This year's gala took place on 11 June and was entitled A Feast with the Gods. It was held at the opulent private home Bridgewater House in St James, London. Sally Noonan, development director at the Almeida Theatre, comments, "Although the purpose of the evening was to raise vital funds for the theatre, we wanted it to reflect the spirit of the Almeida and be as playful as possible. It was themed around our Almeida Greeks season and began with a Greek chorus and drummers in the garden of Bridgewater House".
Prior to the dinner in the Great Saloon, guests were treated to an array of spectacles, which included two Medusas draped in snakes as well as performances from dancers painted entirely in gold. Over dinner there were performances of specially commissioned pieces by renowned playwrights such as Simon Stephens and Richard Thomas.
In order to help create the feel required, the Almeida Theatre called upon White Light who was more than happy to lend its services. Craig Bennett, White Light's hire business development manager, states, "We were asked to provide the lighting equipment for this important event and were obviously delighted to oblige. Not only is the Almeida such an important London theatre with the ground-breaking work it commissions but it also has a very strong and important community programme". Due to the historic location of the gala, this meant that it was White Light's role to get the most out of its heritage features. Sally adds: "As the event took place in such a beautiful location, we required the services of a lighting company who could really highlight the unique surroundings - hence we approached White Light."
(Jim Evans)
