USA - Illuminate Production Services (IPS) plays an integral role in creating the visual magic that is The Thorn and again this year enhanced the drama using a large package of Elation Professional lighting. Lighting Designer Caleb Franke of IPS uses the dynamic lighting to help sculpt the inspiring story while wowing audiences with a variety of visual effects.
The Thorn is a modern-day Passion play, a theatrical depiction of the life and death of Jesus, yet with a modern touch. The immersive theatrical show combines modern dance, music, martial arts, aerial acrobatics, and emotionally powerful performances, with state-of-the-art lighting and visuals. The play is known for its stunning visual effects and has been staged yearly since 1998. The current 10-city tour launched on 1 March in Loveland, Colorado, and ends on 8 April in Miami.
This year, IPS provided audio, video, lighting, staging and special FX for The Thorn, their 10th year working with this theatrical production. IPS vice president of design & operations, Caleb Franke, served as lead lighting designer on the project. He comments: “This show is often affectionately described as ‘Passion of the Christ meets Cirque du Soleil’ so it’s truly a theatrical journey filled with moments ranging widely from subtle to celebratory. The Elation fixtures we use give us the dynamic range we need to help tell the story.” Elation has featured in IPS’s visual design for the show for many years.
The Thorn has toured in churches for nearly a decade but this year t

UK - Prolight Concepts (UK) has announced the availability of the Virtuoso 600 Profile RGBAL from eLumen8.
The Virtuoso 600 is a compact profile that features an advanced RGBAL LED system which outputs a flat and even field and is suitable for many applications. HSIC/CMY colour management allows you to create virtually any colour whilst the virtual colour wheel provides direct access to many colours along with a 1800K to 10000K colour temperature control.
On board features include DMX, RDM and adjustable PWM rate. The fixture is enclosed in a compact, robust chassis and features four framing shutters plus an M size gobo slot further expanding the versatility of this fixture.

Australia - Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul is no stranger to change. On Saturday December 18, 1965, when the curtain went down on a double billing featuring Stephen Boyd in Genghis Khan and Carl Gonzales in The Little Ones, the classic venue, then known as the King’s Theatre, closed its doors after more than 40 years as the main cinema in this seaside village located 60km south of Sydney.
Less than three years after the theatre stopped showing films, all seats were removed, a concrete floor was laid in the stalls area, and the venue was reborn as Skateland. In 2007, long after its days as a roller rink had ended, the venerable building began anew again as a multi-purpose live performance venue.
Today, as Anita’s Theatre, the classic-looking site is continuing its tradition of change, having recently become Live Nation’s first regional live music venue in Australia. With this change has come adaptation. Looking to update its lighting rig and enhance its flexibility, the theatre added 28 Chauvet Professional fixtures imported by Showtools International and installed by Pro Sound and Lighting.
The new rig not only gives the theatre a wider range of lighting options, it also upgrades the level of the shows for the higher-profile acts, such as Richard Marx, Pavement, Peter Murray, and Belinda Carlisle that are appearing there in 2023.
Designed by Pro Sound and Lighting's John Campbell in consultation with Andre Vanderwert, the new system features 12 Maverick Force S Profiles, which are flown on truss over the audience and positio

France - The recent robotics exhibition at the Eurexpo Lyon in France saw the use of 20x Prolights Astra Wash19Pix and 24x Astra Wash7Pix lighting fixtures, at the FANUC stand, a Japanese automation company.
Camille Roblin, technical director at Toulouse-based events company SAS Melomane, commented: "I think Prolights is a wonderful brand with a great quality of fixtures. The Astra Wash19Pix has a powerful wash output, and the pixel ring give it some unique effects. I love their products, and it's great to see it being adopted more and more in France.”
The Astra Wash19Pix is a 19x40W RGBW moving wash light with 4°-54° zoom, pixel control and pixel ring. The Astra Wash7Pix has similar features but with 7x40W LEDs, and built in a compact form, providing silent operation, smooth and fast movements.
Over the past year, Prolights has launched several moving lights in the Astra range, including the Astra Profile400 and the Astra Profile600IP.

