The production design was created by Mathias Kuhn and included 80 x Robe moving lights and LED fixtures – 36 x MegaPointes, 30 x BMFL Spots, 4 x BMFL FollowSpots, 10 x FOOTSIE2 LED footlights and four RoboSpot remote follow systems – all supplied by rental company, Bandit Lites out of Nashville.

The initial summer tour played a mix of arenas, theatres and amphitheaters with 10K to 36K capacities and the most recent leg stepped up to arenas, including Madison Square Garden, which were all completely sold out, ramping up the already great vibes and energy surrounding the tour, which is always a brilliant backdrop to any nationwide touring campaign.

Mathias is based in Hamburg, Germany and brings his style and aesthetic to a lot of rock and metal bands, a genre he loves, and that offers plenty of scope for imagination and dramatic lighting.

Mathias talked to the band after being asked onboard, who revealed that they liked the idea of a circular halo-like shape being associated with the stage look.

He took this as a stylistic starting point, basing the essential trussing architecture around two circles, a main 41ft diameter sphere that defined the space, in conjunction with a smaller 21ft diameter ‘supporting’ circle flown inside the big one. Both were scalable to deal with different sized venues.

The concept evolved rapidly, he drew it up, they loved it, and everything else, including the screen design … developed from there.

Naturally, ensuring everyone’s visual expectations could be met whilst fitting into the available budget was a challenge, and Mathias spent considerable time choosing the right fixtures and positioning them where he knew meticulous programming could help maximize the looks.

The fragmented LED screens were part of the look he crafted to avoid the “big TV” syndrome, complete with ladder trusses loaded with fixtures in between to further break it up and enhance the depth of the performance area.

He controlled the screen outputs via his Resolume video server, triggered by the lighting desk, which ensured there could be a carefully blended mix of playback content and IMAG footage from 7 cameras. Having control of all the visual entities is a great way to ensure continuity and a harmonious integrated look.

Robe MegaPointes are consistently Mathias’s first choice of moving light. “They are the first piece of kit that goes on the plot,” he confirmed when chatting about the design. This is because of their “compact size, big output, excellent gobo selection and quality beams” and the fact that “they look amazing even in the largest arenas!”

Eighteen of the 36 x MegaPointes were rigged on ladders in between LED screens at the left and right upstage corners of the rig, hung vertically in a line of nine each side, with the other 18 deployed on the floor on rolling Tyler GT truss, located directly underneath the LED screens.

BMFLs were chosen for their incredible power and punch and their status as “a great workhorse fixture,” noted Mathias, who has used these luminaires on numerous projects. He loves the brightness, the gobos and the zoom functionality.

Eighteen BMFLs were rigged on the downstage half of the large circle, with 4 on each side of the stage on subs to extend the overall stage look.

Four standard BMFL Spots were also part of the follow spotting system together with 4 x BMFL FollowSpots (with the integral camera).

Fixture placement was key to optimizing the look and ‘virtual’ size of the rig, so much diligence went into this aspect of the design.

It was Mathias’ first time out with the FOOTSIES, which he thought were “Great! A nice flat field beam that really assists key lighting”. Especially so when running in combination with the  4-way RoboSpot system controlling the eight BMFLs as described above. These were rigged four per side on two small truss sections flown downstage left and right.

Having the follow spots at this very steep angle to the stage ensured they had an extremely neat trajectory and minimized unsightly spillage.

Also on the rig were some other hard-edged fixtures, strobes, blinders and FX units with LED floodlights on the large halo, plus a few wash lights on the floor – Mathias is not a fan of wash lights in conventional contexts!

Different shades, textures and variations of white dominated the show making it a lot more interesting, raw and contrasty, with color mainly introduced via the video content, and Mathias’ personal presence is generally to avoid distracting gawdy or ‘candy colored’ scenes and keep it stark with the focus on the band and music.

The principal idea was always to keep the band front and center of the action and at the epicenter of the picture. “It’s a live rock show, not a YouTube stream,” he reminds everyone.

Video content was commissioned by Creed and delivered by Wayne Joyner and Dave Letelier with a lot of discussion between them and Mathias as it was imperative for the two medias to dovetail. “They did a great job,” commented Mathias. Content was shaped for each song, leaving enough black and dark spaces for him to mix and apply IMAG feeds and effects as he felt appropriate.

Mathias set up, programmed lighting and ran the show for half of the first leg of the “Summer of 99” tour before leaving due to other commitments, with lighting crew member Brian Bogovic operating for the remaining dates.

Bandit’s lighting crew chief was Cheyan DeBrower who was joined by Haley Elliott and Lucas Gamez making up a brilliant touring team, with Kenneth Ackermann working as video crew chief for this department which had equipment supplied by PRG.

The post Arms Wide Open for Robe on Creed Tour appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

The Kunstsilo (Art Silo) is on the small island of Odderøya in Kristiansand, Norway, and opened its doors in May this year.

The stunning concrete building is a former grain store that has been ingeniously transformed into an impressive minimalist-style art museum housing more than 7,500 unique works, including the Tangen collection, the world’s largest collection of Nordic modernism.

The architects made a feature of the building’s cathedral-like silos, which are 38 metres high. Illumination from such high ceilings presented a challenge but lighting designer Kathrine Hjelmeset of Henning Larsen Architects took inspiration from industrial lighting, specifying 26 Glamox i90 industrial LED luminaires. These powerful lights are more at home in lighting high-ceiling warehouses and industrial plants and were installed by OneCo.

The industrial luminaires are suspended from the ceiling in each silo, providing a narrow beam and controlled using a DALI control system. Only around 40 percent of each luminaire’s 60,000-lumen illumination capacity is used, and the luminaires have a long 100,000-hour lifetime. They provide a neutral white light (at 4000K with 90 CRI).

The overall project of lighting the Kunstsilo, of which the silo lighting is the part provided by Glamox, has been nominated for the Norwegian Lighting Award.

Photo credit: Halvor Gudim.

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With a capacity of 5,900, the Sun Princess boasts brand-new entertainment venues and innovative concepts. The ship has recently been equipped with a comprehensive Robe Lighting package, including 4 FORTE FSs, 4 RoboSpot systems, 27 ESPRITES, 76 PAINTES, 22 Spiider LED wash beams, 24 LEDBeam 350s, 43 LEDBeam 150s, 57 Spikie+s and 14 T11 Profiles with gobo modules, plus 21 ParFect 150s, 42 Tetra1s, 30 iPAINTES, 13 iSpiiders, 17 iBeam 350s, 5 iTetra2s and 19 iBar 15s.

