As part of this summer’s Theatre on Kew programme, The Australian Shakespeare Company staged an open-air production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the botanical surroundings of Kew Gardens. White Light (WL) was chosen to provide all lighting and audio equipment for the project.
Each performance during the four-week run began at twilight, to take full advantage of staging the Shakespearean favourite beneath the stars and canopy of Kew Gardens’ heritage trees. To enhance the play’s woodland setting and achieve Lighting Designer, Peter Amesbury’s vision, WL specified a range of different lighting fixtures, controlled by a High End Systems Road Hog 4 console.
The lighting rig included Elation SIXPAR 200IPs and CHAUVET Professional Ovation E-910FC IPs, as well as SGM G-Spot Turbos. Look Solutions Unique hazers were utilised to add to the sense of magic in the air.
WL Key Account Manager, Dominic Yates commented: “Given the alfresco set-up for the performances, our entire rig had to be fully IP-rated. There were different visual elements to focus on, from the players on-stage, to the surrounding trees, which we wanted to appear larger than life to heighten the drama. To work around the ambient sounds of the gardens, we supplied a robust audio solution, which provided evenly distributed coverage regardless of where the audience were seated.”
Amesbury added: “We were so impressed with the quality of the solution and service delivered by WL. The SGM G-spots were a real powerhouse fixture for the show, providing gobos and heightening most of the dramatic moments. This was the first time I’ve designed a show with LED Profiles outdoors and the CHAUVET Professional E-910FC has been rock solid. 24 of them provide a heap of punch, even from 25m away. This show would normally have 36 VNSP Parcans FOH, however using the IP rated profiles, we have saved on dimmers and also cut maintenance time by nearly 60%.”
