Nolan explains: "I wouldn't normally take both roles on the same show. However having become involved I realized that production designer Jonathan Park and composer Jeff Wayne had very strong ideas of how they wanted the show to look and I felt another creative could muddy the waters. Although I am first and foremost a lighting designer, due to the complexity of the staging and my responsibilities as production manager, I needed an associate LD/programmer who I could trust to translate the ideas in my head into a tangible and creative lighting concept."
To that end the service of PRG Europe's Ben Cracknell was requested. Cracknell, a lighting designer and programmer in his own right, has previously worked with Nolan on a variety of shows including the BAFTA Awards. Over time they have developed a strong understanding of one another's lighting techniques. As Nolan explains: "I was the vessel through which Jeff and Jonathan filtered their creative ideas. I passed these on to Ben and he translated them with rigging, fixtures and programming."
Lighting was one of the last things to be finalized, because it had to fit around the projectors for the computer-generated image (CGI) which ran across the full width of the stage. It also had to accommodate the huge grey 3D projection surface, which appeared to hover above the band, stage right. The 3D surface hosted the projection of Richard Burton's face, which was sync'd with sound and so appeared to talk. Last but by no means least was the imposing Martian Fighting Machine (MFM) centre stage, featuring hydraulic legs that dropped down onto the stage.
Cracknell describes the concept: "The stage was divided into the projection screen, the band and orchestra, Jeff conducting and the performance area downstage for the guest artists. The Burton Head and the guest performers telling the story could be overshadowed by the massive MFM, so it was important to give depth to the stage whilst ensuring that no element upstages the other. We also ensured that the performers were pulled out from the general lighting of the band and orchestra. For the story telling we used suggestive and heavily keyed lighting effects to imply time, place, atmosphere and mood."
This was successfully achieved by plenty of cross and up lighting for the performers, with the lighting often following on from the action and mood engendered in the CGI. Lightning strikes and heat rays were emulated live with strobes and effects and the rig comprised mostly Vari*Lites. Inside the MFM Nova High Ground Searchlights acted as the Martian heat rays from the nose of the machine, while four Palco LED wash lights colour changed in the MFM eyes and two Parcans provided side jets, plus there was also a smoke machine and fan. On the underside of the MFM a DL1 projector and camera surveyed the stage and audience with insect eye lenses. This was fed directly back to the video and projected onto the screen backdrop to the stage.
With over 1000 cues in this two-hour show, there were occasions when the lighting changed on the beat of every note of the music. Cracknell elaborates: "With this many cues the show's operation was a complex issue. We realized early on that we would have to use time code via two 48-track playback machines, from which many of the sound effects are generated. From the moment the conductor lifted his baton we were off and the desk, a Wholehog 2, just ran itself!"
With this many cues the show had to be built up in layers and this is where the WYSIWYG studio in PRG Europe's Greenford facili
