The theatre also serves as a hands-on training ground for students on the BTEC National Diploma in Technical Theatre and for the College's various A-level courses, which also encompass drama and technical production. All students touching any aspect of theatre production work in their courses train in the Sundial. They also have the opportunity to be part of the creative and technical teams running the various in-house productions, as well as crewing external shows for additional experience. "It's a great breeding and testing ground for technicians of the future," says Sundial Theatre technical manager Andy Webb.
The theatre therefore needs to be a highly flexible facility, and Webb has been gradually upgrading the production infrastructure in the four years he's been in the post. This year - finding themselves increasingly hiring in moving lights for the major productions - the time came to look at buying their own.
Webb and his team first used Robe fixtures for the summer end-of-year production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a promenade performance staged in and around the courtyard. Webb was suitably impressed with the Robe units to put the wheels in motion for the purchase. Total Euphoria came up with an exceedingly good deal which worked for everyone, and so the Sundial took delivery of their initial batch of four ColorWash 250s and two MSZoom 250s.
Webb says that the neat size of the fixtures is proving ideal for the space, and he's found the DMX-controllable fan useful, especially in student productions where voice projection can sometimes be problematic, so any ambient noise reduction is welcome. The interchangeable gobos have also been a Godsend - quick and easy to do and very user friendly for the students.
One of the first shows of the new term to put the new kit through its paces was a Catwalk Fashion Show charity event in aid of the Cotswold Care Hospice. Organized by local hairdressing impresario Russell Nurding, the even sold out two sessions. Webb designed a simple and effective set and added colour with the Robe fixtures. All were positioned on the floor in full view - a tribute to their aesthetic appeal. Two Washes were used to up-light the side gauzes and the other two were positioned on plinths either side of the catwalk. The MS Zooms were positioned tight to the base of the centre gauze, and used to project moving gobo patterns up onto it, in a dramatic TV style back-lighting effect.
(Lee Baldock)
