Tag Archive: fresnels

1. White Lights is The Best Man for West End Premiere

   7 March 2018 09:17 Comments Off on White Lights is The Best Man for West End Premiere

   First performed in 1960, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man recently made its debut in London’s West End. Opening at the Playhouse Theatre, the show tells the story of two presidential candidates who are both vying for an endorsement from the current President; with the play exploring the lengths they’ll go to achieve this. This latest production is produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd and the lighting equipment was supplied by White Light.

   The Best Man enters the West End directly from a UK tour, for which WL also supplied the lighting. It stars a range of well-known names, including Martin Shaw, Maureen Lipman and Honeysuckle Weeks and features a lighting design by Chris Davey. Chris comments: “The entire play is set in a hotel suite in Philadelphia, which houses both of the candidates. In terms of the set, there is a huge gauze wall with a bedroom upstage that disappears at certain points throughout the show. That said, the most important part of set, in terms of lighting, was the huge window positioned stage right. One of my biggest tasks was to make the window believable that it was lighting the room at various points throughout the day”.

   To achieve this, Chris drew on a range of 5kw Fresnels. He explains: “The Fresnels made the windows bright enough yet ensured that all of the cast received the correct amount of lighting coverage. The evening scenes contain a heavy top light to suggest a chandelier and par cans skim across the net curtain to imply the street lights outside; with the suite being based on the third floor”.

   For the rest of his design, Chris had to work with Michael Taylor’s intricate set design. He comments: “Overhead, the rig consists largely of Lustr Mk2 Fresnels. I used them as space is tight due to newspaper headlines being flown from above. As there wasn’t enough space to rig a warm and cold wash, the Lustrs allowed much more possibilities and often change colour during a scene. I also drew on three data flashes for the camera effects off the paparazzi who are stood outside the suite’s main door throughout”.

   As the play had already visited several venues across the UK, Chris had to make some subtle changes to his design for the West End run. He states: “There a lot more cues at the Playhouse Theatre, meaning there is more structure to the look and it allows us to follow the action around the room more; highlighting the various moods. Similarly, we amended the scene changes to make these as interactive as possible and allow them to also become scenes within themselves”.

   The show has now opened to extremely positive reviews. It will run until 12^th May.

   Chris comments: “The Best Man has been a fantastic production to work on and it’s great to have followed its journey from a UK tour all the way into the West End. I am also grateful to WL for their support at every stage”.

   Bryan Raven, WL’s Managing Director, comments: “We are delighted to be working with Chris and supplying yet another show in the West End. With our lighting equipment currently being used on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Aladdin, Young Frankenstein, The Birthday Party, along with the upcoming Tina: The Musical, we are still the leading lighting supplied in the West End, providing designers with the technology and service they expect from WL”.

   Photos courtesy of Pamela Raith.

2. White Light Supplies Venus in Fur in West End

   30 October 2017 10:06 Comments Off on White Light Supplies Venus in Fur in West End

   Following a Tony Award-winning run on Broadway, Venus in Fur has now made its London debut, opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Starring Natalie Dormer and David Oakes, the critically-acclaimed two -hander follows a meeting between enigmatic actress Vanda Jordan and director Thomas Novachek, with Vanda determined to land the leading role in Thomas’ latest production. As a leading supplier to West End theatre, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   The lighting designer for the show is Hugh Vanstone, who comments: “The play itself dictates a lot about the setting and lighting as the action takes place in a  New York rehearsal room whilst a thunderstorm rages outside. The room is initially lit with fluorescent strip lights but also has a small improvised lighting rig  which the mysterious Vanda commandeers to soften the mood in her attempts to win over Thomas”.

   

   This meant that Hugh had to implement two clear distinctions with his design: “The way I approached this play was to ensure there was a marked contrast between the blandly lit fluorescent room and the more atmospheric theatrical lighting. The first thing I did was install a version of the  ‘rehearsal lighting rig’ in the actual rehearsal room which Natalie could use to set the mood”.

   Hugh also worked alongside set and costume designer Rob Howell. He states: “It’s quite a striking set design featuring a raked floor pushing through the proscenium into the house with a steeply-angled ceiling overhead. As a result, there was no opportunity for overhead lighting; something I had to work around”.

   Hugh drew on the Martin MAC Viper Washes to provide bright lightning effects along with a range of ETC Source 4 Lustr 2s, conventional Source 4s, fresnels and birdies. Perhaps most significantly, the rig also contained the recently launched Philips VL1100 LED; making Venus in Fur the first West End production to utilise this highly-anticipated product.

   Hugh explains: “When I was designing the rig, I spoke to WL’s Technical Director Dave Isherwood who informed me that WL had become one of the first companies to invest in the VL1100s. I asked if I could try them for this show and he said yes. I used these fixtures to provide the tightly focused highlights for the actors during key moments – something they delivered with superb precision.

