Tag Archive: Immersive Theatre

1. White Light in the Picture for Canon Camera Launch

   18 October 2018 10:16 Leave a Comment

   

   Canon recently held the launch of its new camera the EOS R at Shoreditch Electric Light Station, London. The camera giants invited journalists along to take part in an experiential experience in which they were transported to a utopian land 400 years in the future. The experience was produced by award-winning theatre company Les Enfants Terribles, known for their work on Alice’s Adventures Underground. Having provided the lighting on a range of immersive projects, White Light was called upon to supply the equipment for this particular launch.

   The lighting designer for the event was Charlie Morgan Jones, who comments: “Canon wanted to launch their new camera yet do so in a way that was interactive and provided the journalists in attendance with an unforgettable experience. Les Enfants came up with the concept that a Canon ambassador was lost in the future and it was down to the invited journalists to ‘find her’. The set design team created a variety of spaces, including the Lab, Missing Persons Room, Museum of Curiosity, Worker’s Space and the Gym; each of which contained clues and potential pointers as to where the ambassador might be. The finale is that they find her in a space named Utopia and she does a beautiful aerial act which they photograph using the new Canon camera, thus allowing them to try out this latest model and all of its settings”.

   Charlie’s own brief was to create a lighting design that not only helped tell the story and add to the immersive experience but was also allow the camera to take the best photos possible. Charlie comments: “I’ve never done an event like this before where the lighting had to be so precise in terms of hitting certain lighting levels whilst at the same time retain my own aesthetic for the live audience. The team from Canon actually came round with a light meter to ensure we were hitting the exact levels and we often had to adjust our lighting brightness accordingly”.

   When Charlie first visited the site, it was a complete empty space. Using only the renderings and drawings he had, he approached the WL team and worked closely with Jonathan Haynes and Jim Dewhirst to obtain the exact fixtures he required. He explains: “This was a very unique project in the sense that it was very ‘theatrical’ yet wasn’t taking place in a theatre space as it were. After speaking with WL, I decided to draw on the ETC Source Four Minis which proved invaluable for the smaller spaces where we simply didn’t have the space for a large rig. A lot of the rooms required powerful lighting yet for this to be done discretely and I feel the Minis are the only fixture that are able to achieve this”.

   The largest space used in the experience was the Utopia area. It was here where the entire launch would culminate, with an aerial performance from the ambassador. Charlie explains: “The biggest feature in Utopia was the sun, which was a monster to create. It comprised of 19 par cans, 32 pin spots and a lot of LED tape (although I suspect my Chief LX Paul Walmsley and his masterful electrics team secretly loved making it!). The space also utilised 8 x MAC III Performance, 3 x MAC TW1s and a range of Robert Juliat DALIS”. Over the main acting space, 14 x ETC Lustr 2s provided general coverage, acting as a ‘big light’ to ensure the cast could be seen clearly by the camera.

   As with a lot of events taking place in bespoke environments, the set up time for the project was extremely tight. Charlie explains: “We had three days to set everything up and we were working alongside the construction team who were simultaneously building the set. Also, due to the fact that there was very little free space in the main areas, we actually had to position the lighting desk in another room, meaning all the programming was blind. That said, the Lighting Programmer, Shane Button, was fantastic and it often involved a lot of trial and error with me speaking down a radio to him, acting as his eyes. I was really lucky to be surrounded by a brilliant team, including my right hand man LX Paul Walmsley as well as Charlie Hayday, Gareth Clough, Clancy Flynn and Paul Salmon who were all equally fantastic!”.

   The launch was a huge success, attracting journalists from across the globe. It also marks yet another example of WL working with Charlie. Charlie comments: “This was a fantastic project to work on and unlike anything I’ve ever lit before. I want to say a huge thanks to all the WL team for being so accommodating and for offering guidance from the initial planning stages, all the way through to final delivery”.

   Photos courtesy of Charlie Morgan Jones and Canon Ambassadors.

2. White Light Supplies Lighting for 100: UnEarth Project

   13 August 2018 15:20 Leave a Comment

   

   Commissioned by 14-18 NOW and The Lost Gardens of Heligan, 100: UnEarth is an outdoor promenade performance marking the First World War centenary. The production explores the aftermath of conflict and tells the homecoming stories of those who fought and lived through war. Having previously supplied a range of site-specific shows, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment on this occasion.