Bulgaria - Nova Broadcasting Group recently opened an ultra-modern studio complex of nearly 17,000sq.m in Sofia. To provide professional illumination in the new facility’s multiple studios, Nova Broadcasting Group worked with Elation distributor Luminis on a broadcast-optimised lighting solution.
Nova Broadcasting Group is one of the biggest multi-platform media and technology companies in Bulgaria, part of United Group, Southeast Europe’s leading telecom and media operator. The new facility, designed for high-quality television and radio production of international standards, features five television studios, four radio studios, spacious equipment rooms, editing rooms and newsroom. The capacity of the new studio complex allows Nova Broadcasting Group to produce impactful content using the latest technologies.
Luminis worked with a local lighting designer on the specification and design of the system, which is made up of 202 KL Fresnel 8 FC, 20 KL Profile FC, 137 KL Panel, and 89 KL Panel XL fixtures, along with 36 Arena Zoom Q7IP. The lights are spread across a large 1000sq.m television studio plus two smaller studios of around 350sq.m each. Luminis installed the luminaires working with lighting personnel from Nova TV and programmed initial lighting scenes for the studio. Elation’s Bulgarian distributor, Pro Audio, works with Luminis to provide local support when needed.
Péter Rábay of Luminis, who worked closely on the project for 18 months, says that the studio required soft lights, profile luminaires and Fresnel lights that would work w

USA - For the creative team involved in designing the production for Daddy Yankee’s La Ultima Vuelta tour, the brief was quite simple, you create something “fit for a king”.
This was the directive that production designer Rodrigo Proal of Darmah Studios received when he was asked to work on the Puerto Rican born superstar’s 84-date official retirement tour of North and South America, which concluded with a January show in San Juan.
Proal, joined by a gifted and inspired creative team, didn’t disappoint either; the production they collaborated on, with its bold, vibrant colours, intense aerial effects, beautiful scenic elements, and evocative video content created by screens director Bianca Moncada, did justice to the career of the singer who is credited with coining the term ‘reggaeton’ and whose 2004 party favourite Gasolnina introduced modern Latin music to a wider audience.
“This was a special experience for all of us, one we’ll never forget,” said Felix Peralta, the tour’s lighting designer. “We all wanted to make this show fit for a king to honour an artist who ruled so brilliantly for so long.”
For Peralta, the concept behind La Ultima Vuelta (The Final Turn) began three years before the tour, when he joined the Darmah team and lighting designer John Daniels, a life-long friend and mentor, as the lighting director/programmer for Daddy Yankee’s 14-show residency in San Juan.
“As production designer, Rodrigo created a sleek and clean architectural structure for that residency,” said Peralta.

New Zealand - Auckland based Spot-Light Systems – now part of the NEP Live Group – is among New Zealand’s leading lighting live show and event rental companies, and one that has continued to invest in Robe moving lights as the country emerged from the pandemic, adding 24 x MegaPointes, 12 x Tarrantulas to their existing fleets, and for the first time, 20 x Esprites joined the inventory.
While New Zealand managed – via strict quarantine and travel restorations – to keep Covid cases to a minimum, full-scale and capacity shows and live events did not properly re-start until several months into 2022, when things became busy, related Spot-Light Systems’ head of lighting, Matt Tong, and this is what drove these latest Robe purchases.
Business and enthusiasm for the arts, performance and events is now surpassing 2019 levels as promoters, organisations and event organisers jostle to squeeze in shows that didn’t run for two years and accommodate the many new ones that the creative world imagined during that time. Touring has now re-started with a slew of national and international bands hitting the road, further fuelling the demand for production technology.
With nearly 400 Robe moving lights already onboard, Spotlight Systems returned to a brand they know and trust for a multipurpose LED profile type fixture, settling on the Esprites to join the mix of Robe BMFL Spots, BMFL Blades, MegaPointes, Tarrantulas, LEDWash 600s and LEDBeam 100s and 150s. It is currently the largest concentration of Robe moving lights in the country.
“Robe is u

