It was Burke's first solo headline tour, for which the lighting design was created by Phil Wiffin. Together with special video content made by Helena Spencer, choreography by Sisco Gomez and Burke's highly energetic performance, the show was a slick cocktail of entertainment encompassing a variety of styles and genres from urban to pop.
HSL's project manager Mike Oates says, "It was good to be working with Production North again. The show looked great, and Production North produced a brilliant result with real diversity and value which was flexible and adaptable to fit into the range of venues on the itinerary."
Dominic Crookes was out on the road operating the show, working with HSL tech Jason Dixon. Crooks and Wiffin programmed the show during one production day ahead of the first gig at Rhyl Pavilion in Wales.
The set featured a wide set of steps centre stage with a walkway at the back and two sets of side stairs feeding off left and right.
Up above, the lighting rig was based on three trusses. On the front truss were two Vari*Lite 3000 Spots and eight Robe ColorWash 2500E ATs. The mid truss had eight GLP Impression Zoom LED washes and a kabuki drop, which came down at the top of the set, half way through the intro.
On the back truss were nine V*L 3000s and 10 more GLP Impression Zooms. Hanging on wires from it were five panels of Pixled F15 LED screen supplied by XL Video, and rigged on drop pipes positioned so they were in between the video panels, were four Robe Robin 300 Beams.
On the floor were another six Robe ColorWash 2500E AT. They were joined by 4 Robin 300 Beams downstage and upstage left and right.
Making the most of convenient clamp points on the set handrails were four i-Pix BB7s pointing directly forward and really accentuating the depth of the performance space, and their petal like shape adding some more visual interest to the picture.
Twelve vertical Sunstrips were distributed evenly between front and back trusses and the floor.These were used for subtle 'creeping' chase effects and also as a more non conventional blinder.
Sound was supplied by Wigwam, also a regular Production North choice, with Mark Littlewood mixing FOH & Andy Robinson on monitors. Technical stage manager was James Kelly and production co-ordinator, Jill Aram.
(Jim Evans)
