Hawthorn supports Magic Mike Live in London
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Conceived and co-directed by Tatum, Magic Mike Live is a large-scale, live production show based on the hit films Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL. The show will see the theatre at the Hippodrome Casino transformed into an intimate 325-seat in-the-round performance space where guests will witness artists perform a 360° dance and acrobatic spectacular.
Hawthorn is supplying lighting from its extensive hire range to meet the specification of theatre lighting designer Philip Gladwell. Having designed the rig for the Las Vegas production, Gladwell has modified it to suit the intimate nature of the new venue, whilst also adding in some exciting new enhancements.
“Despite being a smaller space, we’ve maintained the same big lighting motifs that we have in Vegas” says Gladwell. “This includes a large grid of 20 Robe Spiiders overhead which form a sort of visual ceiling to the piece. These sit ever so slightly lower than the rest of the rig, making them much more pronounced to the eye. Not only are these a necessary way to get top light to the stage but, by pixel mapping them, they’re a great way to get movement without flashing lights.”
As Magic Mike Live is very different usual theatre productions, audiences can expect a lighting design more akin to a music video, packed full of in-your-face visuals and effects. Aside from the Robe Spiiders, the punchy rig also features Martin MAC Encores, Robe LEDbeam 150s and GLP impression X4 Bar 10s. The complete lighting rig is controlled by an ETC network with 2 of Hawthorn’s new-to-stock Gio @5 consoles at the helm.
With the London show utilising a number of new fixtures, Hawthorn has also invested in Robe’s versatile new MegaPointe fixture. “Not only do they do that very, very bright tight pinspot thing, they also go wide and washy,” says Gladwell. “For an effect light they’re not a one trick pony and that’s what I really like about them. When you have a rig full of Encores and Spiiders, it’s quite hard to find a light that will cut through them and the MegaPointe does just that. When I’ve got someone on stage and need to pick someone out for an explosive moment, I can use the MegaPointes.”
James Curtis, Hawthorn’s theatre account manager says: “Working alongside Phil’s production team is always a pleasure and it was fantastic to have them prepping in our warehouse again and making full use of our wysiwyg studio. This has been an extremely interesting project to manage for Hawthorn as it’s not your everyday theatre production. I can’t wait to see the final result in November.”
Mark Burnett, business development manager at Hawthorn, said, “Ever since Magic Mike Live was announced on Britain’s Got Talent earlier this year, it’s been the show everyone is talking about. Not only is it an absolute honour to work on such a highly-anticipated production, it’s amazing to be working alongside Philip Gladwell again.”
(Jim Evans)
