By 1976 Autograph had come to the attention of leading US sound designer Abe Jacob, who was in London to appoint an equipment supplier for the UK production of Broadway hit A Chorus Line. A firm working relationship was established and Jacobs educated Autograph in the workings of the large musical production, introducing a brand which still has a key role in the company's sound designs today: Meyer Sound. The UPA-1 speaker was specified for one of the most important shows of Autograph's history, Cats, which opened at the New London Theatre in 1981 and brought in rental income until it closed in May 2002, 21 years to the day it opened. During this time, Autograph also provided systems and design for many of the UK and European productions of the show. Cats was also indirectly responsible for the launch of Autograph Sales, set up in 1982 to distribute Meyer Sound products.
A similarly significant production for Autograph has been Les Miserables. The show opened in the West End in December 1985 with a sound design by Bruce. The company has since been involved in over 30 productions worldwide and still continues to design new versions of the show.
Since celebrating its quarter century in 1998 (see L&SI January 1999), Autograph Sound Recording has shown no signs of slowing down. Bruce took the role of company chairman in 2000, relinquishing his position as managing director to Terry Jardine, and at the same time appointing Duncan Bell as financial director. Having focussed mainly on sound design, Jardine now controls the day-to-day running and commercial direction of Autograph Sound Recording and Autograph Sales while Bell, who had worked in various technical areas of the company, is now involved in the financial side of the business.
The role changes were concurrent with Bruce's sound design for The Witches of Eastwick, which opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2000, following on from his involvement with the hugely successful Mamma Mia!, which opened in April 1999. Bruce designed the sound for the ABBA tribute show together with Bobby Aitken, a leading Autograph sound designer who has since left to start a freelance career. Autograph's sound system at the Prince Edward Theatre gave a number of audio products their British theatre debut, including L-Acoustics' V-Dosc and ARC speaker systems and Out Board Electronics' TiMax show controller. The show also featured the first theatrical use of Cadac programmable modules, together with the company's new Windows software.
Plays have also formed a key part of Autograph's work over the past five years, with dramatic productions in 2003 including The Duchess of Malfi, A Woman of no Importance, Dinner, Jumpers and My Brilliant Divorce. The company has also continued its long relationship with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), supplying equipment for its touring versions of King John, Hamlet, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar, a season at the Round House as well as musical versions of Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Large-scale operatic performances have also enjoyed success: the company supplies the successful arena-style opera productions that Raymond Gubbay mounts every year at the Royal Albert Hall.
In July 2002, Bruce was presented with an ABTT Lifetime Achieve
