UK - Lighting designer Paul Pyant returned to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) to light a production of the Steven Sondheim classic, A Little Night Music directed by Edward Kemp and staged at RADA’s Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre in central London. Robe enjoys a close ongoing working relationship with RADA, making their latest technologies available for students to use across the three main venues. Paul’s design for this production utilised Robe’s DL7S LED profiles and the new Spiider LED wash beam moving lights, together with other moving and conventional fixtures. Paul’s acclaimed career started at RADA – he is a 1973 alumnus of the Academy’s technical training course – and features extensive work across the genres of theatre, opera, ballet and dance. It’s earned him recognition for lighting a diversity of shows from large-scale West E
UK - Internationally renowned production manager Ola Melzig - head of production for Eurovision 2017 - is set to host the glamorous tenth anniversary edition of the Knight of Illumination Awards. The prestigious ceremony will be held on 17 September at London's Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. Throughout his career, Melzig has coordinated innumerable high-profile shows around the globe, including the Commonwealth Games, the Nobel Prize Banquet, and now no fewer than 12 Eurovision productions - all of which are a long way from his first role in the industry, working as a stagehand in 1989. At the 2017 TPI Awards, Melzig was announced 'Production Manager of the Year' as voted for by the public and his peers. "The Knight of Illumination Awards has become a 'must attend' event in our industry," says Melzig. "Not only does it offer an entertaining evening among notable lighti
UK - April saw the premiere of the next instalment of The Guardians of the Galaxy, held at the Eventim Apollo at Hammersmith. The global success of the first film from the Marvel franchise guaranteed the sequel and film premieres of this magnitude require more than just a red carpet to announce their arrival. Impact Production Services (IPS) are well known exponents at delivering the goods at this sort of event. In addition to lighting the press areas and a media wall, IPS supplied the lighting inside the theatre where the main event took place. This was a mainly Clay Paky affair, designed by James Barnfather from the end client, Limited Edition Event Design and featuring Sharpys, Sharpy Washes and the newly upgraded Mythos2 fixtures. Programmer and operator for the show was Luke Edwards who explains the choices, “Sharpy Washes have always been a favourite of
USA - There are no straight lines in Time, the new Orange County club designed by Davis Ink, Ltd. That’s one reason why the dance floor is visible from anywhere in the venue. The lighting design by Steve Lieberman’s SJ Lighting features a “digital chandelier” made of Chauvet DJ MotionOrb fixtures along with some power packed spot and wash lighting from Chauvet Professional Rogues. “The space inside this venue is almost amoeba-like,” said Lieberman. “It’s a single flowing and very immersive unit. Davis Ink completely ripped the former retail store apart down to the bone to create the new structure. We identified focal points throughout the space and used those locations to create our dimensioning and distribution of fixtures. Since the space is so different we spent a lot of time evaluating how each space would transition into the next.” Among the foca
UK - Brighton Dome, built in 1803 for the Prince Regent, features an 1800 capacity concert hall that stages a varied programme of top class international entertainment, including contemporary and classical music, theatre, dance, visual arts and comedy. In recent years, the Dome's technical team had earmarked a new house lighting scheme as a priority. Its existing dimmers were obsolete and channels were failing, energy consumption was high and maintenance very difficult. Integrator Stage Electrics was awarded the works to supply, install and commission an entire new house lighting and following a site visit, made an immediate suggestion that a GDS solution would be best. Integrator Stage Electrics were to design an energy efficient house light system, with an increase in lux level, that retained the aesthetic of the auditorium without compromise. Maintaining a warm tun
World - Seven hundred and ninety-five (795) Robe Spikies are on the road with Bruno Mars 24K Magic world tour – setting a record for the largest number to date of a single type of Robe fixture on one touring show! The Spikies are the main lighting feature of an action-packed show and are used constantly for hi-impact looks, an array of fluid effects, mesmeric chases, animated chunks of colour and magically twinkling and sparkling ‘soft’ surfaces which can totally transform the appearance of the performance space in this exciting hi-energy show. The dynamic, colourful and highly visual production design was originated by Leroy Bennett of Seven Design Works, who collaborated closely with a top creative team including lighting designer Cory FitzGerald and lighting director on-the-road Whitney Hoversten. 24K Magic is also currently one of the most talked abou
