Behind the scenes, the last-ever theatrical presentation of the Python team's sketchbook was a high-tech affair, making extensive use of Shure wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring technology to ensure that every llama, lumberjack, albatross, crunchy frog, and mention of spam and excrementally runny camembert could be heard clearly - particularly on the final night, which was broadcast live internationally.
Responsibility for this not-inconsiderable task fell to the show's appointed sound designer, Rory Madden of live production and audio equipment hire company Sonalyst, who has most recently looked after the hit 2013 hit West End musical production of The Commitments, amongst many other successes in his 40-year career.
Madden chose Shure's flagship Axient wireless mic system (16 channels in all) for the five principal surviving Pythons plus their longtime comic foil Carol Cleveland, with each one double-miked for redundancy. The rest of the cast, chorus and dancers were furnished with Shure's UHF-R wireless mics (40 channels), while the production's in-ear monitoring requirements were handled by 16 channels of Shure PSM1000.
"I've tried all of the available systems, and own a lot of them," comments Madden, explaining his equipment choices, "but I believe Shure make the most reliable and stable wireless systems. The sound and features on Axient are great, and the support from Shure has been second to none - our special thanks must go to Shure Distribution's Tuomo Tolonen in that respect. The pressure on our RF Tech Graham Colley was intense, because there were an awful lot of people watching in the theatre and internationally on the final night if anything went wrong, but in RF terms we had not a single glitch."
RF Tech Graham Colley, who has previously overseen wireless microphone rigs during the London and Sochi Olympics, adds, "UHF-R and Axient worked really well together - UHF-R's compact UR1M transmitter packs were perfect for the dancers - and it's been great being able to monitor everything through the Wireless Workbench software. I'm pleased to say everything was rock solid."
(Jim Evans)
