UK - The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is making waves in the West End with its UK premiere of Fangirls, an award-winning Australian musical that has taken the theatre world by storm. This groundbreaking production features an L-Acoustics sound system that delivers exceptional audio quality to this major West End debut.
Written by Yve Blake, Fangirls explores the passionate world of teen fandom through the story of a 14-year-old girl infatuated with the lead singer of a world-famous boy band. The show, which blends hilarity with powerful messages about feminism and the often-underestimated capabilities of teenage girls, demanded an extraordinary audio system capable of recreating the electrifying atmosphere of a large-scale pop concert within the intimate setting of the Lyric.
To meet this unique challenge, award-winning sound designer Tony Gayle specified L-Acoustics, working closely with The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and L-Acoustics Certified Partner Autograph Sound. This collaboration marks a significant return to partnership between L-Acoustics and Autograph Sound in the West End.
"Fangirls is unlike anything we've hosted before," explains Daniel Ronayne, head of sound at The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. "The show's pop-driven score and arena-like moments required us to think beyond traditional theatre audio solutions. We needed a professional sound system with exceptional power and headroom to truly capture the essence of the story."
Autograph Sound, recognising the importance of this production, made a substantial investment in L-Acoustics technology, adding Kara II and Kiva II speakers to their permanent inventory, specifically for Fangirls.
The L-Acoustics configuration includes two main Left/Right hangs of six Kara II enclosures each, with a Centre cluster of Kiva II for vocal clarity and consistent coverage across the auditorium. Two additional hangs of three Kara II along with SB18 subwoofers cover the stalls, augmented by the theatre's existing fixed subwoofers.
Tony Gayle comments: "This is a very pop-driven show, which is a lot of fun and very loud. We needed a bigger sound system than we’d ever had before. The L-Acoustics line arrays gave us the tonal quality and delivery that we were looking for on the show, providing both the crystal-clear sound necessary for theatrical performances and the concert sound experience we wanted to create."
"We're thrilled to see our K Series bringing stadium-level sound to the intimate setting of The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre,” expresses Toby Chester, application manager at L-Acoustics. “L-Acoustics has a long history of delivering powerful, high-quality audio for both large-scale events and theatrical productions. It's an honour to have an expert like Tony Gayle recognise this versatility for Fangirls. We're equally excited to rekindle our partnership with Autograph Sound on this landmark production, showcasing how our systems can provide the impact and creative flexibility that cutting-edge musical theatre demands."
"The crispness and power of the L-Acoustics system have exceeded our expectations," Ronayne concludes. "It's a very different show for the Lyric Theatre, and it has opened up new possibilities for how we approach sound design for future productions in the venue, allowing us to create truly immersive experiences for our audiences."
This installation marks a significant step forward in bringing concert-grade audio to intimate theatre spaces, showcasing the versatility and impact of L-Acoustics line array technology in the world of performing arts.