USA - Empire of the Sun catapulted to international stardom in 2008 with their multi-platinum hit Walking on a Dream. It was a very fitting title, for the song and the band. Blending an ethereal sound with stage visuals that resemble something out of a fantasy game, the Australian duo make it easy for audiences to take a temporary leave from reality and enter an uplifting world of imagination. This transcendental quality was on full display last month, when Empire of the Sun appeared on the Coachella Festival’s Sahara Stage. Dressed in flowing, futuristic silky black outfits and backed by robot dancers, the duo performed on a stage adorned with glowing pyramids and a six-pronged silver statue cradling a primordial white orb. Illuminating the fantastical scene with brilliant white light and vivid colors was a lightshow that Dave Taylor programmed and controlled with
Ireland - INEC Killarney, the largest music and multi-purpose venue in Ireland outside Dublin, has successfully completed the first stage of a significant production upgrade plan with the help of A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET). AC-ET worked with the venue, which has hosted many national and international music acts including The Script, Tom Jones, Snow Patrol, Hozier, Walking on Cars, Kenny Rogers and Tom Jones, to specify and supply a complete new lighting rig including a full range of fixtures, cabling and lighting control desk. ProLights fixtures form the cornerstone of the rig, which uses a variety of moving lights including Pixiewash and Diamond19 RGBW LED wash lights, Luma1500 LED profiles and Ruby discharge beam lights. These were supplemented with ProLights StudioCOB FC full colour LED PARS and Solar IP65 LED wash lights. ETC Source Four profiles and
Germany - Fitness-AV installation experts, State of the Art of Cologne, showcased a large Elation Pixel Bar 40 installation as a key element of their booth design at FIBO 2017 as a real-world example of the immersive experience the company can create for fitness club customers. “At FIBO, we wanted to show our customers an immersive experience but with examples that are as close as possible to what we deliver in real installations,” said Andreas Knölle, chief technical officer at State of the Art. “For the fitness industry, it’s important to engage their members. Fitness clubs are open 24 hours a day and reliable AV systems are important for customer satisfaction.” FIBO is Europe’s leading trade fair for fitness, wellness and health and ran from 6-9 April in Cologne. Group fitness has grown over the years to be an important part of the fitness industry wit
UK - Maxilux, the Coventry manufacturer of innovative LED lighting, proved itself to be a star player in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s BAFTA-nominated show, Shakespeare Live! From the RSC, broadcast live from Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 2016. Shakespeare Live! From the RSC was broadcast on BBC2 and marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. The production celebrated the playwright’s legacy and his enduring influence on all performance art forms from opera to jazz, dance to musicals. Hosted by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, who were joined by Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Meera Syal, David Suchet, Rufus Wainwright, Tim Minchin, Gregory Porter, Joseph Fiennes, English National Opera, The Royal Ballet and Akala, this event took place in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales
South Africa - Patrick Woodroffe and Roland Greil joined forces to present a Lighting Design Workshop brought to the South African entertainment industry by DWR Distribution. The workshop was held at the University of Johannesburg on 21 April 2017 and both DWR and their media partner Pro-Systems, were delighted with the good attendance and positive feedback. “From my perspective, I think Patrick and I are likeminded in certain things as well as having some shared experiences as we have worked together on multiple projects over the past few years,” said Roland Greil, who is a freelancing lighting programmer, lighting designer and lighting director, as well as an associated partner of Patrick’s company Woodroffe Bassett Design. “That experience and us knowing each other translated in this joint workshop. I think it is very important to give something back to our
USA - ETC has expanded its Unison Paradigm line of architectural lighting controls, increasing lighting station options with the line of Inspire control stations and making it easier to comply with stringent energy requirements with the new Dual Tech sensors. The powerful and elegant Inspire station, originally introduced in the Unison Echo product line, is now a member of the Paradigm family with an updated design and the full feature set of the Paradigm control system. Stations come in a range of styles and button configurations, which allow them to be a perfect match for any installation. The Inspire stations can be easily programmed for pre-set lighting looks, zone control, space-combine functions or any other Paradigm control function. With one-, two-, four-, six-, and eight-button station options – as well as the four-button station with a fader coming late s
