The 25-minute, four-times-a-day show was choreographed by Oki Wamu, who also chose and arranged the music. With only one day of rehearsals, good prepping was of the essence when it came to lighting, explains LD Mark Strange. "Bandit was absolutely brilliant" he enthuses, "It was a vast improvement on previous years. Their attention to detail and the quality of gear made a real difference from other years.
The lighting of wedding clothing requires some simple but specific staging elements to make it look great onstage. The show was divided into eight distinct scenes and moods, all featuring different fashion genres, styles and ideas. It was vital that the show also contained an element of fun, as well as being lit for both photographers and public enjoyment.
In the air was a 40 x 32ft A-type box truss, with a semi translucent blackout drape stretched across the top, forming a ceiling, and all lighting fixtures were hung or rigged from this structure.Lighting fixtures consisted of eight bars of Par 64s, four bars of four and 12 Pars with colour scrollers with eight silver floor PARs. Strange operated the shows using an Avolites Pearl 2000 console, and the dimming was also Avo. Halliday added: "It's an expedient show in terms of lighting - everything has to work in a certain way. It's also high profile, the most talked-about element of the exhibition and needs lighting in a very precise manner. I've supplied technical production for some years now, it's the first time I've used Bandit, but it certainly won't be the last! The preparation was professional and meticulous from start to finish, which meant it all ran smoothly for us on site."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
