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Forty years ago LAMDA, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, recognised that their Stage Management course was no-longer serving the needs of its students as the job of stage management and the technology available backstage evolved. The college’s principle, Michael MacOwan, turned to Richard Pilbrow, the leading technical theatre practitioner of the day, for help and advice. With help from Pilbrow, his company Theatre Projects and his stage management mentor Robert Stanton, LAMDA’s new Stage Management and Technical Theatre course was born. Forty years later, Richard Pilbrow returned to LAMDA to help celebrate the course’s anniversary, with an afternoon’s conversation with the college’s current students, a selection of alumni and a variety of other industry practitioners. Entitled “Two Conversations,” the afternoon firstly saw Richard describe the conversation with Michael MacOwan that led to the formation of the course, then take the audience on a whistlestop tour through his various careers as lighting designer, author and theatre consultant before settling down into the second conversation, a discussion led by Anthony Field with questions from the audience, many provoking more stories involving the great and good of British theatre. As part of its ongoing relationship with LAMDA, White Light was delighted to support the event, providing refreshments before and after the talk. As well as LAMDA’s current students and staff, including course director Mark Shayle in one of his last appearances before leaving LAMDA, the audience included Robert Stanton, the course’s first director, Richard’s wife Molly Pilbrow, who taught on the course in its early days and enjoyed the chance of catching up with former students, colleagues from every aspect of Richard’s life as well as current and former Theatre Projects staff - whose number includes Bryan Raven, now White Light’s Managing Director! “We were delighted to be involved,” he commented. “It’s always good to hear Richard speak; his enthusiasm for every aspect continues to be remarkable and, hopefully, was infectious to the current LAMDA students so that they continue the strong reputation that LAMDA graduates have built up over the last forty years.” Further information about other activities celebrating the 40th Anniversary of LAMDA's course can be obtained by contacting Sarah-Jane Chapman, LAMDA's Communications Development Manager, on 020 8834 0513. Further information about LAMDA and its Stage Management and Technical Theatre course can be found at the LAMDA website, www.lamda.org.uk. Further information about the complete range of lighting services available from White Light can be found elsewhere on this website. Pictures:
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