Tag Archive: Martin MAC Aura XB

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 on The Deck at the National Theatre

   22 October 2018 11:48 Leave a Comment

   

   The National Theatre is one of the world’s most iconic theatres, with its various stages having hosted some of the biggest names in theatrical history. Alongside its numerous productions, the venue is also frequently used as an events space; due to both its fantastic location and unique spaces. One of these is the recently re-opened rooftop venue The Deck. The space offers uninterrupted panoramic views across the Thames, providing a stunning backdrop for any occasion. With a reputation for supplying the technical solutions in event spaces across the UK, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment for The Deck.

   Prior to The Deck being opened, the National Theatre had a temporary events space venue that was initially planned to only be open for five years. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the National Theatre decided to make it a permanent fixture and appointed Lighting Resources Manager Paul Hornsby to oversee the lighting specifications. Speaking about the lighting requirements for the space, Paul comments: “My role was to specify all of the lighting infrastructure and equipment in order to meet the requirements of the range of the events that take place in The Deck; whether it’s a conference, a sit down dinner or a wedding disco”. To achieve this, Paul worked closely with his Lighting Resources Team and Lighting Control Team, led by Dan Murfin.

   Together they looked at a range of the latest lighting and control equipment currently available on the market and, reflecting the existing control systems that are already in place at the National Theatre, decided to keep with the ETC Paradigm controlling the whole system. Paul explains: “This system triggers 8 universes of ETC Mosaic of which there are various day, night and disco lighting timeline states already pre-programmed for use. That said, in regards to choosing the actual lighting fixtures for The Deck, this was a process of visiting a number of trade shows to find equipment that was compact, yet bright and quiet which would fulfil our needs in The Deck. Everything needed to be as multi functioning as possible with the ability to change colour quickly at the touch of a button in order to satisfy client needs in The Deck”.

   Once they had a list of equipment, the team came down to WL’s state-of-the-art Studio15 where WL had created a truss rigged at the same height of The Deck. The truss then allowed Paul and his team to evaluate what worked best on its own and together with other fixtures. Paul explains: “After the demonstration, we decided on a mixture of Martin MAC Aura XBs, Clay Paky Axcor Spot 300s, Ayrton MAGICDOT-SXs and Ayrton COSMOPIX-Rs. These all serve different purposes from colour washes to podium lighting and table highlights, depending on the event configuration. The main houselight fixture of the space is the Chroma Q Inspire which provides an even wash over the whole space from warm to cold whites, pastel shades and saturated colours. On the exterior of the building, we opted for the new Martin Quad Graze fitting to highlight the glass sides of the building in a stunning array of colour”.

   The technology supplied by WL will be used to elevate the existing space as well as have the ability to quickly change the look of The Deck with light levels and colour to suit any client’s needs. The high-tech system is controlled via a Paradigm touchscreen which is operated by the Hospitality and Events Team, allowing them to trigger pre-programmed states or take control of any fixture and change the live colour to suit the event.

   The Deck has now officially re-opened and has already facilitated a range of events. Paul concludes: “Ensuring the space was equipped with the correct lighting equipment was very much a collaborative affair; with myself, Dan, Huw, Clara, Chris from the NT along with Tom McGuire from ETC. We were also very grateful to WL, in particular Jonathan Haynes and Ally DeCourcy, for their support and guidance throughout”.

   Photos courtesy of James Bellorini.

3. White Light Goes Above The Stag with Lighting Installation

   31 July 2018 10:39 Leave a Comment

   

   Based in Vauxhall, Above The Stag Theatre is an award-winning theatre which focuses specifically on producing LGBT+ themed work, including new writing, musicals and revivals. The only full-time professional LGBT+ theatre in the UK, Above The Stag recently moved to a brand-new space in Vauxhall. Having supplied many of Above The Stag’s productions over the years, along with its reputation for providing state-of-the-art theatre installations, White Light was called upon to oversee the lighting installation within this new space.