France - Recently renovated, the new Eurosport France set said goodbye to conventional fixtures to make way for the latest generation of LED luminaires. The compact and versatile Lonestar from ETC was the automated fixture of choice for Eurosport’s technical team and the lighting company Ar'Krys.
The main filming location at Eurosport France is a physical set with a large 20sq.m LED wall as a backdrop. Despite its 45sq.m of usable surface, it has everything you’d expect of a larger set, and can accommodate up to six presenters, columnists, and guests on the three benches and a standing position. Overhead, a grid of wash lights enables different colour combinations. It is complemented by 20 Lonestar fixtures, intended primarily for lighting the talent and effectively rendering skin tones.
The luminaires were carefully selected by Baptiste Arnaud-Benaïs and Georges Krystkowiak from Ar'Krys, who were commissioned by the Eurosport team to propose a new lighting system for the set. They discovered Lonestar in the ETC showroom in Saint-Denis. "We attended a demo at ETC France and then arranged a loan on-site to try the fixture in real conditions,” says Arnaud-Benaïs. “It checked all the boxes: compact but powerful, versatile with great quality of light, and very well positioned in price.”
Florent Marquaire, technical project manager at Eurosport, was keen to replace the existing 300W tungsten Fresnel fixtures, but the replacements had to meet strict criteria. “Previously, we needed a large number of fixtures to cover all the positions," Mar

Sweden - Ayrton has announced the appointment of Topstage – and a familiar face – as its new, exclusive distributor for Sweden.
Linnea Ljungmark will be leaving her position as Ayrton regional sales manager to form a new company, Topstage, which will become the new Ayrton distributor for Sweden from Monday 3 April 2023.
“After years of travelling and working for the international markets, the time is right for me to bring my experience back to Sweden, and distribution is in my DNA,” says Linnea. “You could say it runs in the family. This is such an exciting opportunity.”
After almost five years with Ayrton, and an even longer association with the brand which stretches back to the early days of the company, Linnea is one of Ayrton’s own, and with an enviable industry lineage she brings a wealth of product and market knowledge.
“Ayrton is considered a top brand internationally and the time has come to properly introduce the product line and brand to the Swedish market, which is generally very quality- and design-aware, so there is great potential for a perfect match,” Linnea says. “I am really looking forward to dedicating more time and focus exclusively to our Swedish customers to ensure they get the best support possible.”
“When Linnea broached this idea I admit to being a little torn,” says Ayrton CEO, Chris Ferrante. “Linnea has not only been an incredibly valuable member of the Ayrton team but has brought us so much more than just sales. Her brilliant championing of Women In Lighting from an entertainment

Germany - Cameo has expanded its OTOS series. Following the successful launch of the OTOS H5 IP65 Beam-Spot-Wash Hybrid Moving Head, demand for IP65-capable, light-intensive and lighter moving heads is growing. The German manufacturer is now expanding its portfolio with the specialist OTOS SP6 (Spot Profile) and OTOS B5 (Beam) models, IP65 moving heads aimed at lighting designers and rental companies looking for tools for outdoor use.
The OTOS SP6 is an IP65 spot profile moving head with a 600W LED light source and an illuminance of 75,800 lx at a beam angle of 7°. The optical system – with a 130 mm front lens – offers an impressively wide zoom range, from 7° to 50°, and ensures precise lighting results without visible hotspots. With its IP65-rated housing, the OTOS SP6 is an extremely versatile tool for outdoor use that can be used to reliably achieve all lighting ideas, even under adverse conditions – on live stages, at outdoor events, and also in the theatre and TV sectors.
In addition, the OTOS SP6 can also be used creatively and flexibly. For this purpose, two gobo wheels, a five-facet prism and an integrated four-fold iris slider system with individual angulation and +/- 45° rotation are available. Two frost filters (light and heavy) and an infinitely variable iris diaphragm round off the wide range of possibilities. The OTOS SP6 works with CMY colour mixing and includes an additional colour wheel with six dichroic filters + open for particularly saturated, powerful colours.
The OTOS B5 is an IP65 beam moving head based on a 480-wat