   The Lighting and Video Designer for the show was Joshua Pharo. He comments: “100: UnEarth is a really moving piece that examines the aftermath of war and how this affects soldiers, families and society as a whole. It is produced by Wildworks Theatre Company who work with their local community to layer real research and stories into their narratives. We had a cast of 120 community performers working on this production so it really did feel like it was part of the Cornish fabric; particularly as it took place in the beautiful Lost Gardens of Heligan near St Austell”.

   Joshua’s main brief was to find a visual journey for the light and video to work closely with the surrounding landscape. He comments: “Using a range of equipment and the natural light which the outdoor affords, I had to gradually create the visual aesthetic of the underworld; shifting the feel of the natural gardens into a visual palette that felt heightened and other worldly. This would ultimately return back to the real world at near dusk and then to the twinkling lights of Mevagissey and the ocean in the far distance. Working very closely with Production Designer Myriddin Pharo, we created seven different stages situated within the landscape of the gardens. Some were as big as 30m in diameter, embracing the rolling fields, whereas some were large metal stages with video walls, contrasting strongly with the landscape.

   He adds: “We found a balance in each space for how present the lighting should be- artificial lighting in the landscape feels like it has to be acknowledged for what it is; the sunlight feels so natural in relation that there’s very little point trying to compete. It was such an enjoyable learning curve working in the context of varying sunlight levels. The design actually shifted around quite a lot during the previews and throughout the run, as we got to see how the natural light integrates with the designs and how I could work with or contrast the natural sunlight with my lighting design”.

   Joshua approached WL to draw on the fixtures he needed for his design. He comments: “WL provided a brilliant supply of Elation Six Par LED Pars which were a vital backbone to the design; allowing me to alter colour as the sunlight levels settled. There was a brilliant moment when the setting sun was cutting these very beautiful shafts of deep orange sunlight across one of the final stages, and I had filled the space with haze and a deep inky blue; the contrast of natural light and vivid LED light working together beautifully. Another important fixture was the humble IP Rated Par 64. The first and final scene was completely lit with these; in open white, with the tungsten supporting the golden sunlight for the opening scene and then creating the most gorgeous warm light for the final scene at dusk. Another vital fixture was the Rockwall LED video wall which was used as a giant operating theatre monitor. This allowed us to integrate images of contemporary warfare with the live performances – an important underlying subtext to the piece we were really keen to weave in”.

   As the show was taking place outdoors, this meant that Joshua had to tailor his design accordingly. He comments: “I effectively only had one window each day to plot with the correct light levels; something which was always weather/schedule dependent! Rigging positions were another challenge as I couldn’t create or find a way to integrate these – mainly because there wouldn’t be a tree in that part of the space! That said, this simply made me become more imaginative and I eventually discovered some angles that worked beautifully.  Getting atmospherics right was also a tricky job. Wind level and direction makes a massive difference, distributing the haze with some distance. We got around this using fans but had to re-position each day depending on what the wind was doing”.

   

   The show ran from 3^rd – 22^nd July to both audience and critical acclaim.

   Joshua concludes: “It was a real privilege to be part of making a piece of theatre that was not only a cathartic experience to commemorate the end of World War One, but also a beautiful journey for audiences to process all aspects of love and loss. A big thank you to WL for having complete understanding of what the project could achieve, from day one. The support and generosity were hugely felt by myself and the whole team”.

   Photos courtesy of Steve Tanner.

3. White Light Offers Fantasia Lighting to Sounds and Sorcery

   23 July 2018 09:38 Leave a Comment

   

   Inspired by the classic 1940 Disney film, Sounds and Sorcery – Celebrating Disney Fantasia has recently opened at The Vaults. Coinciding with the year Mickey Mouse celebrates his 90^th anniversary, the show is a brand-new immersive experience which invites audience members to step beneath Waterloo Station and explore the worlds of prehistoric wastelands, enchanted forests and even the Sorcerer’s Lair. Having supplied many shows at the venue, along with the annual VAULT Festival, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment for this ambitious production.

   The Lighting Designer for Sounds and Sorcery – Celebrating Disney Fantasia is Jake Wiltshire. He comments: “The show is a multi-sensory, immersive experience in which audience members wear headphones and roam freely around a collection of live performances, installations and video – all set to music. My brief was to ‘create music you could see and images you could hear’. With a production like this, there’s nowhere to hide. The audience are literally on the stage so you can’t ask them to ‘find their light’. Whatever you create has to be inclusive and work from every angle. As a result, I worked closely with the Designer Kitty Callister to create a very organic relationship between the themes of each room, the technology and the dramatic subtleness”.