The Sun Princess, the most impressive and luxurious “Love Boat” ever created, introduces an innovative ship platform designed exclusively for the world’s most iconic cruise brand. Mesmerising shows and engaging activities abound across the ship, highlighted by transformational entertainment venues. The Princess Arena, the most technologically advanced Princess Theater design, offers three configurations to maximise sightlines and deliver a truly captivating experience. The Dome, featuring a pool by sunlight and a stage for shows by starlight, is a glass-enclosed space inspired by the hills of Santorini. It showcases acrobatic performances created in partnership with the renowned Cirque Éloize. Princess Live!, an intimate lounge, offers non-stop entertainment throughout the day and night with trivia, game shows, the daily Wake Show, live concerts, and late-night comedy. The Piazza, the ship’s hub, spans three decks and features outward-facing suspended spheres that transport guests to new dimensions with expansive ocean views, complemented by world-class entertainment supported by moving stages, performer flying, and a 3-story LED wall. Additionally, O’Mally’s Irish Pub offers good food, good drinks, and lively music from a resident Irish folk band. Robe Lighting plays a vital role in bringing these spaces to life and more.

Built at Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy, the Sun Princess is the largest cruise ship ever constructed in Italy, weighing in at 178,000 gross tons and featuring a total guest and crew capacity of 5,900. As part of Carnival Corporation’s green cruising initiative, the Sun Princess is one of 11 new ships in the corporate fleet powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) fuel technology, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The ship also features ingenious energy recovery systems for eco-conscious cruising.

The lighting design for the Sun Princess was selected and coordinated by Princess Cruises’ Fleet Supervisor for Lighting/Video & SFX, Matt DeJong, who explained that Robe was the clear solution for this new build project.

In coordinating the lighting systems, including lighting positions and fixture selection, Matt DeJong noted that multiple rounds of reviews were necessary to finalise the system design for the venues. As the Sun Princess is a concept ship, creating the venues from scratch required careful planning with venue architects, LES Integrators, and the shipyard. On a cruise ship, overhead availability is always a concern, and since trim heights are often lower than in traditional venues, selecting fixtures with the right size, zoom range, and features was key.

Robe’s TE (TRANSFERABLE ENGINE) family of fixtures emerged as the perfect solution for the Sun Princess. Additionally, the ship is entirely LED, with both entertainment and public area lighting. This decision aligns with Princess’s commitment to eco-friendly cruising. Robe’s TE series provided various light engine options, allowing for a balanced lighting rig that still delivers powerful performance. “We could select the most recent fixtures, and ones that best served the needs of our productions and designers. Not being locked into the shipyard supply, which is often defined years and years in advance, allowed us to stay relevant and up to date with the latest and greatest lighting technologies that matched exactly what we needed,” said Matt when explaining the process and benefits of the option to “owner-supply” the main moving light package for this new build project.

The lighting rigs on a new ship are expected to last about 8-10 years from delivery. The onboard production staff manage the day-to-day maintenance and operation of the lighting systems. The TE family was an ideal choice for Matt because the easy swapability of the light engine extends the lifespan of the fixture beyond the rated hours of the light engine. The future-proof TE series, along with fantastic support from Robe, made it the ideal choice for Sun Princess. The TE family includes a range of fixtures with varying sizes, light engines, and feature sets, enabling Matt to select fixtures with reliable feature sets based on the available overhead space and venue requirements. The Dome also required IP-rated fixtures as it serves both indoor and outdoor functions since humidity plays a factor with the venue containing a pool and open-air opening. Having the option to use the same type of fixtures, such as the PAINTE, Spiider, and LEDBeam 350 in both IP20 and IP65 with iSeries fixtures was a significant advantage for streamlining onboard storage of spare parts and maintenance items.

Matt and the Princess Production Resource team, led by Denise Saviss and Mark Simons, have had great success with Robe in the past for main lounge refits. A combination of an impressive feature set, light output, size, weight, and strong support presence made the selection of Robe fixtures an easy decision. Tony Perez, Robe’s global maritime sales director, played a key role in supporting Matt and the Princess team by coordinating shootouts prior to the specification phase.

Tony’s support and ability to coordinate special requests, such as custom factory gobo loads, made the entire process very smooth and ensured that Princess received exactly what they needed and wanted. Tony’s assistance was also crucial in ensuring the on-time delivery of lighting fixtures to the shipyard for installation onboard, meeting the deadlines of both the shipyard and the creative teams.

The Robe Lighting fixtures are the primary workhorses for the production shows and entertainment on board this next-generation ship.

The Arena Theatre production shows include Vallora, A Pirates Quest (lighting by Ben Cracknell, programming by Matt Davis), Fiera! (lighting by Mat Stoval & Trevor Burke for Visual Noise, programming by Zach Matusow), Viva La Musica (lighting by Ignacio “Iggy” Rosenburg, programming by Max McDougall), and Stage Struck (lighting by James Whiteside, programming by Michael Fox). The Dome and The Piazza feature Princess Cirque shows with Montreal-based Cirque Éloize: Art Beat, Blue, and Come Fly Away (lighting by Laurent Routhier, programming by Hunter McCune). The Piazza events were designed and programmed by Nathaniel Cromwell and Michael Gionfriddo for EMF Lighting, with additional lighting design and programming by Matt DeJong, Sandee Roque, and Octavio Ahumada.

The numerous creative teams appreciated the Robe fixtures for their impressive output and consistent color mixing between the TE range and the LEDBeam/Spiider range. Lighting designer Laurent Routhier from Cirque Éloize, who utilised the iPAINTE, iBeam 350, iTetra2, and iSpiider in the Dome, remarked,

“Robe is my favourite brand so I knew it would work. The design of the dome being quite special with no top lights and few backlights meant we needed some moving lights we could rely on, and as usual Robe delivered. And the small size vs the brightness of the lamps was perfect for that venue.” The Princess Cirque shows from Cirque Éloize play in The Dome and feature three full shows that run 2-3 times a night during a voyage. Laurent also had the pleasure of using the Robe fixtures in the Piazza for a special Champagne Toast event featuring a trapeze act performance with the circus artists.

