Belgium - The historic Théâtre Royal du Parc in Brussels, one of the city’s oldest theatres, has ushered in a new era of lighting with the installation of a modern Elation lighting system. The new rig, supplied by Belgian AV specialists XLR, includes dynamic ellipsoidal, moving head, and cyc lights, bringing new possibilities and consistent colour performance to the venue’s stage.
Théâtre Royal du Parc had long been a satisfied customer of XLR in terms of a high-quality sound system. When the time came to modernise the theatre’s lighting, with XLR now serving as Elation’s exclusive distributor in Belgium, it was a natural next step to explore whether Elation’s solutions could meet the venue’s high technical and artistic standards.
An Italian-style theatre dating back to the late 1700s, the theatre works almost exclusively in-house, producing plays and occasionally touring the shows. Productions range from classical plays with modern twists to new musical productions. The diversity of programming demanded a lighting solution that could handle a wide range of visual styles.
The final upgrade consisted of 24 KL Profile FC, 12 Fuze Profile, four Fuze Max Profile, 18 KL CYC L, and four KL CYC S luminaires. The products were sold through the theatre’s preferred partner, XLR, a loyal distributor that supports retailers and integrators in the region.
The initiative was led by Viktor Budo, the theatre’s head of lighting and regular lighting operator, who oversees all lighting-related aspects and specified the new Elation system. The venue had already adopted LED technology but still relied on halogen for front-of-house (FOH) lighting. Viktor says that visiting designers often brought their own LED profile fixtures, prompting the theatre to seek a dedicated, semi-fixed solution for FOH.
Shootouts were organised with various brands, with XLR's lighting account manager Pieter van de Velde and Elation key account manager Benelux Bert Schmeits facilitating the evaluation.
Viktor ultimately selected Elation’s Fuze and KL series fixtures, which share the same multi-colour RGBMA light engine and align with a unified design concept with consistent colour, matching light quality with high CRI and R9 values, and uniform CCT from 2400K to 8500K across all fixtures.
The first fixture they looked at, however, was not a FOH fixture but a cyc light. Needing fixtures for an upcoming production, the theatre initially considered renting but ultimately chose to invest in the KL CYC series. “We had never used LED cyc lights before,” said Viktor. “In terms of output, colour and consistency, the KL CYC was perfect for our use.”
In evaluating the investment, the head of lighting says they asked themselves whether it would truly be a game changer. “In the past, we were limited in our colour choices because changing gels was time-consuming. For The Count of Monte Cristo, we wanted a colourful background but didn’t yet know which colour we’d go with.” After using the new fixtures in that production, Viktor says they worked out great.
“Then we used them on a second show for the background which worked well, then we used them on the next show, and the show after that, and now we’re using them on the current show. We have ended up using them all the time! It gives us colour and possibilities in one fixture that we didn’t have before, and we can even use them as footlights. It’s also been a new playground for visiting LDs who can see the potential with them to find the exact colour they need. When they discover what they can do, they love them.”
That versatility continued when they discussed new FOH fixtures, namely the KL Profile FC and Fuze Profile series. “It’s great to have the colour consistency across the ellipsoidals, cyc lights and moving lights,” Viktor said, noting that their previous white LED profiles with CMY colour mixing were insufficient in that regard. “Designers often want colour fades and those don’t do that very well,” he said. “We wanted both good output and good colour mixing.”
Visiting lighting designers and other professionals have welcomed the transition to LED lighting at front of house, expressing surprise at how well Elation products render skin tones and deliver vibrant stage illumination. The new lighting system has expanded creative possibilities, making scene and mood changes easier and more dynamic, ultimately redefining how the Théâtre Royal du Parc operates.
“It has made us more precise and detailed,” Viktor shared. “With the new fixtures we can get all the details we couldn’t get before or that would have taken a lot of time to create. Now we can focus in on a certain colour quickly.” He also mentions that they’ve been able to reduce the number of total fixtures they need to use on productions and can reuse setups across productions with minimal change.
Reflecting on the initial fixture shootout, Viktor recalls inviting other regional theatres to observe the process firsthand. “Now that we have fully integrated the Elation fixtures, those same theatres occasionally reach out and are curious to know how the system is performing. It’s rewarding to see how our experience has sparked interest across our local theatre community and we’re glad to share the benefits of the new Elation lighting.”
