In the UK, audiences are used to pantomimes being staged in drafty halls and chilly theatres. In stark contrast, the International Players production of Cinders (a characteristically loose interpretation of the Cinderella story) was staged at the Ghana International School's outside stage in high temperatures. Although there is a roof over the stage and auditorium, its purpose is to provide shelter in case of tropical storms!
The panto was left high and dry when another UK-based lighting supplier failed to respond to its order. So, with a fairly tight turnaround time for the lighting to be shipped out via sea freight, the Players turned to Black Light where sales manager Karen Fairlie swung into action.
The Players ordered a complete lighting package, comprising a range of Selecon luminaires, Zero88 dimmers and control desk, Doughty stands, transport bags, storage boxes, cables, fixings and Lee Filters gels. Because of the length of time that sea freight takes to reach its destination and the vagaries of overseas customs clearance, the International Players' David Tyerman was on tenterhooks that the equipment would arrive in time. But he needn't have worried.
"We had most of the items in stock," says Fairlie. "One of the main reasons we keep such a wide variety of equipment in stock is because of situations like this. We want to be able to respond quickly and efficiently to all enquiries, wherever they come from and however short the deadline.
"We were anxious that we could clear the lights from the port in time for the pantomime, but we managed to do it with 48 hours to spare," says David Tyerman. "black light were very helpful."
Of course, on arrival the challenges for the equipment were only just beginning. "The temperature was about 32ºC, which increases on stage and of course a pantomime is all-singing, all-dancing," says David Tyerman. "So we spent the whole time on stage bathed in perspiration and the time off stage desperately trying to rehydrate. But the equipment coped very well considering the heat and humidity. The audiences we perform for come from different ethnic backgrounds but all enjoyed the very British spectacle of pantomime - even if they don't fully understand it!"
As well as the Ghana production, this year's panto season has seen black light supply equipment to a number of UK-based venues. Highest profile of these have been pyrotechnics, snow machines and silk flame effects to the Kings Theatre in Glasgow for Mother Goose, plus pyrotechnics and snow machines for the production of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