Nathaniel Cromwell and Michael Gionfriddo, working with EMF Lighting, were responsible for the design and programming of all shows and events in the Piazza, the ship’s heart. This venue, which runs all day and features anything from daytime washes to game shows and full production shows, needed dynamic and reliable fixtures. Michael remarked, “I think that the selection of fixtures from Robe in the Sun Princess Atrium was a perfect fit for the space. The PAINTE as a hard edge with an LED engine provides great color clarity and low maintenance considering the location of the fixtures. The Spiiders and Tetra1s live up to their reputation, providing vibrant looks and endless FX possibilities.” The Piazza also serves as one of the two nightlife spaces, featuring late-night discos in the center of the ship. Nathaniel added, “Robe lights consistently proved themselves to be the right job for the role. The Piazza is an important centerpiece to the Sun Princess. Having fixtures that are vibrant, quiet, and reliable is essential to the space, and Robe excelled in all categories.”

The Arena Theatre presented several challenges due to its multi-configurable nature. Matt explained, “The lighting rig needed to function for proscenium mode, in-the-round mode, and thrust mode, all without re-hanging the rig and without placing fixtures where they were only useful in one mode.” One key challenge was determining the follow spot locations. “From the start, it was clear we needed four or more fixtures to support the venue,” explained Matt. In the end, four FORTE fixtures were carefully placed to be functional in all modes. Four RoboSpot base stations were selected to run the FORTE fixtures from a backstage loft area. The ultimate architectural design of the venue prevented traditional follow spot locations and systems. “The ability to use the Base Stations and fixtures like a matrix selection was the most impressive feature, as it allowed us to be more flexible in our user needs, and the setup was easy enough to change as needed for the different configurations,” said Matt. The FORTE fixture’s large zoom range also contributed to its selection for this venue. The long throws combined with the 5.5-degree minimum zoom meant that a more traditional follow spot system was no longer required.

In the Arena Theatre, four full production shows are installed. Each show will run twice each night during a voyage, featuring fully produced performances with the production cast, scenery, media, and lighting. Lighting designer Ignacio Rosenburg shared his experience: “I absolutely loved designing a show on Princess’ new vessel. It’s certainly a departure from my usual haunts, but walking into a theater as impeccably beautiful and modern as this was breathtaking. We have a long history of using Robe products, and we often turn to them for their light quality, feature sets, and dependability. It really speaks to the attention Princess pays to their entertainment division that this theater was stocked full of the latest and greatest from Robe’s catalog. Having access to both entertainment-style fixtures like Spikie and PAINTE, as well as powerhouse theatrical ones like ESPRITE and FORTE, and the fantastic RoboSpot system, meant I could thread the needle between my more rock-and-roll style lighting and the needs of a theater environment.”

The Arena Theatre features a large LED wall at the back that runs for all shows. The impressive engine output from the TE fixtures like FORTE, ESPRITE, and PAINTE, along with the Osram engine from the Spiider and LEDBeam fixtures, was crucial to allow the lighting to cut through the video content.

The Dome and the Piazza lighting were installed in just two days by Videlio HMS. The lighting rigs in the Arena, Princess Live, and all other venues were installed by Matt DeJong, Karen Hii, and the supernumerary install and setup team, including Sandee Roque, Dusan Milosavljevic, Octavio Ahumada, and Sabiniano (Buboy) Martinez. Across all venues, over 400 individual fixtures were delivered across Europe, stored in a warehouse, and then loaded into the Monfalcone shipyard using various shipping and handling options. Matt and the Princess team were impressed that each unit worked right out of the box. Matt explained, “Normally, with the volume of fixtures for this project, you would expect a few issues or small problems with one of the units. However, there was a 100 percent out-of-the-box working rate, which proves the quality control and care that goes into production from the factory in the Czech Republic.” The on-time delivery and 100 percent working rate were instrumental in keeping the installation and creative phases on track during the new build process.

The Sun Princess Robe lighting rig continues to perform exceptionally. The availability of service documents and ongoing support from Robe North America and the global support team, along with the dedicated communication and support from Tony Perez, positions the Sun Princess for long-term success. The entire Princess Entertainment technical team, show creation team, and onboard technicians are delighted with the performance, reliability, and features of the Robe fixtures onboard Sun Princess. The Robe moving light rig is complemented by other conventional units, and additional moving lights were provided by Videlio HMS for select venues.

Sun Princess is the first in the Sphere Class for Princess Cruises.

Photos by Matt DeJong.

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Caleido Tower is a 181-metre (594ft) high, 36-story tower in Madrid, and the seventh tallest building in Spain. The building has met (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification – a framework which consists of various rating systems tailored to different types of buildings, spaces, and communities to assessing the sustainability of a project.

Caleido Tower achieved GOLD which means it ‘serves as exemplary models of sustainability, showcasing the potential for significant environmental impact reduction through thoughtful design and operation’.

The building achieved this by using natural light with the help of an advanced lighting control system by German manufacturer B.E.G. – whose UK headquarters is based in Surrey. Caleido Tower also has facial recognition, intelligently controlled lifts and air filtration and ventilation systems are incorporated.

It is expected that more than three million visitors will visit the 70,000 sqm Caleido complex annually. The project, in the shape of an inverted T, has been divided into four areas: an educational area with 35 floors used by a business school, a wellness clinic, an underground car park, and restaurants and shops.

The technology protocol used in the Caleido Tower was KNX, a globally proven bus system within building automation, which brings together multiple systems enabling the uniform networking and visualisation of intelligent devices.

B.E.G. predominately used the PICO sensor – one of the smallest KNX detectors in the world – for this project due to its size. Despite its diameter of only 33 mm, it has a range for motion detection of 10m transversely, 6m frontally and 4m for seated activities. This means that it detects even the smallest movements, such as the operation of a computer mouse.

In addition to a light output (controllable or switchable) and a slave output for extending the detection range, the B.E.G. PICO also has three HVAC outputs with which energy-intensive systems such as air-conditioning units can be controlled. The light output can be used both as an occupancy detector and as a twilight detector (motion-independent control/switching).

The B.E.G. PICO also has functions such as a temperature sensor, presence simulation, corridor function, orientation light function, short presence and self-adjustment of the follow-up time. The short presence, for example, can save additional energy as the follow-up time is reduced to an adjustable percentage if a room is only entered briefly to fetch an item for example.

