The West End On The Road... with The Moving Light Company

The Moving Light Company supplies equipment to touring versions of the recent West End Hits Oliver! and Jesus Christ Superstar

The Moving Light Company has just completed a busy summer season by supplying large automated lighting packages to the touring versions of three recent hit West End Shows: Jesus Christ Superstar, which re-opened the re-furbished Lyceum Theatre, Oliver!, which became the longest running show at the London Palladium, and Smokey Joe’s Cafe, still running at the Price of Wales Theatre.

The London production of Oliver! pre-dated the formation of The Moving Light Company, who were therefore delighted to be selected as the suppliers to the tour. The selection was no-doubt helped by their successful collaboration with the show’s lighting designer, David Hersey, on shows such as Martin Guerre, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables and Hey Mr Producer!.

David Hersey’s design for the Oliver! tour is very different to the one used at the Palladium: though the aim is to create the same final look, the rig is composed almost entirely of moving lights to minimise focussing time on tour. The equipment includes Martin PAL1200 and MAC500 spotlights, High End StudioColors, Amptown Washlights, and both standard and pitching DHA Digital Light Curtains. Six Irideon AR5s are used as re-focusable footlights. The entire rig is controlled from a Strand 530 console.

As Oliver! rehearsed in Plymouth, Jesus Christ Superstar was opening in Newcastle. Re-worked from the London production, the tour was lit by Mark McCulloch, who recently lit Whistle Down The Wind in London. Again, the rig is composed almost entirely of automated lanterns - and so potent was the combination of Martin MAC500s and MAC600s that many of the Source Fours originally included in the rig were returned unused once the show had opened. Control for the rig was from a Whole Hog II console.

For the Smokey Joe’s Cafe tour, The Moving Light Company were able to supply lighting designer Mike Odam with the very latest in moving light technology: the Vari*Lite VL7, to be used alongside Martin MAC600s and controlled from the new Jands Echelon desk. Another new addition to the hire stock - the DHA Digital Beamlight 2 - will be on show on their stand at PLASA ’98. Meanwhile, some of the company’s oldest products, the Morpheus ProSpots, will be returning to the West End after a year on the road with West Side Story when that production moves into the Price Edward Theatre next month.

"Our aim is to find the best products for particular projects, regardless of their background or history" notes Moving Light Company manager Dave Isherwood, "and the range of equipment we have supplied in the last few months, which span several generations of moving light technology, proves just how versatile we are!".


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