Lighting designers Richard Neville and Clint Dulieu returned to the caves in 2003 with a lighting design to complement the visually stunning show. Neville remarked: "The actual show is relatively small and almost amateur in nature, so it's up to the lighting to really make the event special." The lighting for the Carols is such an integral part of the show that each year a choreographed lighting display is featured to show off the capabilities of the rig."
Neville and Dulieu selected a number of Martin fixtures to light the 360° performance area. Two MAC 2000 profiles, four MAC 600 washlights and six MAC 250 Krypton fixtures were placed, wedged, bolted and tied to various rocks throughout the Grand Arch. A number of generics were also incorporated.
Neville described the new MAC 250 Kryptons as "incredibly punchy, even over the 20 - 30m throw distance that some of the scenes required. All we did was load in some nice theatre breakup gobos and they were perfect for the show - these fixtures are not just for disco use."
Realizing the wide range of possible applications for the Kryptons, Neville's company RSNLX purchased six of the fixtures with Carols in the Caves being one of their first shows. The Kryptons handled the event well, Neville commented: "The fixtures were so at home in the cave that a large huntsman spider took up residence in one of them!"
The MAC 600s were used to wash both the stage and the rocks, their brightness a key reason for their selection. "We used a lot of dark colors like Congo blue and deep greens and reds, so it was great to have a washlight that can still make the grade with such dark colours," stated Dulieu. Positioned over 50m from the stage, the two MAC 2000 fixtures provided whole-cave washes. "We were able to cover almost the entire cave with gobos by simply zooming the MAC 2000s out," said Dulieu. Neville concluded: "All things considered, the Martin MAC range was ideal for this unique production."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