Paul Jones, Sales Director of UK & Ireland at B.E.G, said: “Since very large ceiling panels were used, it had to be ensured that the respective panel would not sag over time due to the weight of a detector. Weighing only 14g, the B.E.G. PICO proved ideal and was integrated in all rooms where detectors were planned.

With the help of BIM, the building was digitally modelled in advance – a planning method that is increasingly becoming the standard in the planning of large projects worldwide. In the process, all alphanumeric properties of the planned building are represented. This data is automatically kept up-to-date and gives all parties involved access to the status of the project to ensure the different service combine effectively.

The combination of bus systems can help to save energy costs. In the Caleido Tower, over 15,000 DALI luminaires were installed in addition to KNX, while a gateway was used to control these with KNX. This connected the KNX bus with the DALI bus designed for lighting control.

Each B.E.G. gateway was able to switch and dim up to 64 ECGs in 16 groups, while scene control of individual ECGs is also possible. In addition to RGB and Tuneable White, the gateway also supported DALI-LINK multi-sensors.

In the corridors of the tower, the light is controlled by the B.E.G. PICO depending on daylight and presence. If no more movement is detected, the orientation light switches on. The lighting is dimmed down to a value of 10 percent as soon as the room is no longer occupied.

This state remains permanently until the next movement, or the light is switched off after a preset time without detecting movement again. A calendar function can also be used to implement a night mode.

Especially in large projects such as the Caleido Tower, an orientation light is often used to visually illuminate the building. The lighting of the IE logo on the facade is automatically switched on in the evening by the B.E.G. KNX switching actuator with a calendar function. Individual luminaires are also switched on and off with switching actuators. This is achieved for example, when illuminating screens for presentations.

With the calendar function, the light is automatically switched off at a preset time in the evenings when there are no more classes and, in addition, no movement is detected in the surrounding areas. This affects the refectory, for example, where the B.E.G. PICO only functions as a twilight detector and only regulates the light to the desired brightness depending on the natural daylight.”

The IE Business School was opened in the Caleido Tower in October 2021 in the presence of Felipe VI, King of Spain, and António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.

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The theater’s new home, a transformation of a former blacksmith shop and Old Manor House, includes two modern stages: a large stage seating 150 guests and a smaller stage for more intimate performances that seats up to 80. The new space also includes a spacious foyer, dressing rooms, and office space, as well as warehouses and workshops.

Designed for greater creative flexibility and an enhanced experience for both the performers and the audience, the new facility blends the theater’s rich tradition of storytelling with a future-forward technological foundation. Presenting pieces of dramatic theater as well as puppetry, which applies the same lighting techniques as regular theater, the Kubuś Puppet and Actor Theater is an immersive and magical experience.

In August, a new season of artistic performances launched, and this time with completely new cutting-edge entertainment technology solutions supplied and installed by PS TEATR. As experts in a wide range of entertainment technology systems, PS TEATR integrated lighting, multimedia, electro-acoustics, and stage machinery, significantly enhancing the performance capabilities of the theater.

The new system is anchored by Elation’s FUZE PROFILE, an advanced moving head luminaire equipped with a powerful 305W RGBMA LED engine and a full blackout framing system. Compact, quiet, and lightweight, 12 FUZE PROFILE units deliver a high color rendering index (CRI) of 92, ensuring vibrant, accurate color and sharp effects that bring each scene to life.

The FUZE PROFILE’s diverse feature set gives designers at the theater a new toolbox of dynamic options to create richer visual experiences: 7° to 42° zoom and framing to highlight specific lighting positions or illuminate larger areas on stage; variable frost for soft, diffused lighting effects, ideal for mood-setting scenes or gentle transitions; variable CCT to simulate warm candlelight to cool daylight; gobos to create textured patterns and immersive backgrounds; animation wheel to simulate rippling water, moving clouds, or other effects; smooth dimming for dramatic effect during emotional scenes; and more.

In addition, the facility has been equipped with two FUZE PROFILE CW cool-white LED variants, offering designers a clean, flat-field keylight with precise color shade adjustment for even greater versatility. The lighting system is further enhanced by moving wash lights, static ellipsoidals, and Fresnel spotlights.

Adding to the aesthetic possibilities, six PALADIN BRICK RGBW floodlights with adjustable beam angles fill the upstage with vibrant color, while two PROTRON 3K COLOR LED strobe lights inject dramatic intensity into key moments of the performance. Paired with smoke machines, fog generators, and UV spotlights, the new lighting system significantly extends the range of possible creative effects.

The multimedia system also comprises a 7-meter-wide projection screen, four 7000 lm projectors, a high-performance media server, and PTZ cameras. In the elegant foyer, a digital signage system serves the display of prepared information and marketing content. The new facility also features exterior image projectors that cast gobo projections onto the theater’s façade, turning the building itself into part of the theatrical experience.

Lighting control is equally advanced, with modern lighting consoles managing the systems on both stages. Here, signal distribution from nine NETRON RDM 10 DMX/Ethernet converters, two NETRON EP4 DMX/Ethernet gateways, and five NETRON DMX 10-5 splitters from Obsidian Control Systems ensures seamless communication and synchronisation across the lighting setup.

The installation also includes multiverse transmitters and receivers, further enhancing control capabilities. In addition to the stunning new lighting, the theater boasts an immersive sound system, creating a complete sensory experience that transports audiences into the heart of the performance.

“We are happy to be part of the transformation of this unique and historic theater,” said a spokesperson at PS TEATR. “Integrating Elation’s lighting solutions has allowed them to enrich their storytelling while making it easier for them to customize the lighting to create a magical atmosphere for each performance and scene. The system has benefitted those who work with lighting at the theater but has also elevated the entire audience experience.”

Thanks to the new stage technology and the transformative role that Elation lighting plays in enhancing the artistic potential of the Kubuś Puppet and Actor Theater, children and adults alike can immerse themselves in a whole new world of fascinating experiences for years to come.

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Pharos Architectural Controls has a distinguished history of supporting projects that have pushed boundaries – in terms of scale, complexity and in some cases, sheer audaciousness. As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the controls manufacturer has released a new set of podcast episodes focusing on some of the more wacky, wondrous and other-worldly projects to have exceeded the limits of what was thought possible from a technological perspective, but also in terms of innovation and imagination.

The ‘20 Years of Pharos’ campaign is spotlighting ten lighting professionals and ten projects that have shaped the success of the company over the last two decades.

