Also noteworthy, though attracting less press attention, is the fact that this is the first new opera for both creator/composer Richard Thomas and the National Theatre, chosen by incoming National Theatre director, Nicholas Hytner, to premiere as his first production in the Lyttelton Theatre.
Lighting designer Rick Fisher was first involved with the show when it premiered at Edinburgh last year. The production has expanded following its transfer and Fisher, together with programmer Vic Smerdon, are using the house Strand 500 desk to control the rig of High End Studio Spots, Martin MAC 600s and Vari-Lite VL5Bs.
Blitz Sound has supplied the sound equipment for the show. The company's links with the production also stretch back to the Edinburgh Festival last August, where they originally supplied a partial system consisting of a Cadac R-type mixer and 24 Sennheiser radio microphones.
For the show's run at the National, sound designer Mike Walker has selected a range of equipment including 37 Sennheiser radio microphones, a 64 input Cadac J-type mixer, processing from BSS, XTA and Lexicon and 30 Yamaha amplifiers, with the majority of the speaker system being Tannoy-based.
Such a surreal, action-packed plot demands that the staging (Julian Crouch did the set design) and effects live up to the audience's expectations, which is why AVW Controls was brought on board by the National. Having witnessed the capabilities of AVW's Impressario Advance! on previous National shows, the production team behind Jerry Springer: The Opera have borrowed the system from the Cottesloe to deliver the required effects.
AVW's Anton Woodward explains: "The second half of the show sees God and the Devil arguing over a dead Jerry's fate - should he go to heaven or hell' AVW built the control panels for a moving Valkyrie which shoots quickly and regularly out of a side tower when Jerry is being tormented by the demon." AVW also built the control panels for a hydraulic lift that works as three lifts in one, an outside donut lift and inner lift, with another lift on top which forms a table. These lifts go up and down several times during the show, to create a dias, coffee table and, at one point, take Jerry down to hell with flames shooting out just after he has descended.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
