LD Nick Richings design included both conventional and automated lighting. The automated rig from The Moving Light Company includes 10 Martin Mac500s, 10 Martin Mac2000 Profile and eight Vari-Lite VL2000 Wash units. The conventional rig features over 100 ETC Source Four profile spots with 10°, 19°, 25°, 36° and 50° lenses, the 10° units using 750W lamps; 40 Par 64s, 12 Selecon Pacific 90°, 20 Strand Prelude fresnels, 10 Thomas four-cell battens and eight Thomas two-circuit MR16 battens. Control is from a Wholehog II console with two 48-way Avo ART2000 dimmer racks complementing the Lyric Theatre's own dimmer installation. Rigging includes White Light's fully-rated LOLER lighting ladders.
The rig also includes 38 Rainbow 8" Pro and six Rainbow 6" Pro colour scrollers, two Robert Juliat Korrigan 1.2kW followspots and two Look Solutions Viper smoke machines. Working with Nick Richings on the show were Jim Beagley, associate lighting director and Programmer, as well as production electrician Keith Johnson.
Autograph's Nick Lidster - on designing the show - chose to use only LDS Loudspeakers; LDS800s together with LDS700s make up the main vocal and orchestral system, with additional ribbons from both cabinets discreetly installed around the theatre for fill and delay. Further LDS700s are used as foldback, providing the cast with the same sound as the audience.
As the set design covers the original orchestra pit, Lidster had the challenging task of making a remote band sound live. An acoustically treated, sub-stage room was built to accommodate the orchestra. Nick worked hard to make the instruments sound as bright and as natural as possible. For an additional aid to the musicians, a microphone and TV link was installed between the auditorium and orchestra booth to relay the audience's reactions, giving them crucial live feedback.
A Cadac F-Type mixing console and 28 channels of Sennheiser 1046 and SK5012s are in use along with on-stage float mics for the tabletop tap dancing sequence. Sound effects are played back via Akai's S6000 sampler. Nick composed the effects in Autograph's new studio facility, but thanks to remote access to their new in-house online sound effects library, he was able to make changes and additions on site during rehearsals.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
