New lighting and audio for Joburg Theatre
- Details
DWR Distribution delivered 20 Vari-Lite VL2600 Spots and four Robert Juliat Cyrano followspots to be used in the Mandela Theatre, while the audio in the Lesedi Theatre has been upgraded to an L-Acoustics ARCS Wide and Focus (WiFo) system.
“The Vari-Lite VL 2600 Spots met our needs for an LED spot,” says Enos Ramoroko, head of technical at Joburg Theatre. “The full blade shutters will be very useful for theatre applications.”
The crew are planning to use the new fixtures on productions like Sarafina, and this year’s annual pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk.
“The Mandela Theatre’s followspots, which have probably stood the test of time for around 30 years, have been replaced by four Robert Juliat Cyranos,” says Kevin Stannett from DWR.
“We are very happy for Enos and his team, who have always been amazing to work with,” says Stannett. “I think Johan Tshiwo who handles all maintenance at the theatre, will be pleased to have fewer repairs on his hands.”
Formerly known as The Fringe, the Lesedi Theatre venue caters for 251 patrons and is used for smaller type shows such as comedy and children productions, plus music. “The Lesedi is a small and intimate theatre and the new audio system offers smooth and even coverage from the front to the back of the theatre,” says Chris Pugh from DWR who headed the installation.
“We flew one Focus and one Wide per side, over one SB18 sub per side. With no rigging points, our in-house manufacturing department made rigging brackets which were drilled into the concrete ceiling.” The main obstacle was having access to the venue, as the Lesedi is wonderfully busy. The new sound system has transformed the audio in the venue, which really will complement the performance on stage.
(Jim Evans)
