High End Systems lighting gear illuminated Leith Theatre for the duration of the recent Edinburgh International Festival. The fully LED rig comprised a selection of Sola Series fixtures, but the real highlight was High End’s latest innovation, TurboRay, which made its international debut at the event.
In his role as lighting designer for Leith Theatre’s contemporary music program for the 2019 festival, Grant Anderson facilitated the lighting needs for a diverse roster that included poetry, rapping and alternative rock. He designed a rig that offered flexibility and a multitude of possible looks for the featured artists including Jarvis Cocker, Teenage Fanclub and Neneh Cherry.
“It’s been great fun having access to the world’s first TurboRay fixtures!” Anderson exclaimed. “I put eight of them on one truss and positioned it so the audience could see the face of the units. The diffusion offers striking dynamic effects – you really see that lens shift. You can also get a very tight beam and create impressive shapes through the air and on the floor – you can open them up and get a textured look.”
“What’s brilliant about the High End Systems range is that it’s cohesive,” Anderson says. “All the fixtures offer beautiful dimming and the colour rendering is really effective. I also absolutely love the gradual diffusion, so you don’t just get a clunk in of a diffusion like you do with a lot of products. I often use a sharp gobo and slowly drop that in across 30 seconds of a song – it looks gorgeous, people really like it.”
Additionally, Anderson positioned a SolaSpot 3000 upstage centre to create a striking effect. “The huge zoom ratio on it means it can look like a tight back followspot, but then on zooming out you almost cover the whole stage from one source,” he explained. “The audience immediately react by taking out their phones because it’s such a fantastic look.”
Leith Theatre also provided the backdrop for an exclusive showcase event hosted by High End Systems and local dealer Black Light. The event saw a packed-out reception of industry professionals in attendance to catch a glimpse of the highly anticipated TurboRay.
