Tag Archive: Dan Last

1. White Light Takes a Trip Down Avenue Q for UK Tour

   1 February 2019 10:10 1 Comment

   

   White Light has supplied the lighting equipment on the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q which is currently embarking on a UK Tour.

   Avenue Q is a laugh-out-loud musical featuring puppets who tell the story of recent college graduate Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment on Avenue Q. Here, he meets a range of colourful characters who help him discover his true purpose in life. The production is produced by Selladoor Worldwide and features a lighting design by Charlie Morgan Jones. Charlie comments: “This is the fifth time I’ve lit the show, having worked on previous UK tours and even a Hong Kong run. Whereas this time the show remains just as hilarious, we have in fact completely revamped the lighting rig”.

   Prior to the show, Charlie sat down with Director Cressida Carre and Set Designer Richard Evans to talk about the look and feel of the show. Charlie comments: “Our brief was quite simple – it had to be bright, colourful and comic. Although the production has evolved over the last four years, we have kept the same ethos throughout – which is to provide every audience member with a side-splitting experience”.

   Part of this evolution includes the lighting rig itself, which has undergone a large revamp with this latest version of the show. Charlie explains: “Technology has moved forward a lot in the past few years and I wanted this to be reflected in the design. Now, for the first time, we have an entirely LED rig overhead”.

   

   For his ideal rig, Charlie approached WL and worked closely with Business Development Manager Jonathan Haynes and Senior Account Handler Dan Last. He comments: “We replaced the fresnels that we previously had with brand-new ETC Lustr 2s. These are used for the set dressing at front of house and backlighting for the whole stage. They also give us far more options than a standard fresnel would. For instance, in the song ‘If You Were Gay’, where we had only two colours before, we are now able to use every colour from the pride rainbow flag. Similarly, as the day gets longer, we’re able to move through the entire colours of the day, from sunrise to sunset and everything in between; with these fixtures giving us the scope to do that”.

   Charlie has also drawn heavily on the Vari*Lite 2600s which are a new fixture that WL recently invested in and were used for the first time on Charlie’s previous show, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Unmasked at The Other Palace. Charlie comments: “When I used the 2600s, I was simply blown away by them. They are a fantastic fixture that really allow me to achieve the crisp brightness and colour I’m constantly striving for. Once I’d used them for the first time, I literally redrew the lighting plans for Avenue Q to include them in the rig!”.

   Whilst Charlie has drawn on a range of new fixtures, the show still relies heavily on followspotting; something he had to incorporate during his design and the tech period. He comments: “The set design is nothing short of beautiful but it is only four meters up stage so is very present! However, there are times in the show when you want to lose the street setting and focus solely on the puppets. Therefore, I had to combat this through some very intricate positioning. The lighting also controls the automation of the set doors on this version so I’ve had to ensure all the different elements work in unison!

   

   He adds: “I am absolutely delighted with the rig we’ve put together for Avenue Q and know this will look the best it’s ever been. Fortunately, for all my recent shows I’ve had a brilliant team with me every step of the way, which includes Programmer Paul Walmsley, Production Electricians Toby Cartmell and Chris Gunnell, Chief LX Jack Ramplin, LX2 Dan Chalk and the original Avenue Q Associate LD George Smith”.

   The show marks an extremely busy few weeks for Charlie, who in the past two months has also worked on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Unmasked (The Other Palace Theatre) and The Lady Vanishes (UK Tour). He is also preparing for his latest tour, The Shy Manifesto. For all of these productions, WL has supplied the lighting equipment.

   Charlie concludes: “I am extremely grateful with the brilliant service I have received once again from WL on all four shows I’ve recently lit. Nothing is ever too much and they are always on the end of the phone, eager to help in any situation. I look forward to continue working with them throughout the year”.

   Photos courtesy of Matt Martin.

2. White Light Supports VAULT Festival for Seventh Year Running

   22 January 2019 09:43 Leave a Comment

   

   White Light will be returning to VAULT Festival once again this year to supply the complete lighting and rigging solutions. This will mark the seventh consecutive year that the company has worked on the Festival, having supported it from day one.

   Located inside the Waterloo tunnels, VAULT Festival is London’s biggest, boldest and bravest arts and entertainment festival. This year it will run from 23^rd Jan to 17^th March, with more than 400 shows from over 2,000 artists. It features the best new writing in theatre and comedy along with immersive experiences, late night parties and much more.

   The event is produced by Mat Burt and Andy George of the Heritage Arts Company. Andy, who is also Head of Production, comments: “When we first started the Festival back in 2012, we had no idea it would grow to become what it is today. We initially thought it would be a one off yet the more people heard about it, the more they wanted to come along and get involved. One of our biggest aims has always been to make theatre accessible and remove barriers for our visiting artists. As we know, making creative work for a live audience is always risky but we try our hardest to minimise up-front costs and reward the creative party”.

