Cover:Cover 05/04/2011 09:12 Page 1

April 2011 entertainment, presentation, installation www.lsionline.co.uk The Wizard of Oz LSi reports from the London Palladium

Also Inside . . .

BRITs Showtime . . . TF: Amplifier Update Frankenstein Lighting Daybreak LSi backstage at the O2 Arena Issues of power and class . . . The National’s winning creation LED in the studio of the future

• PLUS! . . . PLASA Focus: Preview • The Dr Who Experience • LSi Online launches Video Hub • • HK Audio in Cincinnati • Rigging Call: Secondary Suspensions • Audio File: Route Causes • • Second Fix: Reviewing Suppliers • Recollected Works: Royal Weddings •

View LSi’s Digital Edition & Archive online - register FREE at www.lsionline.co.uk/digital Frankenstein:On tour.qxd 04/04/2011 12:58 Page 68

There is much of interest in director Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein at the National Theatre, not least an aerial forest of incandescent light bulbs and a sound system from a manufacturer whose name you may not immediately associate with theatre. Rob Halliday and Phil Ward bring the story to life for LSi . . . Photo: Catherine Ashmore

68 L&Si - April 2011 rnesenO orqd0/421 25 ae69 Page 12:58 04/04/2011 tour.qxd Frankenstein:On electricity harnessed byFrankenstein, andtoprovide conceived aceiling ofbulbstorepresenttheforces of The lightbulbsdeveloped inthisway. “Dannyand Mark push theboundariestofulfilltheirambitions.” infectious enthusiasmthatmakeseveryone involvedwantto production. HeanddesignerMark Tildesley havean to ideas,yetveryclearaboutwhat is rightforthe really focusthathugespace.Danny isfantasticallyreceptive is theOlivierstageandhowstronglydirectionalsourcescan first meeting.“We talkedalotaboutthebigblackvoidthat “We talkedovercoffee,andjustgoton,”Poet recallsofthe that ledtheNationaltosuggestDannyBoylemeetwithhim. the audiences’attentionontheatre’sbigopenstage, presented asimilarchallengeinrequiringlightingtocontrol in thesameauditorium2009.Itwasthatshow, which his acclaimeddesignfor but forgingquiteareputationforhimselfattheNationalafter Poet, more commonly foundintheoperahousesofEurope incredible wedgeoflightbulbs-islightingdesignerBruno Guiding usonthatjourney-andresponsiblefor and pain,comingfacetowithhiscreator. we thenfollowhislife,learningtowalk,talk,feelfear creature bursts,andovera90-minute,interval-freejourney starts thedrumisrevealedtobeawombfromwhich assortment oflight-bulbs you’veeverseen.Oncetheshow hovers agianttriangularwedge,chock-full ofthebiggest quickly encouragingotherstofollow).Andaboveallofthat members topullonit(thefirstgiveinthattemptation above thecentralropedanglingtemptingaudience drum glowsinthecentreofstage;anancientbellhangs theatre leadinguptothestage);whatappearsbeagiant Alushape moldingclothisusedtolinethewallsof walls aredressedinfabric(500sq.mofShowTex UK’s stage, litaglowingred;theauditorium’sfamiliarconcrete enormous, curvedcycloramawrapsaroundtherearof audience firstwalkintotheOlivier’sauditorium:an Fortunately, itdeliversonthatexcitementevenasthe Danny Boyle( palpable. Whetherbecauseofsuperstardirector new stageadaptationofFrankenstein hasbeen The senseofexcitementaroundtheNationalTheatre’s Lighting, byRobHalliday Slumdog Millionaire item beforetheshowevenopened. National’s moreusualrollingrep,ticketswereahot a continuousrunratherthanbeingpartofthe Frankenstein and hiscreature,ortheshowplaying Miller alternatingtheprincipalrolesofProfessor casting ofBenedictCumberbatchandJonnyLee before stagingtheopeningof2012Olympics, Frankenstein Trainspotting ) returningbrieflytothetheatre Every GoodBoyDeservesFavour , theOscar-winning present videoand LEDarrays,theresultisdynamic, visceral As predictedbythe designer, even inthisageofomni- way, andETC werehugelysupportive.” notes. “Ithinkwewerethefirstpeople tousetheEosinthis us tryoutanenormousrangeofeffects veryquickly,” Poet artwork acrossthearray. “Thatworkedincrediblywell,letting built intothetheatre’sETC Eoslightingconsoletorun to bringitlife,usingthenewpixelmapper functionality Poet thenworked withlightingprogrammerJohnMcGarrigle and riggedthestructure. Richard Eustace,whobetweenthembuilt,installed,wired McLeish andproductionmanagersSachaMilroy Pauland theNationalTheatre’sstaff, ledbyMarcWilliams, the lightbulbs),Allelectrics(providerofmorelightbulbs), Lighting (whosuppliedthewovenfabriccableandmanyof Light (whosuppliedandwiredthedimmers),Historic Productions (whoconstructedandwiredtheceiling),White The resultwasacollaborationbetweenScottFleary work!” I wasstaggeredbyeveryone’senthusiasmtomakeit created amonsterofwiring,cabling,patchingandcontrol; whichever bulbshungwithineachpixel.Irealisedthathad ceiling into1000equallysized‘pixels’andpairedtogether afford 1000dimmers.Sowedividedthesurfaceof low-cost 12-waydimmerrackfromNJDwhichwouldletus Light foradvice,andhewasbrilliant-foundavery looking unaffordable.IcalledDaveIsherwoodatWhite researched variouswaysofachievingthis,butitwas “My dreamwastohaveindividualcontrolofeachbulb;we achieve withtungstenbulbsrequiringdimmers. with individualcontrolofeachLED‘pixel’-butitisharderto constructed chasesorflashes.UsingLEDs,thisispossible run acrossit,ratherthanbeinglimitedtomanually controlled, allowingorganicpatternsandmovementtobe Poet wantedtocontrolthebulbsasanLEDarraywouldbe cages, somerawandexposed.ThoughrejectingLEDs, imagined -somewithlampshadehats,protective over 3100lightbulbsofmoretypesthanyou’veever a mirrored,triangularformfromwhicharesuspendedjust The finalcreationcouldbeaworkofartinitsownright.It’s they werewonover.” that magicalglowofatungstenfilamentatreallylowlevel, part oftheceiling,andmomenteveryonesawit, age, thetimeperiodofshow. TheNationalmockedup for itswarmthandbecauseitbettersuggestedtheindustrial terms ofcolour, butIwasverykeentousetungsten,both was veryexcitedabouttheflexibilitytheywouldgivein had beentalkingtoLEDpeopleabouttheOlympicsand about whethertouserealbulbsorLEDsincapsules.Danny opens hiseyesforthefirsttime.Therewasmuchdebate a dazzlinglightforthemomentcreatureisbornand L & S - i April 2011 theatreproduction