   

   He adds: “Overall, I was really impressed with the VL1100s. It’s a great improvement on the conventional tungsten version as it’s brighter and the colour mixing and frost function are both improved. Because of the LED engine the beam intensity and consistency is much better. They are also virtually silent, making them perfect for a play like this, and I can see them becoming a very popular fixture for many lighting designers”.

   Directed by Patrick Marber, Venus in Fur has now opened and will run until 9^th December.

   Hugh concludes: “I had a great experience working on Venus in Fur. The play gives the lighting designer carte blanche to really show off and WL once again proved to be the perfect choice to allow my design to shine”.

   Photos courtesy of Darren Bell and Tristram Kenton.

3. Iris Theatre Has Faith in White Light for Macbeth Church Production

   7 July 2017 09:33 Comments Off on Iris Theatre Has Faith in White Light for Macbeth Church Production

   Located at the world famous St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, Iris Theatre creates bespoke productions specific to that space. The company’s aim is to develop the next generation of professional theatre practitioners and produce a vibrant repertoire of varied work. This year marks the company’s ten-year anniversary which will be celebrated with a summer season of immersive productions. One of these is Macbeth and White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   Iris Theatre was formed in 2007 and has grown considerably over the years, having won Best Production for Young People at last year’s OFFIE Awards. General Manager Sofi Berenger comments: “As an organisation, our aim to produce exciting, innovative work is coupled with a desire to create accessible and affordable theatre which caters for all ages. We are also extremely lucky to have a fantastic space located in the heart of the West End which plays an integral role in all our productions”. The latest of these productions is Macbeth which offers a brand-new reimagining of Shakespeare’s iconic play. It is directed by Daniel Winder and features a Lighting Design by Benjamin Polya.

   Benjamin states: “This version of Macbeth is a site responsive piece. As Iris are based within St Paul’s Church, this means that the audience are transported around the different spaces as the story progresses. The director was very eager to make the entire church ground become an intrinsic part of this world and to transport the audience into the world of Macbeth”.

   In total, Macbeth utilises five spaces across the church grounds. Benjamin states: “The five spaces we use are the church itself, the steps, the north garden, the south garden and the main pathway. By using five spaces, this essentially means we have mini theatres within the grounds, both indoors and out. My role as Lighting Designer was to help fulfil the director’s vision whilst at the same time practically light the spaces”.

   To achieve this, Benjamin approached WL who has a long history of supplying the venue. Benjamin states: “Inside the church, there is a range of ETC Source Fours, fresnels, LED lights and PAR CANS. It’s essentially like any other theatrical space and is a fully working rig. That said, due to the nature of the show, the audience is only in here for twenty minutes!”. Within the gardens, Benjamin drew on a series of PAR CANS and smoke machines. He states: “We were very keen to recreate the foreboding atmosphere that pervades throughout Macbeth and the smoke machines helped us to do just this. Similarly the colours which we could achieve using the moving lights worked perfectly for the apparition scenes outside”.

   As the audience is constantly moving throughout the church grounds, one of the challenges for Benjamin was ensuring that the lighting level remained consistent throughout. Benjamin adds: “Naturally there will always be an imbalance of internal and external lighting. An important factor for me was ensuring this didn’t become problematic and that the lighting worked coherently in order to serve the story we were telling. To achieve this, I used a lighting desk for the outside scenes which allowed us to achieve the balance we required”.

   Not only did Benjamin and his team have to contend with the practicalities of lighting but also working within the church space. Benjamin states: “Iris Theatre are located in a fantastic venue yet it is also used every single day as a church, meaning all of the equipment needs to be flexible enough to be moved at the end of each day. Thankfully, apart from the discrete rig within the church itself, WL supplied us with adaptable equipment which could be moved as and when required”.

   The show has now opened and is attracting audiences of all ages to embark on a truly unique interpretation of Macbeth. Benjamin adds: “This is a very special show in a very special space. Not many people realise that, despite being a fringe venue, we actually have an enormous seating capacity of well over 200 meaning huge audiences can come along and experience our work. We are grateful to WL for their support on this occasion and over our past ten years”.

    Photos courtesy of Nick Rutter.

4. White Light Reaches Echo’s End at Salisbury Playhouse

   4 April 2017 13:56 Comments Off on White Light Reaches Echo’s End at Salisbury Playhouse

   Currently playing at the Salisbury Playhouse, Echo’s End tells the story of a young couple in 1915 Wiltshire who find themselves caught up in the turmoil of troubled times. It is written by award-winning playwright and novelist Barney Norris, directed by Alice Hamilton and features a lighting design by Howard Hudson. As one of the leading lighting suppliers to UK regional theatre, White Light was called upon to provide the equipment.