Seminal lighting professionals Alan McIntosh from Mulvey & Banani Lighting, Inc and Torben Skov Hansen from Chromaviso both feature in this tranche of the campaign, discussing how they have each made their own impacts on the industry – in very different ways.

Boundary-pushing projects featured as part of the campaign include Bridge of Peace in Georgia and the awe-inspiring art installation, Untitled (UFO), which took flight in 2008 – much to the delight of thousands of onlookers in London, Prague, Rio and California. Podcast interviews with Marco de Boer from Primo Exposures and Dominic Harris from Cinimod Studios explore these incredible projects in more detail.

As well as providing rich insights and personal stories, the podcasts will cover how Pharos technology enabled visionaries to realise their briefs and – in many cases – completely exceed them.

Alan McIntosh – Mulvey & Banani Lighting Inc

VP and partner of Mulvey & Banani Lighting Inc, Alan McIntosh, has been with the company for 14 years after spending over a decade working on TV and theatrical lighting touring as a technical director where he gained valuable experience working with dynamic lighting.

“The touring aspect of being a theatrical tech director really encouraged a boundary-pushing mindset, which was a priceless experience and knowledge-gathering time for me. Mulvey & Banani takes on a lot of ambitious urban design projects – many of which are dynamic in nature: a particular passion of mine. We take care of small public art installations to huge-scale wonders of the world, and everything in between.

“Pharos had always been used by the team at Mulvey – they have become one of our standard controls provider, but my first experience of using Pharos control to great effect was on the Bloor Street Benches project in Toronto, which could be described as the Fifth Avenue of Canada. This project was one of the first projects where we worked in direct collaboration with the Pharos team, rather than just specifying them as a contractor would.

“The concept came as a result of an art competition set by the local Business Improvement Association (BIA), to revitalize the urban street scape and make the space more inviting.  Our firm teamed up with landscape architect, DTAH, and came up with the concept of creating stylized public benches that were themed as urban fire pits. These benches lined the corridor and provided a place that was intended to bring people together and provide a sense of warmth and community, on what is a very busy street filled with high end retail, restaurants and constant foot traffic.

“The benches were etched with flames, with lighting integrated inside them that – if the visitor pushed a sensor – would transform from a static look into a flame-flickering, dynamic look. From there, the scene would play for 2-3 minutes and then revert back to its static scene. Each bench had its own independent controller, while the local program to each bench could be overridden, should the need arise to change all the benches at once by the technical operators. The show on each bench had an astronomical calendar that was programmed for ten years, which included programs and scenes, based on what the client wanted, including Father’s Day, Halloween, Easter, etc. All the benches would trigger in uniform illumination.

“The client also decided they wanted to throw in a show every 15 minutes, which switched the fire mode onto all the benches simultaneously., before reverting back. It was ambitious – there were 63 benches eventually installed along Bloor Street and they are still working well, with a couple of tweaks here and there to update in line with the client’s requirements.”

The Bloor Street Benches project is one of the largest deployments of single Pharos controllers, programmed to work individually and as a collective, to achieve the required objective for the client.

Alan continued: “As well as winning the art competition, we have received several accolades for that project and really shows how we want to continue to push boundaries and innovate to create something really special, that we can be really proud of. The production and live event background mentality came to the fore to help us to overcome hiccups and problems that really pushed that project forward and realise its full potential.”

Torben Skov Hansen – Chromaviso

Chromaviso has been specialising in healthcare lighting for the last 18 years and began its working relationship with Pharos in 2012.

Torben explains: “The first years of the business were spent providing a completely novel kind of lighting into operating theatres, so very specialist indeed. The partnership with Pharos came as a result of some work we did with a surgeon who had the idea to combine architectural lighting and room lighting with colour mixing, in order to enhance his visible performance, increase the working environment and thus, his work as a surgeon.

Chromaviso’s founders were well-versed in architainment lighting and acquainted with DMX, and so the innovation in this space was born. To begin with, it was all about controlling lighting in that one room – the operating theatre – and they had their own developed control system for that, which worked well.

“When I joined the company, we expanded the business into multiroom control and larger areas of hospitals – staying in that health and care space. Pharos was the obvious choice for enabling that multiroom control.”

Chromaviso has coined the term ‘light as medicine’ and has continued to innovate in the niche sector of healthcare lighting – both from a patient care standpoint and from an ergonomic perspective, to support the work of the staff working within these environments.

Torben continued: “It’s a unique application in which to use Pharos technology. The benefits and the beauty of this partnership have been proven over and over again. One such example comes to mind when we worked on a Danish psychiatric hospital, which was over 8,000 sqm with 116 patient wards, that had to be completely integrated with circadian rhythm. This meant that some 1,100 six-channel luminaires had to be controlled within that site, which Pharos could easily cover, but the peculiarity was integrating it into the building automation: The user panels, motion sensors, centralised touch-based user interfaces, used both for monitoring, surveillance and multiroom control, was something that we built together on those early projects.

“KMX has emerged as the building automation standard where we are active, so we do that in many cases, particularly on larger projects. This web server – web-based multiroom control and monitoring system that we have developed with Pharos is present across more than 100 hospitals across Scandinavia. These circadian installations have found their way into some further 50-60 installations across elderly care institutions, with the same amount again present in psychiatry, intensive care and neonatal units. In every clinical area active 24/7, our technology will be used and we continue to use the same principles as we did in the beginning.

“In healthcare settings, the lighting design has to work hard to fulfil a multitude of conflicting briefs at the same time, including balancing the benefits for staff in a complex working environment, while aiding the patients around them, who are trying to rest and recover. The evidence and knowledge around light interaction with humans, depending on the health condition they struggle with, has really deepened in recent years, and so our approach has become more advanced in ways that we can support healing and recuperation.

“This is the core value that we provide to the market and Pharos really has been instrumental in enabling us to push those boundaries to innovate in this sector.”

Bridge of Peace, Georgia

Marco de Boar from Primo Exposures codesigned the Bridge of Peace with lighting designer Philippe Martinaud from FOCAL, to complement the overall vision for the structure by architect, Michele De Lucchi. “My dear friend Philippe brought me in on the projects in Georgia, which started with the TV Tower and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2008. These projects were my first encounter with Pharos and that relationship continued with the Presidential Palace project in 2009. In December 2009, we got the first calls for the Bridge of Peace, starting with final design and production in Feb 2010.

