As part of the conversion, the room required the installation of a technical infrastructure which would be used to rig and control lanterns from LAMDA's existing stock. White Light's Roger Hennigan worked with Claire Cooper, LAMDA's buildings administrator, and Paul Rowland, the college's head of lighting, to specify the system. This provides a 6m x 11.5m fixed overhead lighting grid with 60 15A sockets on internally wired bars and DMX outlets at multiple positions. The sockets are wired back to a Weiland mains patch allowing the outlets to be patched to the four 12-way ETC Smart Pack wall-mounted dimmers. Control is from an existing Arri console.
The installation, which involved multiple diamond-drilled holes to support the grid, was undertaken for White Light by Mark Bradbrook. Already in use for LAMDA's student productions, the installation has met with approval from LAMDA, with Paul Rowland commenting on White Light's work: ". . . excellent job - really neat, tidy and well done."
The studio will also provide LAMDA's technical students with a further venue in which to refine their lighting skills; LAMDA's technical course, pioneered by lighting designer and theatre consultant Richard Pilbrow in 1965, turns 40 this year. White Light has supported the college through much of this period, most recently providing equipment for the production of Kiss Me, Kate at LAMDA's MacOwan Theatre.
(Lee Baldock)
