When The Rocky Horror Show originally opened at the Royal Court Theatre more than 40 years ago, it was one of the first productions that WL worked on, with the company also supporting its subsequent transfer to the Kings Road Theatre. Over the years, WL has continued to work on several re-incarnations of the musical smash hit, which has also gone on to become an iconic film as well as be performed on Broadway, in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.
The show's latest run was lit by lighting designer Nick Richings who also worked on the 2013 UK tour. He comments, "I first saw the show at the Kings Road Theatre when I was 17 and it made a huge impression on me. What's great about The Rocky Horror Show is that it is extremely unconventional, which is why so many people like it. This was reflected in the original lighting set-up which created this dazzling sense of mayhem. This was something I wanted to recreate with this production."
The equipment used for the show includes Martin MAC Auras, MAC 700 Washes, Clay Paky Sharpys, Chauvet COLORado 2 Tour RGBW LED PARS and Color Kinetics ColorBlaze 48 LED Battens. These have been programmed using an MA Lighting MA2 Lite console and the operating system is an MA onPC Command Wing.
Rachel Gale, WL's moving light hire manager, comments, "WL obviously has a strong affiliation with The Rocky Horror Show, so it's fitting to once again be providing our support. It's still an unbelievably popular show and every time a new production comes our way, we can offer it the very latest in lighting technology.
Nick adds: "As always, it was a pleasure working with WL. They were extremely helpful, had an unparalleled range of equipment and showed an enormous level of care which I have naturally come to expect from them."
During the show's West End run, for which WL will supply additional Martin MAC Auras and Clay Paky Sharpys, there will also be a special Gala Evening on 17 September in the aid of Amnesty International. This special performance will be screened at cinemas across the UK and Europe and will feature well-known names such as Stephen Fry, Anthony Head and Emma Bunton sharing the role of the Narrator. The Gala Evening will also feature the show's creator Richard O'Brien, who is appearing in the musical for the first time in 20 years.
(Jim Evans)