   Echo’s End marks Howard’s fifth production at the Salisbury Playhouse.  He comments: “Salisbury is a great venue and this is a brilliant new play that tells a unique story about that part of the world. The entire play is set outside on the Salisbury Plain, so one of the main requirements for me was to achieve a sense of natural light and the epic undulating scale of that area at different times of day”.

   As with most of his designs, Howard had to work closely alongside the set design, which in this case reflected outdoor Wiltshire. He adds: “A major element of Tom Rogers’ design was a 14-metre-wide printed cloud cyc at the back of the stage which allowed us to create a wide variety of different looks for the eight scenes, ranging from dull, overcast grey days, to strong, deeply saturated sunsets. This was also useful for the transitions between scenes as it provided a really great and varied backdrop for the company to be silhouetted against”.

   Prior to the production opening, Howard visited WL’s Wimbledon base where he was able to experiment with a range of fixtures before adding them to his rig. He comments: “WL were very helpful in letting me come down to have a look at the Robert Juliat Dalis 860 units and demonstrate them to ensure they were suitable for the show. Using new equipment can sometimes be slightly frightening so it was hugely beneficial to be able to see them beforehand”.

   For the rest of his rig, Howard drew on WL’s extensive inventory to ensure he had every fixture he required. He comments: “I drew TW1s overhead and front of house which allowed for flexibility and provided the large coverage needed for such an expansive set. The cyc was bounced from behind using the Robert Juliat Dalis units. These offered bright, sophisticated colour mixing and high-quality fades meaning they were the ideal fixture for this purpose. Jon Roache, who programmed the show, suggested we split each unit into four to allow us to apply gradients and colour swipes to the cyc to refine the transitions and allow blends of subtle pastel shades but also have the option for strong colour. Overhead the workhorses of the rig were two 5kw fresnels with scrollers which worked with the cyc as a sort of ‘first layer’ for each scene”.

   The show has now opened and received rave reviews from both critics and audiences alike.

   Howard states: “It was interesting to do a play completely set outside and on a more epic scale than my previous work down in Salisbury. With it also being a new play, there were changes made to the script from the first day of rehearsal so that certainly kept me on my toes!”.

   Echo’s End marks one of several productions that WL is supplying up and down the country, with others including Billy Elliot, Evita, La Cage Aux Folles, Matthew Bourne’s Red Shoes, Grease and Woman in Black.

   Howard adds: “I had a great experience on this production, particularly as I got to work again with Peter Hunter who is one of the longest serving electricians in the country and a bit of a legend – a font of knowledge and a privilege to work alongside! I am also thankful to WL for their continued support from the initial design stages, all the way through to opening night”.

   Photos courtesy of Helen Murray.

5. BU21 Transfers to the West End with White Light

   1 February 2017 08:28 Comments Off on BU21 Transfers to the West End with White Light

   Following its critically-acclaimed, award-nominated run at Theatre503, BU21 has recently transferred to Trafalgar Studios. The show follows six Londoners in the aftermath of a fictitious terrorist attack and is based on real testimonies gathered from a variety of terrorist incidents. Having supplied the original production, White Light was called upon again to provide the lighting equipment for the show’s West End run.
   The lighting designer for the show is Christopher Nairne, who is the current recipient of OffWestEnd’s Best Lighting Designer Award. He comments: “The director and designer settled on a stripped back look for the show: a bare black stage with grey ash built up towards the corners, and a semi-circle of six chairs for the PTSD support group which features throughout the play. I wanted to create a design that evoked the banality of group therapy with hints of the apocalyptic nature of what had occurred.”
   As many of the earlier scenes are monologues, Christopher lit these sections with a simple centre stage spot, with dimmer specials on the chairs behind to ensure that all of the characters on stage were still involved in the action.
   Christopher adds: “I have worked with the director before and we were both keen to use fluorescent striplights, which ultimately became the anchor of my design. I suggested a total of six so that they could become representative of the six characters on stage. They were also useful for the therapy scenes throughout the play as using them all at once gave a much brighter state”.
   Having designed the original production, Christopher was invited to recreate his work at Trafalgar Studios. He comments: “Helpfully, the two venues are fairly similar in terms of scale and technical specifications. The key difference is that Trafalgar 2 is semi-thrust, so we knew that some reblocking would have to take place to allow for sightlines and entrances. Also, the lower rig height meant that the shorter throw distance limited our beam spread.”
   Alongside the striplights, Christopher used a visible line of par cans as a backdrop; the rest of the rig consisted of small fresnels, Source Four profiles and birdie uplighters.
   BU21 has now opened in the West End and once again achieved critical acclaim including an array of 4- and 5-star reviews. Christopher comments: “The show is a really powerful piece of theatre and one which I’m extremely proud to be a part of. I am grateful to WL for being so accommodating during both the original and current run as it has certainly made the whole process run much smoother.”
   BU21 runs at Trafalgar Studios until 18 February.
   Photos courtesy of David Monteith-Hodge and Tristram Kenton.