Ever since 1913 this landmark venue in Hanover Street - formally known as Cranes Music Hall, Cranes Theatre and most recently The Neptune Theatre - has provided live entertainment to the city's residents.
Following a £1.2m refurbishment - and rebrand as The Epstein Theatre - it has celebrated its centenary by commissioning a permanently installed sound reinforcement system, courtesy of locally-based installer/distributors Adlib Audio, who had previously been supplying on a long-term rental basis.
With the capacity to seat 410 on its two levels, and a new Soundcraft Vi1 at front-of-house, technical manager Tony Carter is delighted that audiences will now be treated to a consistent sonic experience.
"We had been hiring in from Adlib Audio and using desks like the Soundcraft Si Performer and Si Compacts - which I loved. But we needed to step up and have now purchased our own system," he confirmed.
Tony was already familiar with the Vi1, having used it at various festivals. He discussed the idea with Adlib Audio MD, Andy Dockerty, who has worked closely with the theatre since the beginning, and the order was placed.
"I always knew the Vi1 was the right desk for us," he says. "Because we present such a variety of performance - from tribute bands, comedy, serious theatre, kids events etc - the desk needed to be versatile and intuitive."
Adlib Audio sales manager Nick Turner, who processed the sale, adds, "Customers also like Soundcraft for its reliability - which has been tried and tested over the years. It's one of the most reliable desks we've got and the back-up we receive from Soundcraft and Sound Technology [the exclusive UK and Ireland Harman Professional distributors] is second to none. This, in turn, means that we can support [the desk] a lot easier."
(Jim Evans)
