Hands-On At The Lyceum Theatre with The Moving Light Company

The Moving Light Company hold two successful 'hands-on' open days at London’s Lyceum Theatre

"Too good to miss": that’s how Bryan Raven, General Manager of The Moving Light Company, described the opportunity that presented itself in early June. The company had supplied lighting designer David Hersey with a large automated lighting rig for Hey Mr Producer!, a Royal Gala charity concert celebrating Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s thirty years as a producer. Normally the equipment would have been de-rigged immediately after the event, but with the Lyceum then empty it occurred to the company that it might be interesting to leave the rig hanging for just a little while longer...

"It seemed to us that people didn’t often get a chance to come and play with the latest automated lighting technology in a real, theatrical environment, rather than a workshop or demonstration studio," Raven explained. "Thanks to the generosity of Cameron Mackintosh Ltd and Apollo Leisure, we were able to leave much of the rig in the air as it was for the concert. Visitors could therefore get a much better idea of the true possibilities of the various lights".

The open-day rig featured many products from The Moving Light Company’s diverse stock: the MAC500, MAC600 and PAL1200 from Martin Professional, the StudioColor and Cyberlight SV from High End Systems, the Starlite Mk 5 from AC Lighting, the Washlight from Amptown, and the Digital Light Curtain, Pitching Digital Light Curtain and new Mk II Digital Beamlight from DHA Lighting.

Control for the equipment was split between the Strand 550 console, which had been used to run Hey Mr Producer!, and a Wholehog II; visitors were encouraged to experiment with both desks. Part of the rig was also modelled on WYSIWYG, allowing visitors to see the possibilities that this lighting visualisation system offers. Bryan Raven and Dave Isherwood of The Moving Light Company were on hand to answer questions, as were Rob Halliday, programmer for Hey Mr Producer!, and representatives from Martin, AC Lighting, DHA and Strand Lighting.

The two days attracted a wide range of visitors, including freelance electricians, lighting designers, students and staff from the Royal Opera House and the Royal National Theatre. All appreciated the chance to make direct comparisons between similar products from different manufacturers in a neutral surrounding.

Those who missed the event are still welcome to examine the equipment at any time, though in the slightly less grandiose surroundings of The Moving Light Company’s Parsons Green base. There, as at the Lyceum, the company’s independence from any one manufacturer allows it to offer unbiased advice, while its diverse hire stock can provide the products best matched to the needs or budget of a particular show.


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