   The new Above The Stag Theatre is located beneath the arches at Vauxhall Station. WL was initially approached by Lighting Designer Jack Weir, acting as lighting consultant on the project, who met with WL’s Business Development Manager Jonathan Haynes. Jonathan comments: “Above The Stag was moving from an intimate venue to a brand-new, much-larger space. It was exciting to hear Jack’s ambitious plans and to work alongside him to turn these into a reality. The arches under Vauxhall are a really unique space to work in, with a huge amount of potential. What I walked into at my first site meeting was essentially an empty shell which would eventually house a theatre and studio. The finished install needed to really tap into this, providing the latest technology to push boundaries and keep up with the creative demands of their productions.”

   

   Jack comments: “I’ve been part of Above The Stag Theatre for a few years now as one of the venue’s regular lighting designers. When the opportunity arose to get involved with the specification of the new theatre lighting installation, I was really keen to do so and ensure the venue’s new lighting resources would allow the production values of the shows to get even better”.

   Following this initial discussion along with various site meetings, WL was then assigned with providing the complete lighting installation. The included a custom floor standing Milos truss structure, ETC ThruPower racks for the theatre and studio as well as power and data distribution with a Wieland cord patch and fully networkable lighting system.

   Jonathan explains: “The first priority was to get a truss structure designed and installed. We then worked through some design ideas for the main bulk of the install. The key priority was maximum flexibility. On site power is limited and so we explored various options to work through the various challenges we were  coming up against. For this, I brought on board WL’s Systems Design Engineer Ian Davies who was able to take Jack’s brief and turn this into a fully workable system. During this initial period, Ian worked on site with the WL team to complete the installation”.

   Not only did WL oversee the entire lighting installation within both spaces, but also did so within a very limited time frame. Jonathan explains: “The opening season of the new venue had been announced so we had essentially a 6 week time frame from being awarded the contract to getting everything in place before the first show. That said, by working closely with our suppliers and manufacturers to manage lead times on kit, along with close collaboration between Jack and our team of expert site technicians, we were able to achieve this tight deadline”.

   Alongside the installation, WL also supplied a range of fixtures. These include ETC Color Source Spots, ETC Color Source Pars, Martin Rush Par 2 RGBW Zooms, Martin MAC Aura XBs, Chauvet Rogue R3 Spots and a cluster of conventional lanterns – all controlled from an ETC Ion XE20.

   Jack explains: “At the forefront of the vision for the new rig was flexibility. Having state-of-the-art LED lighting fixtures from ETC as part of the in-house stock means that we longer rely on the expense of hiring externally. Additionally, we’ve also been quite careful about how power and data is distributed throughout the theatre, ensuring there are few limitations when it comes to designing shows there. We also have Martin MAC Auras and the brand-new Chauvet Rogue R3 Spot as part of the in-house stock. Think of it as an Aladdin’s Cave of lighting!”.

   Jonathan adds: “Above The Stag wanted their lighting inventory to include the latest technology, as well as be industry standard; capable of holding up against the demands of even the most critical lighting designers. There needed to be a broad mix of tools which could support a wide variety of shows”.

   Above The Stag Theatre has now opened in its new home, with the inaugural production being Beautiful Thing which was lit by Jack.

   Jack comments: “I think it’s fair to say that opportunities like this don’t happen often i.e. where a venue you frequently design for allows you to lead on its new state-of-the-art theatre lighting. It’s also my first time providing consultancy on a project of this scale. That said, I’ve been in very safe hands with WL and I’m really pleased with the final outcome. It was a project that took months of planning, meetings and talks; not to mention the hours of hard labour. Thankfully, the end result is very special. I’ve just designed Grindr: The Opera which is running there throughout the summer. This show in particular takes a greater advantage of the new LED and tungsten fixtures, moving lights and flexible infrastructure that rivals anything else in the London OffWestEnd scene and I’m really pleased with what was achieved with the new rig.