   

   With the Festival being so committed to supporting its artists, this means it largely depends on the help of other organisations to make itself sustainable. Andy explains: “We are not publicly funded which often makes things difficult; especially when the whole purpose of the Festival is to make theatre financially viable! That’s why when we first started, we contacted WL as we knew about their reputation for supporting emerging artists. Thankfully, they’ve been with us ever since”.

   At VAULT Festival, WL supplies all of the lighting, rigging and power across 16 venues, six bar spaces and six box office areas. This year, they have worked closely with Head of Lighting Sarah Readman who specified the kit required for each area. She comments: “This year, we’ve made a conscious decision to move more towards LED. Not only is this much more energy efficient but also offers our designers more flexibility and reliability. I worked with Senior Account Handler Dan Last who was extremely supportive and helpful; as always”.

   Alongside supplying the equipment, WL also provides the services of its current apprentices who help install everything on-site across an 11 day period. Andy comments: “The apprentices this year, like the previous cohort, are a fantastic bunch who have really gone above and beyond to get everything ready on time.  Across the Festival, they will also take on different roles such as show operator and technician, ensuring they take full advantage of the festival whilst it’s running”.

   

   VAULT Festival opens on Wednesday and the headline show this year is Counting Sheep which visits London after an acclaimed sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

   WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven comments: “We are delighted to once again be supporting VAULT Festival. It’s one of the few platforms out there for emerging artists of all disciplines to have their work showcased and is a hotbed for the next generation of theatre-makers. As an organisation, it’s been fantastic to see the Festival simply go from strength to strength and we look forward to continue supporting Andy, Mat and the whole team on what promises to be another memorable year”.

   Photos courtesy of VAULT Festival.

3. White Light Supplies Poet in Da Corner

   2 November 2018 10:36 Leave a Comment

   

   Inspired by Dizzee Rascal’s seminal album Boy in da Corner, Poet in da Corner is a new drama written by young poet Debris Stevenson. It is a coming-of-age piece about a young girl’s experience of hearing grime for the first time and how this influenced the rest of her life. It recently ran at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre, garnishing critical acclaim. As a leading lighting supplier to theatre productions across the UK, WL was called upon to provide the lighting equipment on this occasion.

   The lighting designer for the production was Max Narula, who is a past recipient of the ALD’s Michael Northen Bursary and graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He explains: “Poet in da Corner is quite a biographical piece of Debra’s and, over the course of the play, we see glimpses into her life and the various moments which lead her to be the woman she is today. Where as a ‘traditional play’ is prose, Poet in da Corner is a mixture of spoken word, dance and grime music, making it very unique indeed”.

   

   Due to the nature of the project, Max did not have a brief as such but instead became part of the devised process in the rehearsal room. He comments: “There were very few scenic elements to the show, and the ones that were there took up the majority of the fly bars, so I came up with a very simple, yet versatile, rig to create the growing list of different locations that the play demanded. Ola Ince, the director, and myself wanted to make sure we were able to give a sense of a grime concert yet still be able to see and hear all the words clearly – which is very much contradictory as most grime concerts are dark and have flashing, moving lights all over the crowd!”.

   Max approached the WL team and worked closely with Senior Account Handler Dan Last to acquire the fixtures he needed. He states: “The Royal Court Theatre has fantastic in-house equipment but no arc moving lights. Due to the hanging plot being so tight, I needed moving lights to replace what could have been a selection of generic lanterns. I approached WL who supplied me with a range of the VL1000 AS which were exactly what I needed. These allowed me to play with colour throughout the show, as well as create various corridors of light”.

   The show finished its run earlier last month and achieved critical acclaim. Debris Stevenson has since been nominated for a London Evening Standard Theatre Emerging Talent Award.

   Max comments: “I loved working on such a unique show which also my first professional production as the sole lighting designer. I am very thankful to the highly supportive and fantastic team at the Royal Court: Cat Roberts (Production Electrician), Steven Settle (Programmer) and the Head of Lighting Johnny Wilson. It was fantastic to light a show Downstairs at the Royal Court and I want to thank WL and Dan Last for all of their support throughout”.

   Photos courtesy of Ali Wright and Jess Revell.

4. White Light Returns to Edinburgh Fringe with Gilded Balloon

   7 August 2017 15:40 Comments Off on White Light Returns to Edinburgh Fringe with Gilded Balloon

   The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the single biggest celebration of arts and culture on the planet. Every August, Scotland’s capital welcomes an explosion of creative work from across the globe, with this year marking the Fringe’s seventieth anniversary. 2017 is set to be the busiest festival yet, with more than 50,000 performances of 3,300 shows in over 300 venues. Gilded Balloon is one of the four largest venues at the Fringe and White Light is once again supplying the lighting equipment in all of its spaces.

