Heading into the summer, Paul Claydon - head of lighting at the National Theatre Scotland - began looking for additions to the theatre company's permanent stocks. He worked with White Light's Antony Vine to determine the right mix of equipment, based on the key requirements of flexibility and touring endurance. With no permanent performance space, National Theatre Scotland productions are often on the road nationally and internationally, meaning any new kit would have to stand up to the pressures of constant touring. "The team at White Light was very helpful in selecting products," Claydon said: "They were efficient, knowledgeable, and - most importantly - they understood exactly how we were going to use the kit."
For lighting, the choice was Martin Professional fixtures - MAC Viper Performance and MAC Aura models, which were put to use almost immediately. "The units arrived and flew out the door onto several productions over our busy summer season," he said. The Viper Performance fixtures have replaced similar profile units in the company's stock. "They are very bright and very fast," Claydon explained. "Lighting Designers are really excited and are already requesting them for shows."
Having already used MAC Auras on several hire projects, Claydon knew these small but powerful LED units would fit perfectly with the rest of National Theatre Scotland's existing lighting. "They are ideal for small scale shows but also have enough punch to use as backlight on larger scale shows - covering the full spectrum of our work."
In addition to new lighting equipment, the National Theatre Scotland also invested in control equipment in the form of a new ETC Gio control desk. Adding to their stock of ETC control, with three Ion control desks already in use, the Gio was chosen for its additional functionality and on-screen touch displays. The new console, as with much of the recent purchase, will be put to work on a variety of touring productions over the coming months and years.
Filling out the new purchase with cases, cables, and networking accessories - White Light was able to deliver a complete lighting solution to keep the company's productions looking great throughout this and future seasons. "The whole process was great and we are very happy," said Claydon.
The National Theatre Scotland's current season runs through the end of the year with the new production of The James Plays currently playing in London and In Time O' Strife currently on tour around the UK.
(Jim Evans)