   With the show taking audiences into the many worlds of Fantasia, this meant that Jake had to make his design bespoke for each individual section. He explains: “In The Rite of Spring, which is portrayed as a visual journey through the Earth’s creation, we use large three dimensional volcanoes to tell the narrative of the story. The volcanoes are all lit internally with a plethora of moving lights, LED par cans and LED pixel neons; all of which are timed with colour and movement in order to narrate the music. At the end of the room is a giant Sun created from 40 par cans of varying size. There’s something quite beautiful and contrasting against the organic  illuminating volcanoes of a warm tungsten industrial light fixture representing the dawn of a new age.

   He adds: “In The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the room is lit only by DMX controlled candles, allowing the Sorcerer to magically manipulate the flames around the room. I wanted to find a way to mimic the original cartoon’s dream sequence where the apprentice plays with shooting stars, light beams and giant waves. This drew me to use the Ayrton Magic Dot for a choreographed light sequence where the performer controls three dimensional beams of light across the audience, raising it to a crescendo of chaos. In other rooms, we’ve concealed LED pixels inside mushrooms to create a choreographed mushroom dance alongside LED neons under a frozen pond for an ice skating fairy routine. There are also hundreds of handmade practicals including 80 birdies, over 100 pendant light bulbs and not forgetting the many, many  haze and smoke machines including 4 x Chauvet Geysers, 11 x Unique Hazers, 2 x Low Foggers and even a bubble machine”.

   With the production taking place within an underground space, this was another factor that Jake had to consider for his design. He comments: “As The Vaults space is underground, heat and humidity is a big issue. Therefore, as much of the rig as possible needed to be LED; primarily for heat but also for maintenance reasons. It’s no surprise then that we used over 100m of LED pixel neon and over 1km of RGBW LED tape. It was a very unique space of cavernous tunnels and it’s no mean feat moving a lighting console around a site that has gravel floors, a volcanic landscape and dense woodland!”.

   The show has now opened and will run until 30^th September in what is a limited Summer run.

   Jake comments: “The entire project was epically adventurous and I could not have achieved it without the calm professionalism of Sarah Readman, our amazing Production Electrician, not to mention my Programmer and Associate LD, Robert Price and Production Manager, Andy George. The team also included two fantastic WL apprentices, who were such valuable hands to have and a testament to how good the apprenticeship scheme at WL is”.

   WL’s Business Development Manager Jonathan Haynes comments: “This was a fantastic production for us to work on and we are delighted to have been involved. Sounds and Sorcery is unlike any other show running in London and it was great to support Jake and bring his very specific lighting vision to life”.

   Photos courtesy of Jake Wiltshire/Sounds and Sorcery.

4. White Light Goes Inside Pussy Riot at Saatchi Gallery

   24 November 2017 10:45 Comments Off on White Light Goes Inside Pussy Riot at Saatchi Gallery

   Created by the Olivier-nominated Les Enfants Terribles, Inside Pussy Riot is inspired by the all-female punk rock group who staged a protest inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012. This immersive theatre experience is currently taking place at the Saatchi Gallery to coincide with their Art Riot exhibition. Having supplied a range of immersive theatre projects already this year, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   Inside Pussy Riot invites audience members to pull on their balaclavas, stand in the dock and experience the realities of imprisonment. The lighting designer for the show is Charlie Morgan Jones. He comments: “Inside Pussy Riot takes its audience through the complete experience of Nadya Tolokonnikova’s trials and tribulations as the founder of Pussy Riot. At only an hour long, it’s extremely ambitious; as are all Les Enfants’ projects”.

   The show takes place across two galleries inside the Saatchi Gallery within a multi-purpose set. Charlie explains: “There are numerous locations used throughout the piece, such as the Cathedral, the police station, the courts along with the prison. Part of my role as the lighting designer was to help define each location. Similarly, after speaking with Les Enfants and the set designer in the initial planning stages, we decided to create a sense of heightened reality. There are a lot of scenes that are deliberately absurdist (reflecting a lot of the situations the Pussy Riot group found themselves in) so this felt like an appropriate choice”.