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Stylistically, Poet’s lighting follows the sylistic shifts of the show, from the expressionistic opening to the dramatic first reveal featuring the appearance of a steam train (internally lit using a classic old Strand Pageant) and on to the heightened realism of the rooms and Scottish retreat seen later in the show. What is triumphant about the lighting is the way production that it manages to retain the huge, open feel that the set design creates in the Olivier while at the same time ensuring that the audience’s attention stays completely focused where it should be. It is a marriage

theatre of theatrical and operatic that is quite beautifully done, the perfect contribution to a thrilling - and now completely sold out - evening of theatre. Though those without tickets can still catch the show in cinemas when the NT broadcasts it around the world as part of its acclaimed NT Live project . . . Photo: Bruno Poet Audio, by Phil Ward and thrilling, largely because of the tungsten sources: waves of heat accompany the The National Theatre is very confusing. waves of light and at full intensity it is eye- From the outside, in its stupendous plot popping. But then at low level there is the on the South Bank of the River Thames, completely different magic of seeing three thousand filaments glow; when off, Poet it looks like some of the kids who uses it as a receiving, rather than emitting, skateboard the neighbourhood have surface, sculpting and texturing it with light. embedded giant, square frisbees into a concrete lift shaft. Inside, on the other While using more dimmers here than have hand, it looks like some of the kids who ever been seen in the Olivier, the rest of skateboard the neighbourhood have Bruno Poet’s rig is remarkably sparse: since he doesn’t have to share the rig with any embedded giant, square frisbees into other shows (and since the theatre’s usual a concrete lift shaft. The effect is as side positions have been wiped out by the disorientating as bursting into unnatural ‘wrapping’ of the auditorium), he has just consciousness with the realisation that what he needs rather than the theatre’s usual your body has been stitched together comprehensive rep rig. “When I first saw the set model, it was quite clear to me how from other dead people - an event that I wanted to light each scene”, he explains - opens this stage adaptation of 19th for one scene this not using any theatrical Century horror template Frankenstein. lighting, relying entirely on a real gas flame. For the rest, he relies largely on tungsten With a stellar cast and subtle, ambient sources ranging from birdies to VL5B, effects composed by uber-cool techno VL1000 and TW1 moving lights to 1k doyens Underworld, this production couldn’t beamlight and converted 10˚ Source Four go wrong. It was Underworld’s Rick Smith followspots (always used soft, never feeling who decided that his sound effects needed like people are ‘spotlit’) and up to 5k a little more acoustic help than was usual. Photo: Bruno Poet Fresnels and a series of 2k PCs way up high stage right and spotted right down to give beautiful shafts of sunlight. Arc sources are then used to cut through this, “VL500 Arcs creating dramatic fingers of cold backlight, VL1000AS used to shutter specifically to parts of the set,” the NT’s moving light stock supplemented by PRG. A set of LED uplighters, supplied by Surelight, mounted in the floor tone the wrap-around cyc during the start of the show, and a line of DHA Digital Light Curtains charge the air with light when required. Poet’s favourite light, the Svoboda batten, also makes an appearance, providing a dramatic final exit for the show’s two principals. Sadly, some ideas didn’t quite make it: a ‘pod’ of VL5s stage left was meant to track around the action to give shifting sunlight and a passing of ‘virtual’ time, but lack of real time to solve problems with the www.lsionline.co.uk track means it now forms a single, fixed source from stage left. Photo: Bruno Poet

