Walker explains: "Blackpool is world famous for its illuminations, and the time was definitely right to get some new lighting technology onboard. Lighting can make or break a show, and we wanted to have the best lightshow in town."
The production has successfully toured Europe and the UK for four years. Smackee also has several other shows in their repertoire, including, The Musicals featuring the top scenes and sounds form favourite shows. When it came to specifying a lighting rig, Walker - also show producer and MD - wanted fixtures that were versatile, robust, easy to use and good value. He looked around at what was available and Robe came up with the best deal on all fronts. He had also seen the Robe lighting rig installed at The Willows Variety Club, Salford in action, and was suitably impressed. He purchased six Robe Scan 575 XTs and four ColorSpot 575 XTs plus the Robe 1024 desk, and is so pleased with the results, that he's about to add more Robe fixtures to the rig.
Walker, who plays the part of keyboardist Benny Andersson in Abba - The Show also designs the lights, running the show via a MIDI link from his keyboard the triggers the desk. Once he'd chosen his fixtures, he looked around for a simple and cost-effective controller, "I needed something I can set up in five minutes" he says.
The lights and desk arrived at the theatre on the afternoon of their first gig of the Blackpool season. By the time they were unpacked, rigged and configured, he had just 90 minutes before showtime to programme a show into the new desk - the first time he had used the whole rig in situ. He reckons it took him approximately 20 minutes to figure out the desk's basics. By the time doors opened, he'd recorded enough of a show for the press to declare it "The best lit show in Blackpool".
(Lee Baldock)
