The transformation was designed to create, in RSC artistic director Michael Boyd's words, "the best theatre in the world to perform the works of Shakespeare". It involved a massive reconstruction that created a new RST auditorium with a thrust stage and embraced the adjacent Swan Theatre, with a colonnade connecting the two and extensively upgraded public facilities throughout.
Stage Electrics, as specialist theatre contractor and technical coordinator, was contracted to provide and install the Theatre Electrics Package, including every electrical, audio and lighting system within both the RST itself and the Swan Theatre.
Jonathan Porter Goff, project manager for Stage Electrics, comments,"Our work began by taking the basic designs from theatre consultants Charcoalblue, engineers Buro Happold and architects Bennetts Associates, and then providing the detailed designs for installation."
Stage Electrics had begun work with the RSC some five years ago, initially on the Courtyard Theatre, which was designed as both a temporary replacement for the original RST during its transformation, and a proving ground for new design concepts including the large thrust stage. Having also worked on the RSC's Chapel Lane offices Stage Electrics was then contracted for the transformation of the RST.
Stage Electrics supplied the house lighting (co-designed with the RSC) and all stage lighting, auditorium sound, site-wide communications and audio-video paging/relay system. As technical co-ordinators its team worked with key suppliers Delstar (under-stage engineering) and Trekwerk (over-stage engineering), for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)'s Project Team headed by project director Peter Wilson OBE, deputy project director Simon Harper and project coordinator Flip Tanner.
FOH audio systems are controlled by a DiGiCo SD7T console. The PA comprises a largely self-powered Meyer system including 11 M'elodie curvilinear array loudspeakers and six UPM-2Ps, with 56 UPM-1P compact full-range units. These are supplemented by a delay system of 40 d&b audiotechnik E0s, driven by eight d&b D6 amplifiers running remote network software.
Stage Electrics also worked with Ampetronic to install and commission induction loop systems for the RST and Swan, following its successful introduction at the temporary Courtyard Theatre.
Lighting was very much a team effort, with the RSC's head of lighting, Vince Herbert, working closely with Trekwerk to design the 30 lighting clusters, flown from Trekwerk-designed dual line hoists, powered by a 600V DC bus featuring regenerative technology. Motion control is provided by a Trekwerk console running custom 3D software which also feeds positional data via ArtNet to the Grand MA 2 lighting controller.
The clusters were equipped by Stage Electrics with Swisson Dimming and a pair of moving lights from a stock of Martin TW1s, Vari*Lite VL1000s, VL1000 Arcs and VL500s, and a large complement of ETC Source Fours. Each cluster also carries an integral composite cable management system with 32A single phase power, DMX and Ethernet, and is stabilised by an integrated RSC Lightlock device.
House and stage lighting dimming is provided by ETC Matrix iSine sine wave dimming in remote dimmer rooms.
Jonathan Porter Goff sums up, "Stage Electrics has spent quite a lot of the last five years involved with the RSC, in The Courtyard initially, then the Chapel Lane offices and most recently at the RST and the Swan. We've enjoyed it enormously; it's been a great privilege to be involved in the transformation project for the RSC."
For an in-depth look at the new RST transformation, don't miss our special feature in the forthcoming
