"The Novello is much smaller than the Broadway theatre where the show played previously. We've had to cut the rig by half and light primarily from front of house. It first opened in May last year, so I went to watch it a couple of times to refresh myself before thinking about how it could move across. I looked at which lights are only rarely used and decided to rationalise and simplify based on that," says Billington.
He continues, "I broke plenty of rules when lighting this show - such as the first 3.5 minutes being in darkness. I was always taught that if the audience can't see, they can't laugh - but I proved them wrong. The second blackout, towards the end of the show, gets even more laughs."
Production electrician Martin Chisnall adds, "The lighting looks stunning. Ken sent across all the paperwork and we spent over a month together reprogramming and relighting."
(Jim Evans)