“The bridge was constructed in Verona, Italy, then cut into pieces and transported via 200 trucks, into Georgia. It was reconstructed, where the glass and lighting elements were added, before being pontooned over to the other side of the river, where the build and install was completed. It was a true feat of scale and engineering.”

The bridge itself comprises a toughened glass parapet, with 2 x 175m of LEDs (the span of the bridge); 1,250 units inside the roof section of the bridge to illuminate the Meccano. Almost 200 sensors to make the programs follow the pedestrians who walked over it. There are five Pharos LPC 1s (Lighting Playback Controller) and three LPC 2s to help deliver the complex lighting programme on the bridge, supported by 27 Pharos Designer RIOs – most of which service the sensors on the bridge parapet.

Tim Edwards, Operations Director at Pharos, took the lead on the project from the Pharos side of things. He added: “The commissioning for the bridge was done in two phases: The bridge roof, followed a few weeks later, by the walkway. The first phase was near-perfect, which is testament to Marco and the team as that so rarely happens. Phase two was very different with lots more challenges, as the programming for the bridge itself was much more complex. We had problems with earthing, which upset a lot of our gear, but we worked it through to stay on track. The scale of the project was quite something too: to have that many inputs into the system, it is always going to need some ironing out. Deadlines were tight too, so we were under pressure.

“The design of the bridge also incorporated messages of peace, transmitted in light via morse code that travel along the sides of the bridge. This required some completely fresh programming within the Pharos software, which took some support from our team but worked out beautifully.”

Marco continued: “We had the fixtures produced and engineered the complete system, as well as doing all the on-site management. It was a huge project – certainly the biggest I have ever done, but it was a lot of fun. The support we got from the Pharos team brought everything together to really make the design work, in a time when LED projects were pioneering in the industry. A special mention to RENA who made the LED fixtures – the way they prepared the products for quick on-site installation really made a huge difference to us under pressure.”

The Bridge of Peace continues to wow visitors with its simple, beautiful white lighting displays, interactivity and message of peace. Marco concluded: “It’s listed as one of the top five pedestrian bridges in the world. That’s quite a legacy.”

Untitled (UFO)

Cinimod Studios is renowned for using lighting and video to create unique projects so when Dominic Harris received the brief to create a UFO (unidentified flying object) that would fly over the skies of London, Gdansk, Rio de Janeiro and Barstow, CA, he couldn’t refuse.

“I’ve become a world expert on creating UFOs, which is quite a niche area to be working in, but when a company – like Microsoft with its Halo 4 launch – or an artist, finds themselves in need of one, they tend to come to me. They are hard projects to conceive, design and deliver and with a huge amount of challenges to overcome in the execution.

“The whole project initially came about as a collaboration with the US artist, Peter Coffin. It was his vision and he’d wanted to do it for a long time, but he had found it a really difficult project to get ‘off the ground’. He came to Cinimod Studios with the conundrum and we broke it down into its component parts: What does a UFO look like at night? How do you physically construct it and then, how are we going to fly it? But then, if we are going to make this spectacle, we want people to see it, which is where the lighting comes into play.

“The challenge with Untitled (UFO) wasn’t just a feat of getting these huge structures (which were initially 8m, but grew to 15m) off the ground, we needed to build them with the level of lighting that was supported with its own power source. Of course, there was this brain in it, which controlled how the UFO behaved, and that could be controlled remotely from the ground.

“There weren’t many people at that time around who had solid state, robust bits of kit that could drive large amounts of RGB LED pixels individually and could do it in a way that you could pre-visualise testing that out. The Pharos LPC took every bit of shock and vibration and could deliver everything we needed, leaving Peter and I free to design and test out patterns and see everything unfold in flight.”

The lighting on the structure became pivotal and provided the visual spectacle that was enjoyed from the ground, by onlookers in cities across the globe.

“The lighting brief and the aesthetic for Untitled (UFO) changed depending on the country we were flying in” explained Dominic. “Flight control rights meant that in some areas, we could fly the helicopter with all its lights off, as the UFO itself was considered bright enough to mark its location in the sky. This made the view of the piece even more striking in the night sky. In Barstow, California, the flight path took a route over the mountains and then over the Skyline Drive-In open air cinema, where the band Beck was performing and the UFO would form part of their set. The helicopter was able to fly with its lights off and the light emanating from the UFO enabled the pilot to light the way safely through the mountain valley.”

The governing safety we followed meant that there could be nothing between the helicopter and the UFO, other than the strop line itself, which required the UFO to be a completely self-contained unit, with regards to power and data. The peculiarities of a project like this came with several technical challenges, but having the support of the Pharos team on hand to help – day and night – ensured that the UFO would take flight on time and in all its glory.

Dominic said: “The business we are in is that everything has to be perfect on the night, so having that back-up and support was vital; in those moments where we needed it, it was priceless.”

Simon Hicks, CEO of Pharos Architectural Controls, joined Dominic on the podcast and recalls being a part of the support team for the UFO project. “There weren’t many solutions that could control that many fixtures in a solid-state form and, at that time, there weren’t even many Pharos units manufactured – the UFO was one of the first projects to use the LPC X, which we were still building to order in our small office in Shepherd’s Bush. Had there been a problem – as well there might with a new product entering such unfamiliar territory as a UFO – the only backup unit was the one we had in the office to replicate Dominic’s setup and provide technical support. It was an exhilarating project to be part of!”

Dominic added: “I would hazard a guess that there aren’t many Pharos controllers that have flown over three continents of the globe, like the one fitted to the UFO. A special accolade indeed.”

The full interviews can be viewed here:

Alan: https://youtu.be/KrW754LzXRs?si=IK0OPp_QieLzWUDM  

Torben: https://youtu.be/ws2dhrWcJ-g?si=5JBIwBK8VUaE63ex  

Bridge of Peace: https://youtu.be/sRTGEHHdPY4?si=mscoj9y44Wa_nlsJ  

Untitled (UFO): https://youtu.be/yfMdPLir1NQ?si=PasPUYxUUevOPFcb 

The next installment of the ‘20 years of Pharos’ podcast series, focusing on Scalability, is due to be released in November.

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Fans who crowded the tunnels to see international stars VTSS, Crystallmess and Mary Lake, along with local favorites like CJ Bolland and Nosedrip, got swept away by more than the music. Setting a mesmerising visual tone for the shows was a dramatic lighting design by the John & Jane team that accentuated the intensely raw aesthetics of the tunnel structure.