   Prior to the show opening, Charlie made two site visits in order to assess the space and begin formulating his design. He comments: “Whilst I knew what feel I wanted to create, with a lot of shows like this, it’s about adapting to what is being created. As we had an empty space prior to the tech, I had to wait until the set was built and then adapt my design as we moved forward”.

   Working closely with Production Electrician Paul Walmsley, Charlie approached WL to supply him with the kit he required. He comments: “I drew heavily on the ETC Source Four Minis, which, for me, are a fantastic replacement for birdies as they have that extra ability to focus. I also positioned a series of light bulbs throughout the space along with fluorescents (in particular for the police scene) and a range of LED tape.

   He continues: “Behind the stain glass window in the Cathedral there are a range of EvenLED panels. For the window in the prison, I used a range of ETC Source Fours with beam benders. I also drew on ETC Source Four Lustrs to provide additional colour where needed. We can’t actually rig from the Saatchi ceiling so we had to implement our own rigging points in order to position the fixtures as required”.

   Despite the ambitious nature of the show, Charlie and the LX team had a very limited time in which to set up the equipment. He comments: “From the first time I stepped into the space to the opening night, we had a week and a half to bring everything together. It was an extremely intense period but I thankfully had a brilliant team working behind me, which included a lot of Rose Bruford graduates. Similarly, the guys at WL were once again fantastic, offering suggestions and insight whenever we needed it”.

   The show has now opened and will run until 24^th December.

   Jonathan Haynes, WL’s Business Development Manager, comments: “We are delighted to work with Charlie and the rest of his team on Inside Pussy Riot. Like the previous immersive shows we have supplied, it’s an extremely unique production that required a very specific technical set-up; something we were able to support”.

   Photos courtesy of Kenny Mathieson.

5. 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.

6. White Light Supplies Macbeth at Caerphilly Castle

   15 March 2017 08:02 Comments Off on White Light Supplies Macbeth at Caerphilly Castle

   Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru recently staged a Welsh-language version of Macbeth at Caerphilly Castle. This brand new, site-specific production ran last month and was the company’s first show to be performed in this historic ruin. Following its work on several other site-specific projects, White Light was asked to provide the lighting equipment on this production.

   Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru was formed in 2003 with the aim of offering a variety of productions that enrich Wales’ theatre culture in all its form, especially through the medium of Welsh. The lighting designer on Macbeth was Joe Fletcher and the Production and Lighting Assistant was Joshua Kroon; both of whom are members of the ALD. Joshua comments: “I worked closely alongside Joe to help create the systems and structure that would facilitate his design. This was an extremely ambitious production and key planning at every single stage was vital”.

   Macbeth was a promenade piece which took place in three internal spaces throughout the castle as well as transitioning through one external space. This meant that each space required rigs that needed to be connected to one another as they were each sharing various elements. Alongside this, the production was being broadcast live to 12 cinemas across Wales, meaning the lighting had to be suitable for recording.

   Joshua comments: “During the fit-up, accessibility was a particular challenge. One of the dimmer rooms was actually located up three sets of spiral staircases! Similarly, this was a site-specific show, in Wales, during the Winter. This meant we had to contend with the various outpours of rain and extremely low temperatures”.

   After several discussions with the WL team, Joe and Joshua drew up their ideal kit list for the production. Joshua states: “We used the SGM P5s for a variety of internal and external washes. They offer great punch along with a decent colour range. The SGM G-Spots were ideal as these were waterproof, meaning they could sit on the castle battlements as they provided lighting through the windows. We also used Martin MAC Auras for the wash along with Chauvet COLORado for downlight”.

   To run such an extensive range of fixtures in such a unique location, Joe and Joshua drew on the Avolite Art2000 T4 due its reliability. The Luminex Ethernet-DMX Mk2 Arnet was used for distribution whereas the ETC Ion and ETCnomad was used for control.

   The show has now finished its run at Caerphilly Castle where it received critical acclaim.

   Joshua comments: “This is the first time anything like that has been attempted in Wales and it was a fantastic project to be a part of. Staging Macbeth at Caerphilly Castle really added an extra dimension to the story; as did the lighting equipment which helped illuminate the story. We are extremely grateful to WL for their superb service throughout as we really couldn’t have done it without them”.

   Photos courtesy of Joshua Kroon and Mark Douet.