70 L&Si - April 2011 rnesenO orqd0/421 42 ae71 Page 14:23 04/04/2011 tour.qxd Frankenstein:On confidante -setaboutusingthewidthoftheatretodospecial Olivier; andEdClarke,freelanceco-sounddesignerUnderworld operator attheNationalTheatre;EdFerguson, headofsoundatthe Together withNewsham,theteam-MattBerry, full-timesound instrument forthefirsttime.Butwithlessgrunting. like themomentwhenFrankenstein’s creationhearsamusical road-tested insidetheremarkablylateralOlivierTheatre,itwasjust mainstays Funktion-One. Assoonastheseloudspeakerswere benefitted fromthetrusttheyplaceinUK-based point-source FOH engineerJohnNewshamforalongtime,andhaveincreasingly behind them,Underworldhaveenjoyedthesonicministrationsof Now withsome20yearsoftouringtheworld’sbiggestfestivals


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71 www.lsionline.co.uk Frankenstein:On tour.qxd 04/04/2011 13:01 Page 72

th production 4 Knight of

theatre illumination awards

Photo: Catherine Ashmore

things with stereo using three systems: simply not aware of the speakers, nor that one for music and sound effects, one for the actors are mic’d up at all - even at London, speech and another for rear effects. some high SPLs. This is where the pattern control of the Res 3s really came into its 11th September 2011 The music system has two very wide left own. You can’t set up delays with a 90°x90° and right clusters of six mid/high box - it’s too wide. It might be in time in the Organized by: Resolution 3s per side - three for the stalls middle but it certainly won’t be at 45° and three for the balcony. “This was so off-axis. With a maximum of about 60° that, wherever you are in the house, you’re horizontal, and maybe 25° vertical, you can STLD basically looking down a horn,” says get delays that work really convincingly.” Newsham. “Even if you’re way over at house left, you’re still looking down a horn Initially the actors resisted microphones - at house right. The room is extremely wide, this is, after all, the National, home of but if you pan things really hard you do classical theatre. “But it’s such a wide hear a lot of movement in stereo.” room,” Newsham points out, “that there Official sponsor: are real issues unless you’re projecting The left and right span is repeated by the forwards directly at the audience. As soon subs, which are F221s. Quite a way as the actors project to house left, they upstage, more sub is provided by two Res have, effectively, got their backs to house 4s per side, four F218s and four IB-218s right. That’s why we designed the system Proudly supported by: with double infra-horns. “That’s where the around the Resolution 3, which has such really deep sub comes from,” explains focused pattern control. Newsham. “The long throw gives you a real sense of distance with some of the Lots of customising went into the brackets effects. Rick said that he wanted really and yokes in order to dovetail the left and International dynamic, stereo reproduction of the music right systems into the set while maintaining parts and the sound effects, plus a point source integrity. Further restrictions different dimension: some real depth using were created by the extraordinary lighting the length of the stage. He was also very fixture flown low above the stage, so in keen to do something with the voice general this was a case of making the system.” most of a very hi-Q box in an awkward Sponsors: space - not necessarily small, but beset The vocal system consists of three of the with compromises. same Res 3 pairs, upper and lower left, centre and right, across the proscenium. A rope dangles onto a central aisle in the “I also felt the front-fill needed to be stalls. At the end of it is a half-ton bell, stronger,” continues Newsham, “so that re-made from a 400-year old cast by the the proscenium coverage angle didn’t Whitechapel Bell Foundry, chosen by Rick have to be so great. That way, the delays Smith and mic’d up. Nobody draws any could be a lot more consistent. We ended attention to it but, as the audience files out up using 10 F-55s let into the front edge of replete with catharsis, if it occurs to the stage.” anyone to pull on the rope they can. Sometimes they do, sometimes they Ed Clarke set up the vocal delays using don’t. But the tone is unforgettable: XTA AudioCore processing, establishing a doom-laded toll to round off an evening several zones on stage with outputs to of torturous angst. Hammer Film match the movements of the actors. Productions would be proud. Further speaker management came www.knight-of-illumination.com > www.funktion-one.com courtesy of the X04, the new 4-in, 8-out > www.xta.co.uk audio management developed by XTA in > www.etcconnect.com www.lsionline.co.uk conjunction with Funktion One. “Ed did > www.martin.com a great job,” says Newsham. “You’re > www.vari-lite.com

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