Demon Robes for Sweeney Todd at Vanemuine
- Details
It laid down a few challenges for lighting designer Margus Vaigur who had the house Robe luminaires at his disposal including 20 x MMX Spots, 52 x LEDWash 1200s, 16 x LEDWash 600s and 12 x CitySkape Xtreme’s together with 12 new Robe DL7S Profiles which are a recent addition to the venue’s Big Theatre house lighting inventory.
Margus lit the entire production with the Robe moving lights together with some other LEDs, around 200 in total, using no conventionals at all.
The production - the first time the musical has been staged in Estonia - was directed by rising star director and actor Janel Jonas. The imposingly stark industrial set was created by Iir Hermelin, and both took a keen interest in how the space was lit and how the atmospherics played a vital role in the unfolding the ultimate story of a man who became bigger than his own destiny!
This was also the first time Sweeny Todd had been sung in Estonian - Vanemuine has a healthy reputation for breaking through cultural and traditional barriers - and with a large cast of around 40 onstage during the busy scenes, this all presented more challenges to Margus who had to craft exactly the right ambience for each scene.
Iir commented that Margus “thinks dramaturgically” when it comes to applying light to a scene ... treating it like another actor. As an architect of space, he likes the way the LD plays with beam angles and warm and cold colour temperatures, “He really does craft lights just like a sculptor”.
Margus used the LEDWashes extensively, both for various general lighting and for effects, with some on the overhead rig and some on the floor and on side booms. The lower level lights were also used to shoot up through the shredded metal floors of the upper set, and Margus made much use of the LEDWash 1200s and 600s’ excellent daylight white ranges of 4000k upwards.
(Jim Evans)