“This was the third year in a row that we provided sound and light for multiple stages of Listen Festival,” said Lowie Lesage, technical supervisor of the project. “Listen Festival is known for their unique locations. This year, having the festival take place in tunnels was a fun challenge. Our successful cooperations rely on good equipment and light and sound designs that match the venue. As well as working together to find the best logistical solutions.”

Helping the John & Jane team achieve their vision for the festival was a collection of CHAUVET Professional fixtures that included 36 COLORdash PAR H12IP washes, 12 COLORado Panel Q40 rectangular wash lights, 14 Color STRIKE M motorised strobe-washes and 16 STRIKE P38 blinders.

Tobias Allard, who served as the lighting designer-operator, along with operators Korneel Wilkin & Ward de Clercq, drew on the colour rendering prowess and intense output of the fixtures in their rig to create a seamless flow of compelling looks throughout the tubular festival space.

“We played off the length and shape of the tunnel,” Lesage said, explaining the design team’s strategy. For example, the team transformed moods by conjuring up a variety of intense monochromatic washes that seemed to fill the entire space. They also added dramatic flourishes by sending sharp beams of lights over the crowds one moment, before accentuating the tunnel walls with warm white blinders the next.

Although the tunnels, which are normally used for traffic, offered the design team a wealth of creative opportunities, they also posed some challenges. “As the tunnels were closed for traffic for a relatively short time before the festival, we had to make sure the load in would go as smoothly and fast as possible,” explained Lesage. “This made it necessary to preassemble most of the totems in our warehouse.”

By taking steps such as this, the John & Jane team was able to pull off the Listen Festival design without a hitch. Venturing into the mysterious world of tunnels, they emerged with a stunningly beautiful lightshow.

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Elation is delighted to announce that Sound Technology has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Elation and Obsidian products in the UK and Ireland, effective from 1^st September 2024. In addition to its existing portfolio, Sound Technology will manage all aspects of Elation and Obsidian sales, service, training, and support in the region.

Located in Letchworth Garden City, north of London, Sound Technology is a distributor of high-profile brands in the professional audio, lighting, and MI retail sectors. The company is part of the Midwich Group, one of the largest specialist audiovisual distributors in the UK and Europe.

Marc Librecht, Sales & Marketing Director for Elation and Obsidian in Europe emphasised the partnership’s importance in driving growth in this key market: “We are excited to have found a dedicated partner who can help us expand the Elation and Obsidian brands in this extremely important and influential market,” he stated. “Sound Technology’s local expertise, network, and understanding of the market are important drivers of success that we are confident will allow us to strengthen our presence in the UK and Ireland. The potential of this market for us is great, and we look forward to working closely with the Sound Technology team to deliver high-quality solutions.”

The exclusive partnership allows Sound Technology to broaden its professional portfolio with innovative lighting and control products, offering even more comprehensive solutions to its customers.

Steve Fay, Managing Director at Sound Technology, commented: “Elation is an exciting brand with an extensive portfolio which complements our existing stable and plugs some gaps in our offering. Elation brings significant value to the diverse markets we operate in, and we’re excited about this new collaboration. Partnerships are important to us and Elation, alongside our existing partners, shares our drive to provide our customers with the best possible solutions. This partnership enables us to offer our customers a broad range of solutions. In particular, Obsidian, which is a lighting control platform we’ve been familiar with since 2017, meets the demand for a professional lighting console.”

Over the years, Sound Technology has grown its lighting division into a prominent distributor in the live events industry. The company continues to grow its lighting division by hiring and developing dedicated lighting professionals and choosing partners that can help it grow.

Over the past 12 months, Sound Technology has increased the size of its team to service the growing demand for professional lighting equipment in the UK and Ireland. The company continues to develop a purpose-built experience center at its head office north of London. The 4,000 square-ft premises provides an ideal environment for product demos, trainings, and customer visits, and is an excellent complement to an array of customer-centered events, including road shows.

“We continue to invest in building and growing our lighting and live events business,” Fay stated. “We spend a lot of time and energy on putting products in the hands of lighting designers, venues, integrators, and rental companies in the form of onsite demonstrations, shootouts, and other events so they can experience our products firsthand.”

The Sound Technology team hit the ground running at the PLASA show early in September, their debut outing as Elation and Obsidian distributors, which set the stage for a future of successful collaboration and growth.

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Located within The University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the Usher Institute aims to transform health in society by working with people, populations, and data. The Usher Building houses the Usher Institute with its four core research centres and the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit – alongside partners from public, private and third sector organisations. Funded as part of the Data-Driven Innovation Initiative of the Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland City Region Deal, the facility has been designed by international design practice Hassell Studio to be a welcoming space for focus, collaboration, and engagement, with space for around 1000 occupants.

The lighting project was crucial to this mission. The objective was to create an environment conducive to health research and collaboration, utilising as few manufacturers as possible.

Designing a lighting system for the Usher Building, a complex and multifunctional facility, posed significant challenges. The aim was to install efficient lighting throughout the building, ensuring that office lighting worked with ceiling raft details and communal lighting matched the architectural finishes. The project demanded a seamless integration of lighting controls to provide efficiency, flexibility and additional functionality.

Delivered by Leon Gray, a TRILUX distributor, and installed by EMTEC Group with lighting design by Ainsley Cramer, the lighting scheme consisted of 400 custom-designed Sonnos downlights featuring a bronze and black RAL finish; these downlights blended perfectly with the building’s architectural metal finishes. Over 600 Solvan Flows, 300 Amatris, and numerous LED linear runs were installed, providing uniform and efficient lighting throughout the facility.

However, the star of the show was the LiveLink controls system, which offers numerous benefits: semi-automatic lighting with absence detection for maximum energy savings, multiple lighting scenes for dramatic effects in event spaces, push-button controls for on/off and dimming, simplified partition controls for flexible space usage, remote access for modifications and service checks, daylight controls with window row dimming to optimise energy efficiency, and extensive DALI networks across the building for comprehensive lighting management.

The new lighting solutions provided by TRILUX significantly enhance the Usher Building’s usability and aesthetic appeal. The efficient and well-integrated lighting systems support the facility’s goal of fostering interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The reflective spaces, such as the reading room and cellular meeting spaces, benefit from the custom lighting, creating an ideal environment for focused work and engagement. The lighting has also improved the overall atmosphere of the facility, making it a more inviting and productive space for its users.

