Tag Archive: Lighting Awards

1. Congratulations to Olivier Awards Nominees!

   8 March 2018 17:26 Comments Off on Congratulations to Olivier Awards Nominees!

   

   WL’s Bryan Raven with last year’s Best Lighting Design Award winner Neil Austin.

   The Olivier Awards are presented annually by SOLT (the Society of London Theatre) and recognise excellence in professional theatre in London. For the past several years, White Light has sponsored the Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design and will do so again in 2018. This year’s nominees include Howell Binkley for Hamilton, Paule Constable for Angels in America and Follies and Jan Versweyveld for Network.

   This year the ceremony will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 8^th April. The critically-acclaimed Hamilton, which has now arrived in the West End following its Broadway run, received a record number of 11 nominations; including Best Director, Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and, of course, Best Lighting Design.

   The lighting design for Hamilton is by Howell Binkley whose work on the show has already won a Tony Award in 2016. Jan Versweyveld is nominated for his work on Network, which recently opened at the National Theatre and stars Bryan Cranston. Jan’s other notable credits include Lazarus at the Kings Cross Theatre along with the Young Vic’s production of A View from the Bridge at the Wyndham’s Theatre; both of which were supplied by WL.

   Paule Constable, who has already won an Olivier Award on four separate occasions, has been nominated twice in 2018. The productions are Angels in America and Follies, both of which ran at the National Theatre. You can read her Leading Light here, in which she spoke to us about her career as a lighting designer.

   

   Paule Constable is nominated for two shows: Angels in America (pictured) and Follies.

   WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven comments: “As the leading lighting supplier to West End and London theatre, we are delighted to once again be sponsoring the Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design. For many, the Oliviers mark the highlight in the theatrical calendar. It’s always a magical evening which celebrates the greatest talent within our industry. It’s great to see such a range of work be nominated for Best Lighting Design and we wish each nominee the very best of luck”.

   Previous recipients of the Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design include Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2017), Mark Henderson for Gypsy (2016), Howard Harrison for City of Angels (2015), Tim Lutkin and Finn Ross for Chimerica and Paul Pyant and Jon Driscoll for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2014).

   The Olivier Awards is another example of WL recognising the range of talent in the theatre industry, with the company also sponsoring the WhatsOnStage and OffWestEnd Awards.

   Bryan adds: “As a company, it’s important we help to recognise achievements all across the theatre industry.  Our sponsorship at award ceremonies throughout the year shows our commitment to supporting lighting designers and theatre practitioners at all levels and we’re very proud to once again be returning to the Oliviers”.

2. White Light Wins AV Technology Europe Award

   11 February 2018 11:18 Comments Off on White Light Wins AV Technology Europe Award

   The AV Technology Europe Awards are dedicated to recognising innovation and achievements in the AV industry. The Awards provide a brand-new platform for the AV end-user community to celebrate the increasingly pivotal role that AV plays for businesses around the world; from corporate to hospitality, education to retail, and everything in between. This year’s award ceremony took place in Amsterdam and WL was the recipient of Best Small to Mid-Scale AV Project.

   WL was awarded the accolade following its work on the Cambridge University fundraising event at Banqueting House. For the project, WL was approached by the University to provide the technical solutions that would engage key stakeholders. Led by WL’s Creative Producer Richard Stirzaker, the team drew on the latest video and projection technology to create a digital canvas inside Banqueting House; resulting in a fully immersive environment for when guests arrived. Alongside this, there were several live speakers on the evening who include Stephen Fry. To ensure the speeches were as interactive as possible, WL created a system in which animated graphics, created by Johnson banks, were triggered by key words in the speeches. There was also a digital sound audio environment that was created within the space.

   WL Director Richard Wilson comments: “We are delighted to have won at this year’s AV Technology Europe Awards. The fundraiser at Banqueting House is a great example of how we are able to work closely with a client and not only deliver a brief but go beyond their expectations. Using the latest technology, our expert teams and the beautiful architecture within Banqueting House, we were able to create something spectacular and it’s an event we are extremely proud of”.

   The Award marks another accolade that WL has received over the past few months, with the company winning the Best Use of AV Technology at the Event Technology Awards as well as Event Production Supplier of the Year at the Drum UK Event Awards. The company is also shortlisted for two awards at the upcoming Event Production Awards which includes Event Production of the Year and Best Use of Technology at an Event.

   

   Richard adds: “The fact that our work is being recognised on an international scale is a credit to the fantastic team we have at WL, who are able to push boundaries on any event using the very latest technology. We now want to grow on this success and ensure that we continue to deliver the high-level of service that has become synonymous with our company and make every single event we work on unforgettable”.

   The AV Technology Europe Awards took place during this year’s Integrated Systems Europe Show. The WL team were in Amsterdam to scope out the latest technology first-hand. WL’s Head of Business Development Lee Dennison comments: “As seen with the AV Technology Award, we are a company pioneering the use of the very latest technology, ensuring that our clients have access to state-of-the-art equipment. One of our main reasons for attending ISE was to seek out the products of tomorrow today, along with catching up with partners and old friends. We were really impressed with what we saw and will be looking to add to our already extensive industry over the upcoming months”.

   Photos courtesy of Alastair Fyfe.

    

3. David Plater Wins Offie for Best Lighting Design

   27 February 2017 10:40 Comments Off on David Plater Wins Offie for Best Lighting Design

   Last night, the winners of the OffWestEnd.Com Awards, better known as the Offies, were announced in an online Twitter ceremony hosted by Sir Patrick Stewart. The Offies recognise Off West End theatre in London, celebrating independent venues and recognising the artists who work in them. As a leading lighting supplier to theatrical productions all across the capital, White Light once again sponsored the award for Best Lighting Design. This year it has been won by David Plater for his superb work on Deathwatch at the Print Room.

   Deathwatch was the first major revival of the classic play by Jean Genet, in a new translation by David Rudkin. It told the story of three young convicts who are forced to share a cell, locked within a world of dangerous rivalries… The revival received critical acclaim, with particular praise for David’s work, including “his work ensures that the darkest secrets of this cell are starkly illuminated” (WhatsOnStage), “superb lighting from David Plater (who) uses a range of lights to create interesting effects” (Live Theatre UK) and “David Plater’s lighting is definitely the stand-out element of the show” (Theatre Bubble).

   

   Deathwatch at the Print Room

   David, who in the past has been nominated for both Tony and Olivier Awards, was chosen from a shortlist of three which included Rob Mills for his work on It is Easy to be Dead at the Finborough Theatre and Jack Weir for his work on Bad Girls at the Union Theatre.

   WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven comments: “As a company, we are involved in various schemes that promote and celebrate all types of theatre. Whilst it’s important to recognise West End productions, it is equally important to promote the fantastic work being made in London’s Off West End scene.  Therefore it’s with absolute pleasure that we’re able to sponsor this Award. David’s design on Deathwatch, which we actually supplied the equipment for, was really something quite special and it’s great that this has been recognised”.

   Previous winners of the Award include Howard Hudson, who last year lit Kenneth Branagh’s Romeo and Juliet in the West End, Richard Howell, who has just lit Privacy starring Daniel Radcliffe in New York, along with Elliot Griggs, who lit Pomona at the National Theatre.

   In his acceptance speech, David commented: “Thank you very much for this award. Thanks to director Geraldine Alexander, designer Lee Newby, Alex Ramsden and Charlie Oliver. A big thank you to Veronica, the Winters, Julia, Andy and everyone at the Print Room.  A special thank you to White Light for their support on my production”.

   Photos courtesy of Marc Brenner.