   The Gilded Balloon has an international reputation for presenting a programme of theatre, comedy and cabaret.  The venue was established in 1986 and, in 2001, moved to Teviot Row House where it currently resides during the Fringe Festival. For over ten years, WL has supplied the venue with the latest lighting equipment and this year has proven to be no exception. Dan Last, WL’s Senior Hire Co-ordinator, comments: “The Gilded Balloon is one of the busiest venues during the Fringe. As a result, it is vital that we provide the latest lighting technology. Our brief was to supply equipment that was not only suitable for the numerous spaces but would offer lighting designers and their creative teams as many options as possible”.

   Gilded Balloon has over 14 spaces during the Fringe, including the Billiard Hall, Balcony, Dining Room, Turret and even the Wine Bar. Dan states: “Such is the nature of the Fringe that lots of spaces which are not traditionally considered to be ‘theatrical’ are transformed to accommodate the multitude of performances. Gilded is a great example of this and the spaces within Teviot Row House are each used to their full potential”.

   This year in the Gilded Balloon’s Nightclub space, there will be a range of comedy acts, including the Stephen K Amos Talk Show and Sean Hughes’s Blank Book, along with a Donald Trump satire and even a midnight rave party which lasts three hours. In the Nightclub, WL has supplied a range of Martin Professional MAC Aura LEDs, Mac Profiles, a range of Fresnels and ETC Source Fours along with Prolyte trussing.

   Alongside the Nightclub, the Debating Hall at Gilded Balloon also has an extremely busy programme, with children’s shows such as KID/DUB, a live stand up show by John Shuttleworth along with the grand final of So You Think You’re Funny?. For the Debating Hall, WL has supplied Martin MAC Aura Washlights, SGM LED Washlights, Unique 2 Haze Machines, Look Solutions Viper Smoke Machines along with DMX Splitters. Similarly, the Balcony space, which will host productions such as Ray Bradshaw’s BSL stand up show, is drawing on equipment such as ETC Source Four Lustr Profiles along with BB4 LED Washlights.

   Dan states: “Each space is of varying size, layout and caters for different types of show. Therefore we needed to ensure that what we supplied was perfectly suited for each one. As a result, we worked two weeks on the build of the various rigs, as well as oversaw the technical previews to ensure everything was in place and ready to go for the opening”.

   The Edinburgh Festival Fringe officially opened last week and will run until the end of August.

   Dan comments: “We’re delighted to be back at the Fringe again and supplying the lights to one of the busiest and most exciting venues in all of Edinburgh. As a company whose heritage is firmly rooted in theatre, we appreciate what a significant role that the Fringe plays in this, so it’s great to be at the heart of this”.

   Photos courtesy of Dan Last and Steve Ullathorne.

5. White Light Supports Rose Bruford Graduate Exhibition

   20 June 2017 15:32 Comments Off on White Light Supports Rose Bruford Graduate Exhibition

   

   One of the performances during the Graduate Exhibition.

   Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance is London’s International Drama School. Students from over 40 different countries study on the 15 different vocational and professional degree courses, with notable alumni including Gary Oldman, Hayley Squires and Tom Baker. Every year, the College hosts a Graduate Exhibition in order to give its graduating students a launchpad into the industry. Having worked with the College for over ten years now, White Light was called upon to provide the complete technical solutions.

   This year’s Graduate Exhibition was named Beginner’s Call and took place at the Ugly Duck in central London. The Head of Production was Anthony Sammut, the Production Manager was Toscane Luckett whilst Sam Jackson was the Technical Manager. Sam states: “My role on the exhibition was to work closely with Ollie Brennan (Technical Supervisor) and oversee the technical elements. This was one of most ambitious showcases we’ve ever held, with the upper two floors showcasing our technical students’ work and the ground floor being used for four performances in rep. We chose the Ugly Duck as it’s quite an open venue and would allow us to showcase all of the students’ work”.

   

   Sam had to create a technical infrastructure including a power and network system design that would not only work practically within that space but highlight the work on display. Sam comments: “We made several site visits down to the space to see how we could use it. It took us around six weeks of planning to finalise a design along with a kit list which we knew would be ideal for the exhibition. It was at this point we approached White Light”.

   Working closely with WL’s Senior Hire Co-Ordinator Dan Last, Sam drew on an extensive range of WL’s technical equipment. Sam states: “We approached WL as we knew they were an organisation who could offer the complete technical solutions. As the showcase is attended by industry professionals whom our students are hoping to impress, we need the standards to be as high as possible”.

