The ambitious production, set in the round, attracted rave reviews, with the Guardian praising its 'genuine theatrical spectacle', and the Express saying it was 'magnificently staged'.
Lighting designer for the production, which ran from late February into March 2014, was Andrew Bridge, three-time recipient of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design and long time collaborator and friend of PRG.
"The Gubbay/RAH producing operation has been going for 20 years and I have lit them all," says Bridge. "It presents a challenging schedule with load in on Sunday and first opening to the public on the Wednesday. However over the years I've built some valuable relationships that make this project all the easier including: Peter Marshall of PRG as lighting manager who covers crew finances etc., my associates Mike Odam and Alistair Grant, trusted programmers Stuart Porter and John Harris plus production electrician Ian Bagshaw. If I didn't have PRG and my team I wouldn't even contemplate doing such a ridiculous operation! PRG supply the complete package and they never compromise on quality."
As if the time challenge was not enough, this year the team elected to transfer all data from Bridge's usual two consoles - one for movers, one for static - into a single console, PRG's versatile V676. "A good performer in all scenarios," says Bridge. "But to be honest it's the programmer who is more important to me. I couldn't operate a console any better than I could a space shuttle."
"With a demanding show like this it's a godsend that the V676 is fast to programme," continues programmer, Harris. "The V676 can easily cope with 2000 moving heads, plus it's very solid - and you really want something solid when you're working on a major show like this."
In terms of lighting, PRG has had a longstanding close relationship with RAH and has provided rigging services for the majority of the Hall's largest productions each year. La Bohème was no different. As Chris Walker, account director for PRG rigging, explains: "I have a particularly in depth knowledge of rigging in RAH, having worked with the venue and their structural engineer and crew to design rigging installations for Cirque du Soleil's shows since 2003, along with many other events."
This time La Boheme loaded in to RAH hot on the heels of Cirque du Soleil's load out of Quidam, for which PRG also supplied rigging. Walker was therefore able to coordinate some pre-rigging for Boheme alongside the load-out of Quidam.
(Jim Evans)
