Push the Button - or PTB - came onto the scene in January 2012 with a mission to provide "an intelligent and sympathetic technical approach to all of its projects and clients". With an inaugural job at what the New York Times calls 'the most important theatre in Europe', PTBs managing director Nick Ewins and his team certainly didn't waste any time making their mark.
Matt Drury, head of lighting for The Royal Court concurs: "The Royal Court receives and considers an extraordinary quantity of new work and each year presents an ambitious programme across its two venues. It's therefore of paramount importance to us that our entertainment technology equipment is robust and properly installed. We were delighted to be working with Nick Ewins again. He has a longstanding relationship with the venue and we wish him all the very best in his new venture."
In just 21 days, and without disruption to the normal theatre programme, PTB pulled out 360 ways of dimming and replaced them with the super quiet, much smaller Sensor dimming racks, fitted with the latest sensor 3 processor. In addition PTB installed a variety of new control systems into the foyer and both theatre spaces - The Jerwood Theatre Upstairs (JTU) and The Jerwood Theatre Downstairs (JTD) as Adrian Veale explains: "In the foyers we installed an ETC Unison Paradigm control processor with plug in touch screen and two four way custom button panels. In the theatre downstairs we installed an EOS 4K Console with capability for 5000 channels or devices and 4000 outputs or parameters and in the theatre upstairs we installed the new ETC GIO 2K Console. Both venues have an ION Control Desk 1000 as backup. Remote control is via an Apple ipad with downloaded ETC app."
"We're over the moon to have completed our first project as Push The Button at one of London's coolest theatres," says Ewins. "The Royal Court Theatre really is a magical place on a world-class scale. To be responsible for the installation of its dimming and control system is an honour, and it was also great fun. Matt Drury and his team were totally supportive throughout, which meant that going into production week for 'In Basildon' was technically drama free!"(Claire Beeson)