Israel - Contemporary multipurpose venue Gray in Modiin is filled with colour and atmosphere thanks to a versatile Robe LED moving light rig installed to enhance this new and lively 900-capacity entertainment space that opened in 2021. Managed and run by the municipality, it is popular and successful in offering a wide range of live music and performance shows in a supper club format.
The lighting, LED screen, trussing – including two elegant circles above the audience – and rigging was supplied and installed by Danor Theatre & Studio Systems working in conjunction with consultant Dror Herrenson, who assessed the requirements and compiled a tender based on a robust, practical, and flexible LED lighting system to cover a multiplicity of events.
Several companies bid on the tender, which was won by Danor with their specification of 12 x Robe VIVA CMYs and 12 x LEDWash 600 moving lights.
The LEDWashes are positioned on the front truss for a rich and full stage wash, and the VIVAs are the main over-stage fixture, rigged on three raked trusses, which enhances the depth of the performance space. Both fixture types were also chosen for their small size and because they worked well with the 6 x 3 metre upstage LED screen.
Once installed, the lighting rig was slightly redesigned by Ziv Limor to optimise the venue’s character and space, changing up the trussing angles and modifying the shape of the side trusses.
Says Danor’s Erez Hadar, “This is a great-looking installation as well as a really practical and value-added moving light

Curaçao - Everyone on this island country looks forward to the two-day Curaçao Carnival which consists of the Gran Marcha (The Grand Parade) and Marcha di Despedida (The Farewell March). People on the island being work on the carnival six months in advance. The event itself involves 6,000 participants and 1,500 ‘helpers’ who either play music or keep the beverages flowing.
The carnival’s parades snake through the streets of the island’s capital city, Willemstad.
Enhancing the vibrant atmosphere of the parade, each carnival group has at least one party trailer. Massive Production supplied and outfitted audio video and lights for 16 of these trailers. For some, the company went all out turning the vehicles into moving concert stages. Adding a level of bling to these 45ft ‘boombox trailers’ was a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures from Massive Productions’ own inventory.
Supporting the performances of the artists, and engaging the crowd as well as the dancers, was a lightshow created with Rogue R2 Beam, R2 Spot, and R2 Wash fixtures, EPIX Strip IP units, pixel mapped to coordinate with LED screens, and COLORado 1-Tri IP washes.
Given that the festival trailers took roughly six-hours to complete their journeys, the Massive Productions team was careful to outfit them with rigs that could create a variety of different looks. While the EPIX Strips were used to outline the trailers and give them defining architecture, and the COLORado units created a rainbow of colour washes that fit the mood of the moment, the Rogue movers w

Europe - Italian group Måneskin are rocking their way through Europe with their Loud Kids Tour Gets Louder shows, backed by a highly technological lighting system that can morph into multiple different shapes to convey story and structure. At the heart of the lighting rig are Vari-Lite VL10 BeamWash luminaires from Signify which are used to beam bright vivid colours and pastels onto the stage and as powerful followspots.
During each show, operators are manually utilising the pan and tilt functions on each of the VL10 BeamWash fixtures, highlighting each member of the band as well as washing the stage with dynamic lighting states. All the other parameters of the VL10 BeamWash are controlled by a lighting console, allowing the team to program the lighting in advance using timecode.
The lighting is the creation of Milan- and London-based lighting design company Blearred. “We chose to use the VL10s for several reasons,” says Blearred founder and Måneskin lighting designer, Jordan Babev. “Firstly, the long throw of the beam and the great output of the fixture make it an excellent choice for use in larger venues. We were blown away by the bright lighting output of the VL10s. Even in large venues, the fixtures are able to produce vivid, powerful beams of light.
“Secondly, the fixture is easy to handle when used as a followspot and they are relatively lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, which made it much simpler for our operators to follow the action on stage. The fixture is capable of producing a wide range of colours, including vivid, saturated

