The stage show is being directed by Gurinder Chadha, who also directed the film, designed by Miriam Buether, with lighting by Neil Austin.
For the show, White Light is continuing its long-standing policy of providing lighting designers with the latest tools and technology. Neil Austin's design is based around a core of 26 ETC Source Four LED series 2 Lustr profile spotlights, which the designer first used on Shakespeare In Love last year. Because of their versatility and popularity with designers, White Light has rapidly expanded its stock of these fixtures over the last year, in addition to supplying them to the permanent rigs at London's Royal Court and elsewhere.
Alongside the Source Four LEDs, the designer specified Martin Mac Viper Performance, Viper Wash DX and Mac Aura LED moving fixtures, which have also become a popular choice over the last year and already feature in the rigs of Miss Saigon and other shows, complemented by the tungsten ETC Revolution moving light, traditional Source Fours, ChromaQ Color Block 2 and Color Force LED fixtures fitted to the set, plus Robert Juliat Aramis followspots fitted with scrollers.
The rig is run by an ETC Eos control system, with an Eos main console, RPU backup and an Eos Ti console used to programme the show. A CityTheatrical SHoW DMX wireless system is used to run sections of the set practicals, which were created by Howard Easton Lighting Limited.
"We're delighted to be working with Neil and his team of production electrician Martin Chisnall, electricians Gerry Amies and Chris Dunford, show head Kate McNicholas, associate LD & programmer Rob Halliday, assistant LD Adam King, along with the team at the Phoenix and production manager Gary Beestone," comments Dave Isherwood, White Light's hire & technical director.
"The show continues the adoption of LEDs as standard lighting fixtures rather than just as special effects that we've seen over the last eighteen months, particularly with the Source Four LEDs, but as ever we were able to provide the designer with exactly the tools he required - and to react quickly to changes during the technical rehearsal period, supplying a Clay Paky Sharpy within hours of the request for one particular effect."
(Jim Evans)
