Tag Archive: Theatre Awards

1. Jon Clark Wins Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design

   8 April 2019 17:35 Leave a Comment

   

   Established in 1976, the Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London theatre and are recognised as Britain’s most prestigious stage honours. This year’s Award ceremony took place yesterday evening at the Royal Albert Hall. White Light was once again on hand to supply the lighting equipment for the main ceremony as well as the complete technical solutions for the post show party. The company also sponsored the prestigious Best Lighting Design Award, which was won by Jon Clark for The Inheritance at the Young Vic and Noel Coward Theatre.

   WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven comments: “We were delighted to sponsor the Best Lighting Design Award once again; something we have done for over five years now. The standard this year, as ever, was extremely high and we had supplied three of the four shows nominated. We are absolutely over the moon for Jon who has picked up his first-ever Olivier Award. Having provided the lighting for both the Young Vic run and the West End transfer, we were lucky enough to see his amazing work on The Inheritance first-hand and were thrilled to see his efforts recognised”.

   Written by Matthew Lopez, The Inheritance is an epic two-part play which asks what it means to be a young gay man in New York after the AIDs crisis. It was directed by Stephen Daldry and received critical acclaim during its sell-out run. Alongside Best Lighting Design, The Inheritance also won Best New Play, Best Director and Best Actor.

   

   The other big winners on the evening included Company which took home Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Best Musical Revival and Best Set Design. WL supplied the lighting for this sell-out production and you can read the full press release here. Other winners included Kobna Holdbrook-Smith for Best Actor in a Musical in The Tina Turner Musical, Summer and Smoke at the Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre which won Best Revival, Catherine Zuber for The King and I at the London Palladium who won Best Costume Design and A Monster Calls at the Old Vic which took home Best Entertainment and Family Show. WL supplied the lighting for all of these.

   Bryan comments: “It was fantastic to see such an eclectic range of shows we’ve supplied be recognised as the brilliant productions they are. The last twelve months have been a really exciting and innovative time for London theatre and to play a small part in bringing these ground-breaking shows to life is a privilege. We’d like to say congratulations to all of the winners on the evening”.

   Alongside sponsoring the Best Lighting Design Award, WL provided the lighting equipment for the actual ceremony itself, working closely with Lighting Designer Ben Cracknell. WL also supplied the complete technical production for the post show party that took place at the Natural History Museum.

   Bryan concludes: “The Olivier Awards are an all-encompassing event for us; whether it’s from our sponsorship, supplying the winning shows or providing the technical solutions across the evening. To be part of an event that celebrates theatre and recognises the hard efforts of those involved is a real honour and we look forward to continue supporting the event and SOLT for many years to come”.

   Photos courtesy of Julian Bird and SOLT.

2. White Light Sponsors Inaugural Tonic Awards

   30 March 2017 09:38 Comments Off on White Light Sponsors Inaugural Tonic Awards

   Last night saw the first ever Tonic Awards take place at the May Fair Theatre in London. Hosted by Jenni Murray, the awards celebrate the work of women in the theatre industry. Set up by Tonic Theatre, there were nine awards, seven of which were given to individuals, and two which were given to groups. Having supported a range of theatrical organisations for numerous years, White Light was one of the sponsors for the Tonic Theatre Awards.

   Tonic Theatre was created in 2011 to support the theatre industry to achieve greater gender equality in its workforces and repertoires. The company’s approach involves getting to grips with the principles that lie beneath how the theatre industry functions and identifying how, in its current form, barriers can be created. It partners with leading theatre companies around the UK on a range of projects and also works within the wider creative industries such as dance, opera, literature, art and music.

   The winners included Rosemary Squire, co-founder of ATG, Emma Rice, artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe, Indhu Rubasingham, artistic director of the Tricycle, Dawn Walton, artistic director of Eclipse Theatre, Jenny Sealey, artistic director of Graeae Theatre Company and theatre director Anna Newell who all received awards for their work in their respective areas. Another recipient was lighting designer Paule Constable who was presented her award by WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven.

   Bryan comments: “We have known Paule for many years now and it was fantastic to see her brilliant work achieve recognition. The whole evening was a long overdue celebration of the theatre’s leading female figures and, as a company, this is something we’re delighted to support”.

   

   A further two awards were given to groups: Phyllida Lloyd, Harriet Walter and Kate Pakenham for the all-female Shakespeare Trilogy at the Donmar Warehouse and Vicky Featherstone, the National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre for Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour.

   Lucy Kerbel, Founder and Director of Tonic Theatre, states: “I am thrilled that our inaugural Tonic Awards have been so warmly embraced by the industry. There is clearly a great desire for the contributions women are making to theatre to be recognised more widely and for them to be rightly celebrated for their achievements. I’m delighted that the Tonic Awards can form just part of this.”

   Sita McIntosh, chair of Tonic’s board of trustees, said: “The Awards were the culmination of months of planning and I am delighted by the positive response and feedback that we have had from awardees, presenters, guests and the industry in general”.

    

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.