Italy - Elation Professional has announced that one of Italy’s leading B2B distributors of AV solutions, Prase Media Technologies, has taken over exclusive distribution of Elation Professional and Obsidian Control Systems products in Italy effective 01 March 2023.
For 30 years, Prase has grown with the industry, collaborating with system integrators, AV consultants and live entertainment professionals to offer innovative solutions across a variety of markets. The company boasts a large catalogue of leading AV brands and is recognised for the excellence of its team, design support and after-sales service.
Davide Buonasorte, sales & marketing manager resell, pro, broadcast at Prase, comments, “We are thrilled to have Elation onboard as the missing gem in our crown of leading AV brands. Elation products meet the high-quality standard that we maintain across our portfolio and enhances our commitment to providing best-in-class products and services. On stage and in media and entertainment projects, lighting technology had been noticeably absent from providing a complete solution. With this partnership, we can offer a comprehensive AV, lighting, and lighting control solution to customers throughout Italy.”
Prase’s team is growing to meet the new opportunity with dedicated lighting specialists onboard and in training to ensure effective pre- and post-sales support and every step in between. Elation customers in Italy will benefit from a host of other benefits and efficiencies as well such as Prase’s large network, timely logistics, and in-hou

USA - Lighting designer Vin Pugliese recently lit a headliner hometown show for The Elovaters at the House of Blues Boston. Using a mixture of cue-to-cue programming and busking, Pugliese unfurled ‘an endless stream of evocative looks’ during the 90-minute show, each reflecting the reggae band’s music in a distinctive way.
Helping him do this was a collection of over 60 Chauvet Professional fixtures from the venue’s house rig, and the extensive ground package from his own company VFX Design Studio that he brought to the show.
“I brought my own ground support package to fill out the bottom half of the stage since the House of Blues Boston has a high trim height,” explained Pugliese. “Using a mixture of beams, spots, hybrids, washes, LED pars, LED battens, strobes, LED blinders, and other fixtures, I had the tools at my disposal to create a dynamic show where every song had a its own feel.”
Among these looks was a more literal one for the band’s hit song Wind On My Back, which Pugliese supported by creating a simple CTO lavender/cyan colour palette that fanned out over the stage as it was accented by the effects from a bubble machine.
“To me, it really set the tone for the song, which is warm and inviting,” he said. “The CTO side and back lighting expressed the lyrics “sun on my shoulder,” while the Lavender and Cyan wash reflected a vibrant yet calm sky. After a long year on the road for the band, they came home to a jam-packed hometown show, their biggest headlining show to date, and it was a beautiful commu

Germany - Lars Weyerhas been appointed as new executive board member and chief financial officer (CFO) of ARRI. This announcement was made by the supervisory board of the global film technology company.
In this position, Lars Weyer is responsible for the finance, human resources, IT, and facility management departments. “The expansion of the executive board to include a CFO underscores the path we have already taken towards a faster and more flexible organization with strong business units,” explains Prof. Dr. Hans-Joerg Bullinger, chairman of ARRI’s supervisory board.
Lars Weyer adds: “I would like to thank the owners and the supervisory board for their trust and am very much looking forward to my new tasks. It is very important to me to create the best possible conditions so that ARRI can continue to be a successful technology company in the future.”
Weyer joined ARRI in March 2019, initially in an advisory capacity as part of the Rental US restructuring. In October 2019, he became head of finance for the ARRI Group.

USA - Bandit Lites has announced the opening of its new facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. After 10 years in the Charlotte market, this is Bandit’s third new facility. The space will primarily accommodate the integration team as they continue their expansion into 2023.
Bandit Lites vice president of operations, Roth Edwards, spearheaded finding and delivering the new facility. After a month’s long search, the location north of Charlotte, North Huntersville was chosen for its community, quality building and idyllic neighbourhood.
The facility offers numerous offices, a conference room, break room and audio-visual presentations throughout the building allow Bandit clients to spend time with the Bandit team and view the details of their project as they unfold.
The purchase of the office follows the hiring of Paul Strom as system integrator and the advancement of Alex Becker to system integrator. Additionally, Bandit project manager Gene Brian joined the Integration team as system integrator, Brad Hylton returned as integration facility manager and industry veteran and Bandit Lites technician Chuck Hastings came aboard as integration specialist. February 2023 also saw the hiring of Tristan Weaver as logistics & inventory specialist.
“We are very proud with the next step in this coastal region,” said Bandit Lites chair and founder, Michael T. Strickland. “We have a world class office we are proud to call home and look forward to future growth. We can double our staff in this facility and plan on doing just that. As always, Bandit

