Twenty-two years after it was originally performed in the venue, the play made a welcomed return to the stage to once again raise the profile of HIV awareness as well as the charity's work. White Light was called upon to provide some essential lighting equipment for the performance, which not only meant assisting on an important event but also continuing their relationship with one of the UK's leading HIV charities.
Established in 1990 as West End Cares, the rebranded TheatreMAD is a group of volunteers bringing the theatre community and its audiences together to raise awareness and funds for those diagnosed with HIV. Originally starting with bucket collections in West End theatres, the organisation has grown over the years hosting various events annually, such as Late Night Cabaret and Midnight Matinées. Their most recent fundraiser was a revived performance of the play Elegies For Angels, Punks and Raging Queens by Bill Russell and Janet Hood.
The play consists of a series of monologues and songs, all based on real-life stories taken from the AIDS Memorial Quilt in America. Charity director David Pendlebury comments, "Although this play was written more than 25 years ago, it is still as relevant today. More and more people are being diagnosed with HIV and Bill Russell has updated his piece so that it is relevant to a modern-day audience". Due to the intimate nature of the show, lighting was a necessity for the production. David states, "Each piece is very personal. The lighting was key as it was required to set the atmosphere for each monologue". Therefore, when TheatreMAD realised they required a specific spotlight for the piece, they quickly contacted White Light.
"We have a long, successful working relationship with White Light", remarks David. "They have helped on several shows in the past so as soon as I heard we needed some additional equipment, they were the only people who came to mind".
The equipment used was a Robert Juliat Foxie Followspot 700w MSR, known as being a very powerful yet compact spotlight. Craig Bennett, White Light's hire business development manager, states, "It's fantastic to not only be able to support companies with whom we have a long-standing relationship but to do so knowing it is for a really important cause".
As this was a one-off event, along with the fact that the Criterion Theatre has another show playing throughout the week, both the turnaround and installation had to be extremely efficient. "We contacted White Light with a few days notice and they were, as always, really organised and accommodating", comments David. "The fast delivery and installation of the equipment meant that the show ran as smoothly as possible".
White Light also provided its services on previous TheatreMAD events such as West End Eurovision, an alternate take on the Eurovision Song Contest featuring the companies of West End shows, and West End Bares, a dazzling burlesque style show featuring dancers and singers from the West End.
(Jim Evans)
