Black Light has been one of the principal suppliers to the Fringe for over 20 years. In 2010, it is continuing its partnership with the Pleasance, which is running shows in 25 venues across the city. It is also supporting C Venues with their staging, and supplying rigging and staging to Zoo venues: Southside and their newest venue in the Roxy Art House. The company also has an on-going relationship with Dance Base and has invested in the D&B E series audio range in order to service the company's needs.
"The big promoters and venues choose us because they can rely on our products and services," says Stephen Reid, head of Black Light's Events Team. He explains that, because the company has trained technicians with theatre backgrounds, it is aware that last minute problems occur, that extra equipment can suddenly be needed and that things do go wrong. "We are only a phone call away and we can get equipment to our clients far quicker than other suppliers who don't have our local base and knowledge."
One of the new challenges facing Black Light at this year's Fringe is the fact that the Pleasance is looking to reduce the amount of power that it uses and so reduce its environmental footprint. To help in this green commitment, Black Light will be supplying the Pleasance with significant quantities of low-energy LED lights. Among the Pleasance shows that Black Light will be helping to stage is Reel-to-Reel at the Pleasance Grand. This is a show that brings together classic movie clips and live performers. It presents a significant technical challenge that Black Light is only too happy to accept.
Whatever the show, the overall challenge of working on the Fringe is the sheer quantity of the equipment and services that Black Light has to supply in a short space of time. In 2010, Black Light will be supplying hundreds of lights, over 1000 ways of dimming, over 16 miles of Socapex multicore cable and 40-plus lighting desks. Black Light meets much of this demand from its own resources and, thanks to its excellent connections in the industry, is also able to sub-contract any additional equipment from other parts of the UK.
Black Light does not only supply equipment to Festival venues. It is also involved in rigging venues for many clients. The company also offers the expertise and peace of mind that is vital for the Fringe's high-profile shows: which is why it supplies the Pleasance with a 24/7 on-site support technician. Black light also provides all its other Festival clients with a 24-hour emergency call out service.
(Jim Evans)
