Tag Archive: ETC Ion Console

1. White Light Supplies Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

   1 August 2019 13:52 Leave a Comment

   

   White Light has supplied the lighting equipment for the recent West End transfer of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin following its critically-acclaimed UK tour.

   Based on Louis de Bernières’ best-selling novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is the world-famous story of romance in the face of the Second World War set on the idyllic Greek island of Cephallonia. The production marks the novel’s first major theatrical adaptation along with the 25^th anniversary since its original publication. For both the UK tour and West End run, the lighting design was by Malcolm Rippeth.

   Malcolm comments: “As a creative team, one of our main aims was to find the look and feel of Cephalonia and the other spaces featured across the story; the key one being the Italian soldiers fighting their way through the country. In that sense, it was creating a space of peace and beauty in pre-invasion Cephalonia, contrasting with a space imbued with the anticipation of violence. There were also the ‘psychological spaces’ that certain characters experienced during the clashes of warfare”.

   

   With Captain Corelli’s Mandolin being such an epic story, the creative team had to ensure they did this justice in only two and a half hours of stage time. Malcolm explains: “There are lots of jump-cuts and montages of years passing throughout the play, which are devices we’re used to in the cinema. That said, we were keen to make this show as theatrical as possible and embrace the medium. As a result, we stripped the aesthetic back which immediately allowed this. Given that the limited set never changes, lighting was actually key in giving the audience a clear sense of the different spaces and which world they were in at certain points of the piece”.

   Once Malcolm had created a design which brought the world of Cephalonia to life, he approached WL to provide the lighting for both the UK tour and the ultimate West End transfer. He explains: “We had a side light cover of ETC Source 4 Lustr 2s to give us immediate control of colour and temperature across wide ensemble scenes, whilst enhancing the movement and choreography. Overhead we had 12 Martin MAC Encore CLDs, which gave us maximum punch for the cold scenes and images of warfare, but which were then able to have a beautiful warm quality, at perfectly adequate intensities”.

   Malcolm also drew on Martin MAC Aura XBs, Unique 2.1 Haze Machines and an ETC Ion Console.

   

   The show initially opened at the Curve Theatre, Leicester before visiting Rose Theatre Kingston, Theatre Royal Bath, Birmingham Rep, Kings Theatre Edinburgh and the Glasgow Theatre Royal. Following critical acclaim and sell-out shows, the West End transfer was soon announced and will play at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 31^st August 2019.

   Malcolm concludes:  “This is a brilliant show and I’m glad to see audiences across the country and now in the West End responding so well to it. I’d like to thank Tom Mulliner for being fantastic in his role as relighter, production electrician and programmer and helping the show run smoothly every time we visited a new venue. I’d also like to say thanks to WL for their support once again on this production”.

   Photos courtesy of Marc Brenner.

    

2. White Light is Out of Order for UK Theatre Tour

   21 March 2017 09:44 Comments Off on White Light is Out of Order for UK Theatre Tour

   Winner of the 1991 Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year, Ray Cooney’s Out of Order is making a triumphant return to the stage. Starring television favourites such as Shaun Williamson and Sue Holderness, this classic farce will now embark on a nationwide tour. With its strong reputation as a leading supplier to UK touring theatre, White Light is providing the lighting equipment on this production.

   Out of Order tells the story of Richard Willey, a Government Junior Minister, whose plan to spend the evening with one of the oppositions typists goes disastrously wrong…The revival is being produced by Tom O’Connell and the lighting designer is Jack Weir. Jack comments: “Out of Order is a purposefully over-the-top, hilarious farce and typical of Ray Cooney’s work. The show takes place in real time, in the one location of a hotel room overlooking the London skyline. My role was to light the action and highlight the farcical elements which pervade throughout.

   He adds: “The set features several doors (with characters frequently coming on and off stage) and this really drives the action of the piece. Therefore, on a practical level, I had to ensure the play had enough coverage and that we believed the environment which designer, Rebecca Brower, had created”.

   To achieve this, Jack drew on WL’s extensive equipment range to achieve his design. He comments: “I specifically chose the Martin MAC TW1. These offer a great deal of flexibility; something which is vital when touring a show like this. When we visit venues, we have essentially less than a day for the fit up so time is definitely of the essence. Similarly, we are visiting venues that range vastly in size from the Palace Theatre in Southend to the Manchester Opera House. Therefore, we need to have equipment that is able to adapt to this and maintain the look of the show”.

   Other equipment includes ETC Sensor Tour Dimmers, ETC Source Four Profiles and an ETC Ion Console.

   Jack also had to take into consideration the front cloth which features at the top of each act. He comments: “I used a front wash which features four Martin MAC Aura LEDs on the front bar along with two MAC Quantum Profiles. These are excellent units for touring, owing to their small size, LED technology and weight”.

   Whereas the play first premiered more than 25 years ago, this revival has been updated for a contemporary audience. Jack comments: “The action is very much set in the modern day. What this means is that I’ve not had to create a vintage feel out of necessity but rather have been able to utilise more modern LED technology in addition to tungsten for my design”.

   Out of Order has now opened and is currently running at the Theatre Royal in Brighton. Next week, it will visit the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury before travelling to various venues until July this year.  Jack adds: “This is a really ‘laugh out loud’ show and will no doubt have audiences up and down the UK in stitches. It’s been a great experience to design and I’m grateful to WL for all of their help throughout”.

   Photos courtesy of Darren Bell.