Lighting For Hurtwood: White Light Supplies The Hurtwood Concert

16-03-2007 Conventionals, moving lights and LED fixtures supplied to showcase event

Leading entertainment lighting supplier White Light was delighted to be asked by set and lighting designer David Amos to work with him on the lighting for this year's showcase concert at Hurtwood House, one of the top higher education schools for the performing arts in the country.

David Amos has been designing shows for Hurtwood House for several years, working with resident director Miles Russell and guest West End choreographers to create spectacular shows of the highest standard to match the quality of the performances from the talented students.

This year, the designer decided to try a different approach to the show. "I persuaded Miles that rather than using the theatre in its standard end-on format, we should do the show side-on, using the full width of the theatre," he explains. This presented the production with many challenges in terms of audience seating, which had to be built from scratch, and the close proximity of the band to the audience. "Luckily they have a great sound team at Hurtwood, headed up by Dave Parsons; they solved the sound issues and we squeezed in enough seats to make the gig viable."

The new approach allowed Amos to build a widescreen set with a variety of screens and trusses. "With thirty-four numbers to light, I needed the flexibility a large rig gives to make each song feel unique. Our schedule from build to opening night was also very tight, so I needed a rig that would work first time. White Light did not fail to deliver; the kit was in excellent condition, and Jedd Hamilton could not have been more helpful both in the planning and with support during the show."

The rig White Light supplied to the show drew on the company's extensive hire stock and included twelve Vari-Lite VL2000 Spots, twelve Martin Mac600s, seventeen Mac250s, twelve Mac300s, twelve PixellLines, twenty-four ChromaStrips, thirty ColorBlocks, six Atomic strobes, six PixelPars and two followspots, along with truss, cabling and mains distribution. The rig was controlled by a Chamsys MagicQ100 console, which also ran three Arkaos media servers driving five screens, the video content designed by John Sims. "With so much video to program into the desk, it was great to have a lighting rig that you just had to hang, turn on and have it do what it's supposed to do!"

Further information about Hurtwood House can be found at the school's website. Further information about White Light and the full range of services the company offers, including lighting hire, sales, installation and service, can be found elsewhere on this website.