Profiles, DL4S Profiles and Spiider LED wash beams - to be at the core of the lighting, which was developed as a co-design for the show.
Benjamin’s almost bare stage set features three large moving scenic pieces initially making up the stage floor, which resemble giant slabs of concrete, representing the crushing of individuals refusing to conform to the norm. These move constantly throughout the show, each rigged on four half tonne vari-speed motors - creating different spaces, rooms and locations as the story – of life, individuality, expression and being someone - unfolds.
The stage ‘box' is surrounded on three sides by a stark metal (aluminium) framework conjuring up images of skeletal unfinished buildings with the cranes gone, left to rot in the economic crises against which the action is set.
Sune has become a big Robe advocate since he started using the brand more extensively a couple of years ago – for both his theatre work and rock ‘n’ roll clients. His company b-ql.dk has enjoyed a busy year – he’s lit no less than six high profile musicals to date - and he specifies Robe when possible for his moving lights.
As the set design took shape for American Idiot, it was obvious that there would be no conventional lighting positions available and that lighting fixtures would have to be fitted around it, so Sune had the idea to rig eight DL7s and eight Spiiders a side in two rows of four, offset about a metre back from the front of the set frame.
These side lights are the workhorses of the rig and are used in almost every scene.
The 11 x DL4S are in a line across an upstage truss, used extensively for moody, sinister back lighting.
The DL4S’s high upstage are used a lot to provide a concealed lightsource and shafts poking threateningly through the slits when the flats are hanging fully vertical.
The visuality of the stage ‘box’ is completed with a live band positioned high up and offset at the back in direct line of sight to the audience. Expedient on space this also has a surprise element and they can be revealed or hidden via lighting and as needed.
There were many challenges installing this show into Den Grå Hal which is a listed building dating back to 1891 when it served as a riding school for the military, with the original – and spectacular - wooden frame superstructure intact.
However, this also means limited weight loadings, and installing the set and lighting required some creative rigging – provided by Riggingworks Sweden from Stockholm, some technical ‘squeezing’ and the combination of a flown and ground supported metalwork infrastructure to spread the loads.
(Jim Evans)
