As with the West End production, the design and lighting for the tour will be by the team of designer Mark Fisher and lighting designer Willie Williams. Williams is perhaps best known for his work with U2, George Michael and many others; for the tour, he will work with associate lighting designer Richard Pacholski, who has looked after the lighting for the Australian and other productions of the show worldwide.
The core of the tour lighting rig is a package of moving lights from Martin Professional and Vari-Lite, including 30 Martin MAC 700 Profile, six MAC 700 Wash, two Martin MAC 2000 Performance and two of the new Martin MAC III high-output fixtures, plus 20 Vari-Lite VL500 80V washlights. 16 DHA Digital Light Curtains round out the automated lighting.
The conventional rig consists of a wide range of ETC Source Four profile spots and Pars together with Rainbow Coloram II scrollers, along with two truss-mounted Lycian Starklite 1271 followspots. A wide selection of effects includes LED fixtures, Martin Atomic Strobes, sixteen Molefays, 21 custom police beacons, two 30" mirrorballs and 465 Starstrobes. Atmospheric effects are from Look Solutions, including Unique 2 haze machines and Viper 2, Data and Tiny Fogger 2 smoke machines.
Control for the rig will be from an MA Lighting grandMA control system including a grandMA full size, a grandMA light and two MA NSP network processors, driving three Avo ART2000 dimmer racks and eight WDS dimmers. The lighting will be programmed by Dave Sadler.
Putting the rig together for Williams and Pacholski will be a team led by production electrician Ian Moulds, with technical production overseen by production manager Ted Irwin.
Produced by Phil McIntyre Entertainment with Queen Theatrical Productions, We Will Rock You will visit Manchester, Sunderland, Birmingham and Bristol before rounding off the year in Edinburgh.
(Jim Evans)
