Under the artistic direction of Tilde Björfors, Cirkus Cirkör mixes elements from street theatre, rock videos, theatre, dance and film into its shows. The company tours extensively worldwide and is based in Alby, south of Stockholm.
Lighting is an integral element of Cirkus Cirkör's work. It's used to emphasise the drama, the seat-edge acrobatics and sheer physical power, emotion and aesthetics of the performance.
Lighting for Knitting Peace is designed by Ulf Englund, and the new Robes - five MMX Spots and 16 LEDWash 600s - were specified for this show by him and Cirkus Cirkör's technical producer, Stefan Karlström.
"They are well specified lights and fitted our budget," says Karlström, explaining that before they made the purchase, both he and Englund had heard many good reports about Robe especially about the reliability of the brand, which helped cement their decision.
The Robes are currently the only lights on the show. They are rigged onto the custom trussing structure which is also used by the performers and for various props, with some units placed in the floor.
This enables Cirkus Cirkör to be completely self-sufficient. Their crew can rock up at any venue or performance space and have their show area and technicals exactly the same each time - all they need is power.
Lighting for Knitting Peace is being co-ordinated on the road by Fredrik Ekström who is operating the lightshow using a Hog PC console. He also has previous experience of using Robe fixtures and is really happy to have them on the tour.
(Jim Evans)