“As a research and innovation institute focussed on health and social care, we wanted our Usher Building to be designed with wellbeing and efficiency at its heart – and for it to be a space that draws our team and collaborators together. Lots of natural light is complemented by flexible lighting from the TRILUX team to ensure we can work most effectively whatever the weather!

TRILUX’s lighting solutions have enhanced the Usher Building’s environment and contributed to a brighter, more connected, and healthier future for the researchers and partners working within this leading medical campus – power is combined in a proven management team – this creates good prospects for the future!” concluded Susan Buckingham, Head of Communications, Marketing and Engagement at the Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh.

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Having originally been performed on Broadway back in 1948, Kiss Me, Kate first appeared in the West End in 1951 and has subsequently been revived countless times over the years. One of the most recent revivals was the Drama Desk Award-winning 2019 Broadway revival – a show which Don also lit. Despite having worked so recently on another production, Don insists this had no bearing on the latest London show. He explains: “From our earliest creative conversations, I knew that Director Bart Sher and his creative team would be bringing a very different vision, so the lighting needed to follow suit. For starters, there’s an overriding meta-theatrical element that didn’t exist in the Broadway production, which completely shifted the visual paradigm. Bart also understood it was important to address the rather ‘old fashioned’ gender politics of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which is at the core of the show’s narrative, filtered through a 1940’s lens. He worked with the writer Bob Martin (with the consent of the Cole Porter and Spewack estates) to re-examine selected sections of the book; which, as a result, allows the entire show to feel more relatable to a contemporary audience”.

Explaining further his creative approach to the show, Don explains: “Kiss Me, Kate moves fluidly between the backstage environs of a theatre in 1940’s Baltimore and onstage, in mid-performance of a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. The full breadth of the Barbican’s performance space is revealed and in-play throughout the evening.  We tried to evoke a backstage environment that you might encounter if you actually walked into that Baltimore theatre almost 80 years ago. The light was crafted with a nod toward film noir: high contrast, sharp angles and deep shadows. In terms of the set, The Shrew’s scenic design felt very much like what you might encounter in a 1940’s era musical. It was largely composed of cream-coloured soft canvas flats, carried on and off by stagehands in the audience’s peripheral view. In contrast to the backstage world, the light in The Shrew is bright, colorful, kinetic and in no way attempts to fall in line with 1940’s production values. Given the meta-theatrical nature of this production, I felt we had permission to expand our vocabulary well beyond what would be considered ‘period’ lighting.

He adds: “Although I tried to work with a limited palette and scrupulously avoided movement effects, chases, and other more contemporary gestures in The Shrew musical numbers, I wasn’t shy about acknowledging the numerous brass stings, buttons, and other flourishes in Cole Porter’s amazing score.  I’ll also admit there were some iconic numbers in the show that were so spectacularly scored, choreographed and performed  (such as the Act Two opener “Too Darn Hot” and Bianca’s “Always True to You” ) that I felt compelled to depart from my self-imposed constraints and completely ‘let loose’. These were the moments that felt really satisfying for me and seemed to land most successfully with the audience”.

As is often the case with shows as ambitious as this, the design did change slightly once technical rehearsals and previews began. Don explains: “Whilst Bart was interested in rendering a dark, gritty, and atmospheric backstage environment for Kiss Me, Kate, once we began previews, it became clear that we needed to shift the dynamic toward a brighter, less ominous-feeling space. It was a welcome change of course and not too difficult to address. What proved to be more challenging was the late arrival of The Shrew set, both in pre-production and onstage at the Barbican. I had no pre-lighting time to develop a clear visual vocabulary before we were pressed to move very quickly through the show in what was a rather abbreviated (one week!) tech process. The Shrew scenes were definitely a work-in-progress,  and the lighting design continued to evolve over the course of the preview period. It was a hard slog, but I think we eventually arrived at a very good place”.

Knowing what he needed to achieve with his design, Don spoke to the Hire Team at WL to put together his lighting rig. He explains: “We used a variety of equipment to bring this production to life, ranging from the Barbican’s tungsten ellipsoidal inventory (for high-side light systems that delivered an ‘incandescent’ feel for the backstage scenes), to ETC Lustr 2 and Lustr 3 Series Profiles, which were crucial in expanding our high and low sidelight colour palette. There was also a variety of automated fixtures, including MAC Encore and MAC Ultra Profiles, MAC Quantum and MAC Aura XB Washlights, and ETC High End SolaFrame 2000s.

He continues: “The scenic design featured a large (roughly 15m diameter) revolve that contained three rather elaborate two-tiered settings, including dressing rooms, a backstage corridor, and the actual ‘stage’ space, that was seen in bare bones ‘rehearsal mode’ with the theatre walls exposed, or in ‘performance mode’, with The Shrew set in full play. Many scenes, musical numbers and transitions (the action is continuous) were performed with the turntable continually in motion. The automated lighting rig was crucial in addressing the multiple challenges that this cinematic staging presented”.

In regards to the continually revolving turntable on stage, this feature made Don realise early on into the design process that he would need to incorporate a large amount of onboard lighting to reveal these spaces and carve out the action. He comments: “We installed numerous set mounted practical sources, along with a variety of low-profile theatrical fixtures, such as Rosco Pica Cube 4Cs and MR16 Birdies, tucked into ceiling coves and hidden recesses. We also rigged several ‘overhead electrics’ which spanned the revolving ‘stage’ space, fitted with a variety of automated LED fixtures, including GLP Impression XBar 20s, MAC Aura XBs and SolaFrame 2000s. Given the limited amount of power available via a central commutator, I restricted all set-integrated and set-mounted theatrical lighting to LED based sources”.

Don concludes: “For Kiss Me, Kate, I’d like to acknowledge the great work of Lighting Programmer Nick Simmons, Production Electrician Pete Lambert and the Barbican Lighting Team, UK Associate LD Hector Murray and Associate LD Karen Spahn. I’m very proud of the work we were all able to put onstage, due in no small part to the stellar support we received from Andy Cullen and the WL team. They went above and beyond to deliver the tools we needed despite the limited budget and fast- track nature of the project.  They also stood right behind us as the design evolved and changes to the rig were required during the technical rehearsal and preview period – something we greatly appreciated”.

Photo courtesy of Kiss Me, Kate 2 © Johan Persson.

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