With artists ranging from individual performers like Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins and Katie Melua to large scale group artists such as The National Youth Orchestra and the English National Ballet, any lighting design would have to be flexible and dynamic enough to cover every demand and yet stay sensitive enough to function as a live show for a 600 strong audience whilst being filmed for a prime BBC TV Saturday night slot.
Event organiser Media 10 contracted Hawthorns to oversee the production of the show, with project manager Peter Boott and technical production manager Tom Walsh at the helm. It was lighting designer Vince Foster who was awarded the task of bringing the organiser's vision to fruition.
No stranger to the challenges of working in such a pressured environment, Foster specified a rig that was heavy with Clay Paky fixtures as he explains: "Being held in the palace, the security checks were always going to be thorough. Every truck of equipment that entered the site had to be fully unpacked and searched - not once, but twice - before they could be unloaded in the grounds. This had a knock on effect on the amount of equipment that could be brought in across the entire production with Hawthorns ensuring every single item was accounted for and planned meticulously. Any last minute changes couldn't be accommodated. So my tactic was to simply hang as much as I could to cover every possibility."
Over 381 lighting fixtures were hung from the roof including 43 Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1200s, 10 Clay Paky Alpha Wash 1200s and a selection of Clay Paky Sharpies in the main roof. Within the rest of the rig were a number of Clay Paky Profiles, the 700s and the Alpha Profile 1500s along with a large number of Sharpy Washes.
All the equipment was sourced by Hawthorns with Clay Paky service and back-up always on hand from Ambersphere Solutions but the design was pure Foster. "This was a challenging yet exciting event to be involved in. There were three main elements to consider when putting together the display - how it looked in the daytime, evening and then on the BBC. I wanted to create the complete opposite of what had been done at the palace before, and make the stonework become part of the show. The open back and curved arch of the stage worked really well with this."
One of the main production challenges was the timing as Foster comments: "The entire production had to be completed to a very tight timeframe, this included stopping for three hours per day for the Changing of the Guard. On top of this there was a working curfew of 10pm, to ensure that the sound or lights didn't disturb residents or wildlife. Held in one of the hottest July's on record, the sun was not setting until gone 9.30pm meaning I had very limited opportunity to rehearse the show and see how the effects and lights would look going from day to night."
Hawthorns' Peter Boott sums up the entire occasion: "This grew from a small event - original plans included a string quartet on the terrace with a typical garden party vibe - to one of the most complex I've had the pleasure to work on. There were over four hundred performers on stage in total and each one had the correct lighting throughout the show."
(Jim Evans)
