French firework expert Group F has an impressive back catalogue, including the display during the 2006 New Year celebrations at the London Eye, the spectacular show on the Eiffel Tower during the millennium celebrations in Paris and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympics. The Brighton event was no less spectacular.
Overseeing the lighting hire needs for Preston Park was Loz Wilcox, project manager at PRG Europe's Croydon office, who explained: "We were contacted by event production manager Jon Linstrum, via event organiser Zap Art, back in November last year. I contracted one of our regular freelancers, Paul O'Brien, to cover the event in the role of onsite project manager."
O'Brien says: "I liaised between Sarah Sankey, Group F's LD, and PRG Europe for all the lighting hires. Sankey had expressed concern that she might be a little rusty when it came to programming and my main responsibility was to ensure she was comfortable with the Avolites Pearl specified, then assist with programming. I was also responsible for running the onsite crew."
Former trapeze artist turned lighting designer Sarah Sankey (known affectionately as Sankey), creates a dynamic and magical atmosphere using an eclectic combination of conventional and not so conventional fixtures. Her philosophy is: "What I choose not to light is as important as what I do light." This gives the show all its dimension and character.
Ethereal figures appear to fly through the darkness on pyro rockets; others emerge from thin air walking through space, drenched in fairy lights. A massive crane stands in the centre of an oil rig style set built of scaffolding. Both are crammed with pyro. The resulting display, in front of an audience of 70,000, is spectacular.
Zap Art's crew chief Ruari Cormack commented: "Our biggest challenge was supporting all the weird and wonderful lighting gizmos that Sankey had brought with her, including dimmable fluorescents, strobes, fairy lights, mirror balls, rope lights and pea bulb strings, plus a smattering of old French streetlights! We also had to keep an eye out for rogue un-pluggers, of which there seemed to be plenty!"
Sankey concluded: "PRG Europe was brilliant, providing me with reliable kit and a fabulous crew - Paul O'Brien has been a Godsend, particularly during the programming. The crew can make anything work, sometimes so fast and so well, I can barely keep up with them!"
Meanwhile at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, LD Paul Emery called on Robin Wain, senior account production manager at PRG Europe's Birmingham facility, to help with the task of lighting a rather unusual production. Comprising instruments built from recycled and reclaimed materials, the Lost and Found Orchestra is Luke Cresswell's and Stephen McNicholas' (original founders of Stomp) latest project, created specifically for the Brighton Festival's 40th Anniversary.
Emery liaised with Wain and Philip Norfolk, regional sales manager from PRG Europe's Greenford branch, to help him achieve his objective. "I wanted a dynamic look from the lighting to match the action on stage", said Emery. "To that end I needed a moving fixture that would blend in with the conventional tungsten fixtures, whilst avoiding fan or motor noise - there are some very quiet moments in the show. I looked at a number of fixtures but decided on the VL5Bs - Phil Norfolk was a great help in this. They turned out to be ideal and very reliable. I also hired crew from PRG Europe who, from the get in, through programming to the first night, gave me all the support I needed."
(Lee Baldock)