Germany - Chart topping rapper Kontra K avoids the “tough guy” persona that many other artists in this genre adopt, but, as the old saying goes, “looks can be deceiving”. Emerging from the mean streets of some of Berlin’s roughest neighbourhoods, the popular artist is busy being a bona fide martial arts expert and a boxing coach when he isn’t performing on stage.
These street creds notwithstanding, however, Kontra K takes a more positive uplifting approach in his music and live performances. True to his motto Towards The Sun, he manages to convey an uplifting message without losing any of the raw intensity that are so much a part of this past and personality.
Both sides of this complex artist were conveyed in a recent arena tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, not just in his music and stage presence, but also in an immersive and fast-moving light show designed by Gunther Hecker and run by Marcus Herzog on ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium console.
Anchored by a large centre stage video wall that display images of the star along with breakout patterns, Hecker’s design exuded upbeat energy with its bright overhead light creating crossing patterns. The colours chosen were also bright and bold, often displayed as vivid monochromatic shades of red.
Kontra K was always in the spotlight during the show as he transformed the stage with his powerful presence. Audience lighting from the overhead fixtures reinforced his strong connection to fans.
Running the elaborate eight-universe show with a deft touch, Herzog worked from

Ireland - Robe lighting staged a recent busy and successful open house event in partnership with The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College Dublin. The Lir Academy offers conservatory training for the theatre, film and television industries.
The open house platform proved ideal for showcasing some of the manufacturer’s latest products and technologies - including its Painte, iFORTE and LEDBeam 350 moving lights, the T11 static luminaire range, the T11 Profile manual follow spot and the popular RoboSpot system.
These were showcased to a range of lighting professionals plus students on the Lir’s Stage Management and Technical Theatre course.
The Lir’s main studio provided a suitable venue space and backdrop for the event which built on a similar one last year, the first since Covid. It is the intention to once again make it an annual benchmark and networking experience, focussed on new products and ideas and connecting people from assorted industry fields and disciplines.
Visitors travelled from all across Ireland – northern and southern – a lively mix of lighting designers, rental companies, venue managers and others from educational and commercial worlds, reflecting the general current industry buzz and interest in live music and entertainment in Ireland.
The set-up day further facilitated an opportunity for students from other local schools to look more closely into the world of entertainment lighting and train on some of the kit.
Robe’s very flexible RoboSpot remote follow system was highlighted a

UK - TLS Lighting has welcomed Mark Bailey on board as sales and marketing manager. Mark has extensive experience in the lighting Industry having worked on projects in the UK. and Europe for over 30 years.
Recently, he has been working on special effects and pyrotechnics for TV and Films, but is looking forward to working with the team at TLS Lighting on the wide range of projects they have ready to roll out this year.
TLS, which specialises in LED lighting control and Pixel tape products, has recently moved to new premises in north Walsham in Norfolk.

France - PlugFest returned to Lille France from 7-9 March, bringing together lighting professionals from across Europe to test products and learn about the latest protocols and standards.
Returning for the first time since the pandemic, the European event aims to improve the connectivity of lighting products and provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers, developers and technicians to test and debug their products. Organised by PLASA, the event sold out well in advance, signalling its importance to the lighting community.
Over 39 representatives attended from 25 companies, including ChamSys, Chauvet, Company NA, ETC, GLP, Highlite, Lamp and Pencil, MA Lighting, the National Theatre (London), Robert Juliat, the Royal Opera House (London), Robe, Swisson, TAIT and TSL.
First time attendee, Vincent Bouquet from Robe France comments: “PlugFest has been a really great opportunity. Here on mutual ground, we can put our competition aside and all together test things and work out issues to help the industry go forward.”
Dan Murfin of Tait adds: “PlugFest is a great opportunity to talk to people, to think more about standards, to see what manufacturers are doing, and to help formulate ideas to formulate how we create industry products.”
In addition to interactive testing, PlugFest offers a programme of educational seminars, unpacking the most widely used protocols. This year, the programme included DMX512, RDM, DALI, sACN, Art-Net, ArtRDM, RDMnet and LLRP.
First time attendee, Alex Gardner from the Royal Opera House comments

