UK - As part of London’s East Bank development, a new cultural quarter in East London alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL East, and the V&A East Museum and Storehouse, Sadler’s Wells East recently opened its doors at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. This vibrant creative hub features a 550-seat theatre and six studios designed for the creation and development of dance productions.
Staying true to its promise of offering ‘dance from every angle’, the venue not only supports the production of new work and artist development but also offers a unique architectural design. The Dance Floor, a public performance space in the theatre’s expansive wrap-around foyer, provides a platform for community groups and guest artists, making it a welcoming space for all dance styles.
Over the past few years, White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, has worked closely with Sadler’s Wells’ technical team, including former technical manager Christian Wallace, to develop a detailed technical specification for the new venue. As the project progressed, WL continued collaborating with Plann’s associate Jason Barnes, who oversaw the lighting aspects, and Tim Hardy, Sadler’s Wells East’s technical manager.
Reflecting on the project, Hardy shared his insights into what makes the venue truly different: “Sadler’s Wells East is a mid-scale venue, bridging the gap between our smaller studio space, Lilian Baylis Studio, and the larger Sadler’s Wells Theatre, which seats 1,500. The 550-seat venue features retractable seating, allowing us to create a 35m by 25m stage, a unique and flexible feature. Our opening in-house production, Our Mighty Groove, took full advantage of this capability. In the second half of the show, the retractable seating created a central space, immersing the audience in the performance.”
Whilst primarily a receiving venue, Sadler’s Wells East also provides space for emerging artists and companies to develop their work. Hardy highlighted the versatility of Studio 1, which shares the same dimensions as the main stage, making it easier to transpose productions with minimal technical adjustments.
Committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Sadler’s Wells prioritised sustainability when selecting its lighting equipment. Hardy explained: “We made a conscious decision to move away from tungsten lighting, opting exclusively for LED sources. We consulted with designers who we knew will be working with us in the venue’s first year, and they were fully on board with the transition.
“Our equipment selection focused on flexibility to cater to the diverse range of users. The venue’s main profiles feature ETC Series 3 fixtures, paired with a variety of lens attachments for greater versatility. These are positioned in the auditorium, where innovative niches, concealed doors in the walls, allow for rigging positions to be added without compromising the space’s architectural aesthetic.
“For additional flexibility, the venue uses ETC Desire Fresnels, which can operate in standalone mode; perfect for students or visiting artists seeking quick, straightforward lighting setups. The fixtures also offer the ability to mimic various light sources, including tungsten and HMI. The team opted for an ETC Apex 5 lighting desk, supported by two Paradigm processors – one managing the auditorium and the other overseeing the building. This separation ensures that front-of-house lighting areas remain distinct from the studios and performance spaces.”
Whilst the stage rig presented no major challenges, the lighting setup above the auditorium required careful consideration due to the two gantries. Bespoke rigging positions were installed upstage and downstage of each bridge, with the added ability to run bars around the perimeter through the niche system.
Hardy also redesigned the downstage left and right perch positions, ensuring they were accessible from outside the auditorium walls. This thoughtful integration maintained the venue’s sleek architectural aesthetic whilst maximising flexibility with built-in handrails, rigging points, and power infrastructure.
Hardy joined Sadler’s Wells East a year prior to its opening and immediately immersed himself in the project, including its technical design. He later welcomed head of lighting, Paul Milford, and together, they worked with WL’s Jonathan Haynes and Ally DeCourcy to finalise the lighting design. Hardy praises the collaboration: “Our experience with WL was fantastic. The process was a continuous dialogue, particularly when designing our bespoke IWBS. Jonathan and Ally’s expertise, adaptability, and flexibility were invaluable; especially as both Paul and I joined halfway through the project. WL’s support allowed us to shape the final design effectively.”
Since its opening, Sadler’s Wells East has already staged a variety of performances, including Our Mighty Groove, Infinite, and Birdboy.
Read our full, in-depth report on the new Sadler’s Wells East theatre in the April edition of LSi.