UK - Since its inception, Pinewood MBS Lighting has remained committed to investment in LED and low energy lighting. By sourcing products from leading manufacturers and creating innovative illumination solutions via MBSi’s in-house product development team, PMBS has steadily grown to become one of the world’s largest energy efficient entertainment lighting resources. Supported and governed by the BAFTA albert Consortium, albert is the UK’s leading environmental sustainability initiative for the visual-arts. The project aims to educate and provide industry colleagues with the necessary expertise and opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of the production process and to create chances for audiences to effectively engage with the climate agenda. Having recently delivered low energy and LED solutions to crews on major productions, including The Nutcrack
Australia - The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts is on-par with NIDA in the east as the wellspring of the next generation of Australian talent across the entire spectrum of the live arts. With its original technical fit-out dating to the early 1980s, the entire lighting rig was due for an upgrade. Lighting coordinator Jon Davey had presided over a project that has seen the auditorium go 100% LED, with 24 Elation Sixpar 300s making up the majority of the stock. With a mass of LED pars on the market, what was it about the Elation Sixpar 300s that stood out from the other fixtures Jon auditioned? “We developed a specification based on what was important to us – noiseless, flicker-free operation, and colour rendering giving us a high level of visual acuity. Went through a shoot-out process that covered a range of products, and the Elation units were the right c
USA - As a boy in Broadalbin, New York, Keith Truax loved listening to the CD of Jekyll & Hyde the Musical. While being swept up by Frank Wildhorn's bold, unabashedly passionate score, he often found himself dreaming of one day being involved in a production of this theatrical take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of good and evil. Dreams do indeed come true when you grow up to become a talented lighting designer. Truax has been earning widespread praise for his current work lighting Jekyll & Hyde The Musical at Long Island’s popular John W Engeman Theatre. Fittingly, his dramatic contrast of colours is endowing the stage with a transformative dream-like quality that underscores the musical’s good-evil dichotomy. Helping him achieve this powerful effect is a collection of Ovation, Maverick and Rogue fixtures from Chauvet Professional.
Iceland - Robe moving lights are making a big impact at the Icelandic National Theatre (Þjóðleikhúsið) in Reykjavík since they became an integral element of the available house lighting rig, a process that started in 2014 and has recently been continued with the addition of DL7S Profiles, LEDBeam 1000s and Actor6s. The Robe fixtures were specified by Head of lighting Halldór Örn Óskarsson (Halli) and his team of colleagues. Halli is an award winning LD and also a primary production lighting designer for this high profile venue which has five separate performance spaces and a busy and diverse programme of shows and events. This includes new Icelandic and international works, Icelandic and foreign classics, musicals, dance pieces and children’s productions. The theatre creates around 10 new productions each year and also collaborates with independent theatre
Canada - AV Stumpfl, the Austrian AV technology manufacturer has announced Theatrixx as their exclusive media server and show control distributor for Canada. The Montreal based company distributes and manufactures technical equipment for the performing arts industry. Theatrixx Technologies also designs custom equipment that offers solutions for video, lighting, audio, power and cabling challenges. AV Stumpfl CEO Fabian Stumpfl comments: “Coming from a country with a lot of mountains ourselves, we have always had a soft spot for Canada and its majestic landscapes. However, it was obviously not just the beauty of this country that made us look for a direct distribution partner, it was the vibrancy of the Canadian creative scene. Canadian companies are among the best in the whole world when it comes to finding innovative ways for using media server and show control solu
UK - Penn Elcom has launched a new range of wall mounting brackets … designed to house popular audio and video streaming devices in stylish, understated and practical enclosures. The initial three products that have been manufactured by Penn Elcom in the UK are for Sonos Connect devices, Sonos Connect Amps and Sky Q Mini boxes, keeping pace with innovations at the forefront of facilitating trends in commercial and domestic entertainment consumption. These are the first of a whole range of stylish and straightforward-to-fit products designed to look elegant and provide a neat solution for the distribution of streamed live entertainment around any building or space. Currently the range covers two Sonos products, the standard Connect box and the Connect Amp which turn existing audio systems into wireless set ups; and the Sky Q Mini Box which allows Sky TV and vide