Belgium - Drag Race Belgique, a French-language reality television series based on the American series RuPaul's Drag Race, has been using Prolights' fixtures for their studio soft lighting.
The lighting was supplied by CST, where designer and DOP Nathan Melchior from RTBF (Belgium's national TV) chose 14x Prolights EclPanel TWC and 12x EclPanel TWCJr with Chimera lanterns.
"My choice naturally fell on the Prolights EclPanel series. I placed EclPanel TWCJr with Chimera lanterns in a very symmetrical way to ensure good homogeneity of light and the same level on the whole surface of the set. The other panels were placed around the perimeter of the truss and were used to reinforce the various light axes."
When asked about the use of a real set instead of a virtual one, the choice was clear: “Drag Race is an existing format in the United States produced by World of Wonder Productions. To make our version, we had to respect several specifications, and the real set was one of them. The intention was to create a cosy environment that represented the world of drag queens with different elements that evoked Belgium.
“Working with the director and set designers, the idea of mixing a real set with different materials and textures, as well as a variety of props and integrated lighting, seemed like the most believable way to immerse the drag queen and the viewers in this world.”
Nathan's product preferences often include Prolights: “I've been working with Prolights and especially the EclPanels on various projects f

UK - London’s Southwark Playhouse has opened its new theatre space: Southwark Playhouse Elephant. Situated in Elephant and Castle, the 310-seat building is the sister venue of Southwark Playhouse Borough and aims to provide world-class theatre as well as serve the local community.
As with any new theatre, the space had to be transformed from an empty building into a fully functioning performance venue. This involved acquiring the latest theatre lighting technology – something which White Light (WL) was called on to provide.
Prior to the opening of the Elephant space, Southwark Playhouse found itself in temporary venues, which meant always having to adapt to both the budgets and physical restraints of a space. As such, by having a new, permanent home, this meant they could finally implement the technical infrastructure that they always wanted.
Lee Elston, technical and production manager at Southwark Playhouse, comments: “My role at Southwark has a wide range of responsibilities; first and foremost being to liaise with incoming production companies from both a production and technical aspect. Knowing what is expected from incoming lighting designers, as well as our own ambitions, helped enormously when we started looking at what we needed within the space. In fact, we actually held a focus group with a few designers who know the venue well, to gauge their thoughts on what they would like to see in a space like this; something that naturally helped when it came to narrowing down potential fixtures.”
Lee continues: “We have such a ple

France - As part an inventory renewal of static profile luminaires, the Paris Opera has ordered nearly 300 x Robe T11 Profile and T11 PCs, which will join the 200 x T1 and T2 Profiles already in place at the primary opera and ballet company of France.
All the fixtures are supplied via Alterlite, and like the T1 and T2 moving heads, the T11s will be distributed between the Opera’s two landmark venues in the French capital, Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille.
According to Jacques Giovanangeli, head of the lighting department at the Palais Garnier, “The T11 meets all the quality and performance criteria that we had set ourselves.
“The luminous flux and colourimetry meet our requirements and the locking of the framing shutters ensures that they will not go out of adjustment when the booms are moved.”
For Nicolas Beaud, head of the lighting department at Opéra Bastille: “We chose to replace the existing fixtures (halogen profiles and PCs), equipping our side booms with Robe T11s as part of the modernisation plan that involves switching to LEDs for the Opéra Bastille's lighting equipment.
“The versatility of the T11 allows us to use the same projector body and replace the front lens to obtain a profile or a PC. The quality of the colourimetry and the manual shutter system is perfect for our very specific needs.”