   

   The students speak to industry professionals.

   
   For the lighting, WL supplied Chroma Q Color Force 72 LED Battens, Rainbow Scrollers, Selecon Fresnels, Minuette Fresnels, ETC Source Four Juniors and Coemar Silver Parlites. These were all programmed on an ETC Ion 1K Console. Sam adds: “It was important that we had enough lighting for the actual exhibition itself and that we could highlight the work on display. However, we also had to ensure that the lighting designers working on the performances on the ground floor had enough options to achieve their vision”.

   Sam also worked closely with Oscar Cotran, who was Head of Sound for the performances and drew on WL’s extensive audio inventory. Sam states: “We employed a Dante system which drew on EMS 51, 61 and 81 Loudspeakers, EMS 115 Sub Bass along with Shure Wireless Mics. This had a particular importance for the musical performances and it ensured that there was even audio coverage throughout the space”.

   WL also supplied the entire rigging system, which included Prolyte X30D and H30X trusses, along with Doughty Clamps, scaffold clamps and even sand bags!

   

   From left: Bryan Raven (WL), Sam Jackson (Technical Manager), Andy George (VAULT Festival) and Nick Hunt (Rose Bruford).

   Beginner’s Call ran from 14^th-17^th June and the work on display came from seventy-nine students graduating from seven courses. With the Ugly Duck being in constant use, this meant that Sam and the team had a limited time to prepare for the event – despite the vast amount of equipment involved. He states: “We literally had two days in which to build the infrastructure, set up the equipment, drape off the dressing rooms, install the emergency lights along with a thousand and one other things! That’s why it was so vital to plan beforehand and assure that we had drawn on the most reliable technology”.

   This marks another student showcase that WL has supported, having worked with Rose Bruford since 2004. Sam adds: “What was so great about WL is that they supplied all of the technical equipment. From the largest lighting fixtures to the cables to the speaker stands, they had absolutely everything we required. The service they provided was fantastic, the staff were extremely friendly and their equipment allowed our graduates to get the most out of their work”.

   Photos courtesy of Alec Brand, Ben Wilkin, Michael O’Reilly and Sam Jackson.

6. White Light Gets a Bite of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show

   16 February 2017 09:42 Comments Off on White Light Gets a Bite of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show

   The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle has delighted generations of readers since it was first published in 1969, selling more than 43 million copies worldwide. Now the timeless classic is making its way off the page and onto the stage in a critically-acclaimed production which brings together Carle’s legendary stories through the use of puppetry. Currently embarking on a tour across the UK, White Light has been called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   Produced by MEI Theatrical Ltd, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been adapted by Jonathan Rockefeller and consists of four classic Carle stories: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Ros Spiers-King, Dream Manager at MEI, comments: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a brilliant show that manages to encapsulate the magic of Carle’s novels and bring this alive from the page. Many of our young audience have heard the books being read but have never seen what these would like look animated; which is exactly what the show provides”.

   The books are re-imagined through the use of more than 75 puppets and a hard-working cast of four. Ros adds: “As this is a children’s show, it is extremely busy with lots happening at a very rapid rate. Alongside the cast and props, we rely heavily on the lighting to help push the story forward”.

   As a result, working with David Goldstein’s original lighting design, Ros and Technical Manager Tom Boucher approached WL to supply them with equipment suitable for the show. Ros states: “The set is actually entirely white which can potentially be a nightmare when lighting! However, as Eric Carle’s books and stories are so colourful, we wanted to use the lights to capture this”.

   WL supplied the production with Martin MAC Aura LEDs, ETC Source Four Zooms and an ETC Ion 1K Console. WL also provided a series of gobos to help create the polka dots that are synonymous with The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

   Ros comments: “As the show is visiting over 50 venues, we had to choose a selection of lights that were both specific yet adaptable. The venues we visit vary enormously in size, from large regional theatres to intimate town halls. Thankfully, the kit supplied by WL meant we had a wide range of options that could bring the show to life regardless of the location”.

   The tour marks the latest chapter of the production which first embarked on a tour last year before having a limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre in London’s West End; both of which were supplied by WL. The show is currently playing at the Newbury Corn Exchange and will visit the Atkinson Theatre in Southport later this week. Over the next few months, it will tour venues all across the country. For more information and to buy tickets, please visit: www.hungrycaterpillarshow.com

   Ros adds: “We are really proud of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the incredible cast and crew and the impact the show is having on young audiences. We are also extremely grateful to WL, especially Senior Hire Co-ordinator Dan Last, for providing such brilliant service and going out of their way to ensure our needs were always met”.

   Photos courtesy of Pamela Raith and Ros Spiers-King.