   He adds: “It is a really exciting venue to design for because what we can achieve creatively with our in-house tools is so much greater than before. There’s been a significant leap from the old venue to the new premises on all levels, and I’m really excited to see the wealth of shows that are yet to come. It’s a fiercely impressive new venue for London theatre and I’m so pleased to be part of it”.

   Jonathan concludes: “The Above The Stag project was a great example of how we are able to use our years of experience working within theatres, alongside our expert teams, to provide a solution bespoke to their exact needs. It has been great working with Jack in a slightly different capacity than usual and help him realise his design ideas. I very much look forward to seeing how future productions and designs work and develop in Above The Stag’s new home”.

   Photos courtesy of Above The Stag Theatre.

4. White Light Brings Young Frankenstein to Life

   11 October 2017 08:57 Comments Off on White Light Brings Young Frankenstein to Life

   Written by legendary comedian Mel Brooks, Young Frankenstein is the musical comedy based on the Oscar-nominated smash hit film of the same name. Following a run on Broadway in 2007, this hilarious show has now made its way to London and opened last night at the Garrick Theatre. As one of the leading lighting suppliers to the West End, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   The lighting designer for the show is Ben Cracknell, who comments: “I have always been a huge fan of Mel Brooks’ films so was thrilled when I was approached to light this. Both Susan Stroman, the Director and Choreographer, and Mel felt that the humour of the show would work much better in a more intimate Vaudeville style so the show was designed around this concept”.

   Young Frankenstein features a set design by Beowulf Boritt that is centred around a series of painted cloths depicting the locations from a Medical School to a Deserted Railway Station. I wanted my lighting style to pick out the beauty in what, in essence, is a series of paintings. I also wanted to flavour my lighting style with the zaniness that seems to pervade throughout all of Mel’s work!”.

   To achieve this, Ben visited WL in order to draw on the company’s extensive hire inventory. He comments: “The Vaudeville style of the show with its four portals and painted cloths shaped my design significantly. On stage, the biggest challenge was to light the numerous painted cloths in what is a very small amount of space. The cloths have both opaque sections to front light (such as solid buildings and ships) and translucent sections to back light (windows, water, the sky). As a result, I visited WL HQ where I spent a lot of time experimenting with different types of cloth lighting battens”.

   Ben eventually decided to draw on the Robert Juliat DALIS 860. He comments: “I was extremely impressed with the colour and even intensity output from these units, when lighting cloth as close as 50cm and as far away as 2m”. To ensure that all of the intricate details of the cloths were highlighted, Ben drew on four Philips VL 3500s. He explains: “I loaded these with a series of custom ‘mask’ gobos which picked out scenic detail from trees to windows to signs; meaning I could be incredibly selective in how the cloths were lit”.

   Ben also drew on a row of Martin MAC Aura XBs to backlight the cloths along with ColourForce 72s for the furthest upstage and downstage cloths. Ben adds: “The stage layout of portals and cloths meant I divided the stage into horizontal bays of lighting. These were cross-lit by ladders of ETC Source Four Lustr 2s then top-lit by Viper DXs and VL3500 Spots. And, of course, a show like this would not be complete without a fine array of strobes for lighting effects – hence the Martin Atomic 3000s!”.

   The show has now opened to rave reviews and will run in the capital until next February. Ben adds: “This was a fantastic show to work on. I really enjoyed my time at the Garrick, especially working with the Chief Electrician Matt Watling and his team. I would also like to thank my own team, Chris Winn (Programmer), Charlotte Burton (Assistant LD) and Theo Chadha (Production Electrician), along with the team at WL”.

   WL’s Managing Director, Bryan Raven, comments: “We are delighted to supply Young Frankenstein as it embarks on its first ever West End run. We have also supplied Heisenberg which opened on Monday at the Wyndham’s, Ink which recently opened at the Duke of York’s and Venus in Fur which opens at Theatre Royal Haymarket later this month. Our constant investment in the very latest technology, coupled with our renowned customer service, means we are able to provide lighting designers with the support they need on any show”.

   Photos courtesy of Manuel Harlan.