UK - Petersfield Festival Hall, the versatile multipurpose venue in Hampshire, can now create a truly immersive colour experience as well as white light for its audiences, events, and galas thanks to its new Chroma-Q Inspire lighting system installed by A.C. Special Projects Ltd. (AC-SP). Because of the wide range of productions held at the Festival Hall, the venue wanted new colour changing LED house lighting that could provide a full range of colours, from deep saturates to smooth pastels, all with smooth, theatrical grade dimming. Similarly, it was important to provide quality white light for day to day use and corporate functions. Ultra-quiet running, low energy consumption and low heat generation were other important considerations. Having enquired about Chroma-Q’s Inspire fixtures to meet these criteria, John Tucker, the Festival Hall’s technical manager, was
South Africa - Peter Rieck of Rieck’s Lighting and joint owner of rental company Event Lighting, was selected by Red Pepper Pictures for the second year running, as lighting designer for Lip Sync Battle Africa. This televised lip sync showdown, filmed at Urban Brew Studios, returned for its second season in April 2017, premiering on MTV Base, a DStv channel. “It’s a dynamic show and funky looks have to compliment the entertainment, interviews and bantering between contestants,” said Peter, who controls the Robe lighting rig with a MA dot2. While each new episode opens with a generic look Peter holds back, only adding colour and pulse moments to the first song of the night. Then, with guns blazing, he lunges with explosive and vibrant lighting effects as the show heats up to complement the massive prop changes. The set, an adaptation from the international form
UK - Based on the book by James Hindman and with original music by Patrick Brady, Pete ‘n’ Keely is the story of a famous musical couple, now estranged, who are persuaded into doing a TV reunion. The current production of Pete ‘n’ Keely at London’s Tristan Bates Theatre, produced by Wallflower Theatrical, and directed by Matthew Gould, includes a colourful glitzy set. Designed by Emily Bestow, it’s reminiscent of classic 60s American TV variety shows, featuring bright colours and a kitsch style. Tasked with designing the lighting for the show, BRIT School alumni Mitchell Reeve explains how he became involved: “Matthew Gould and I have worked on a few productions together now. I first met him a year ago when I was asked to light I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road. As a lighting designer, it is vital to have a good
Argentina - For the more than 90,000 fans who attended Lollapalooza Argentina 2017, the two-day festival served up a musical smorgasbord that satisfied their every taste. In addition to traditional Argentinian sounds like the highly danceable folk music of El Plan de la Mariposa, this South American version of Chicago’s famous Lollapalooza festival featured a rich mix of international superstars from EDM and alt rock, to metal and iconic pop rock on its four stages. Metallica, The Chainsmokers, Rancid and The XX performed on day one, followed by The Stokes, The Weeknd, Martin Garrix and Duran the next day. Although the musical mix may have been a swirl of diverse voices, the festival’s grounds welcomed visitors with a unifying message, helped by a collection of 50 Chauvet Professional WELL Fit fixtures installed by Buenos Aires-based Descableados and supplied by NASH Ing
UAE - Abu Dhabi’s annual Mother of the Nation (MOTN) festival is the UAE’s largest cultural celebration. For 10 days last month, over a kilometre of Abu Dhabi’s Corniche beach was the setting for workshops, exhibitions, dining, and entertainment. A fully integrated A/V and lighting package was provided by Production Technology (Protec) of Dubai, whose careful planning and work was challenged before opening day by Mother Nature. Hurricane-force, 75 mph winds, with an accompanying torrential downpour, could have easily delayed the event, had it not been for Protec’s experienced crew and some quality, IP-rated gear, including 100 of the new, tough and resilient Nuri*Lites Hurricane LED fixtures. “We used Nuri*Lites Hurricanes in the Happiness Zone of the festival, which also happened to be the most exposed area during the storm,” says Protec’s project manage
“During the early days of design discussions with the band and their management it became pretty obvious that the show design should be focused around the stunning video content created by Strangeloop Studios out in Chicago. So, as lighting designer, it was clear that I needed to choose fixtures that could hold their own with such dynamic company.” So declares Tom Campbell, LD for Zeds Dead, one of the biggest names on the EDM scene. “Ayrton’s DreamPanel TMTwin and MagicPanel TM602 were the obvious choice,” continues Campbell. “My concept was to use fixtures, mapped in with the video content to ‘push’ the content out into the audience and through the band: the DreamPanel with its 8x8 matrix was exactly what was needed.” The DreamPanelTwin is a hybrid luminaire with a modified MagicPanel on one side and a DreamPanel Shift on the other. This means it can alte
