A grandMA full-size console was used to programme the new UK tour of Never Forget The Musical, a hugely popular show featuring the music of UK pop super group Take That, produced by Tristan Baker, Charlie Parsons, Bronia Buchanan and Jason Haigh-Ellery.
The lighting design has been created by James Whiteside, and the show was programmed on the grandMA by Dave Sadler who is also the Associate LD. It is being run on a grandMA light for the tour, operated by Garry Hoare, backed up by grandMA onPC.
Since it first toured in 2007, through last year’s West End run, Never Forget has always featured a grandMA for lighting control. Many LED fixtures are utilised including approximately 40 JTE PixelLine strips incorporated into the set portals, plus 15 Illieum Fusion LED 672 battens – new to this tour to make an LED back wall effect – which are vertically hung on three bars and fly in at strategic points.
Due to this high LED content, Sadler and Whiteside took the decision to use a grandMA for it’s unique pixel mapping capabilities. “Using grandMA we have the ability to animate the LED fixtures very quickly and easily directly from the console, using colour effects, dramatic swipes and just about every other effect or movement that we’ve been able to think of,” says Whiteside.
Sadler has been using the MA platform for three years and it’s currently his console of choice. He likes its flexibility, stability and reliability.
When Whiteside originally joined the creative team, the scenic design was already under way, so the idea of illuminating portals that form the main structural and visual frame of the show was already germinated. They also knew at the outset that concert style performance lighting was needed for “Relight My Fire” and the massive party-style mega mix section at the end of the show.
The lighting has to work on multi-levels, delivering the large poppy, glitzy, fun production numbers, the moody moments, the arena style scenes and the classical theatre elements – all from one dynamic rig.
The grandMA is controlling about 40 moving lights, including 14 x Vari*Lite VL2000 Spots, Martin moving lights plus High End and DHA fixtures. The generic rig includes approximately 60 x ETC Source Four Profiles of various degrees and lots of PARs, complete with 30 x Rainbow scrollers. The show also features an amazing digital rain curtain, custom designed by Le maitre.
There are over 500 cues in the desk, so it’s an extremely busy show for lighting, with spectacular results – and an absolute must see event for Take That fans, featuring all their major hits.
All lighting equipment on tour is being supplied by London based theatrical specialists White Light. The current touring schedule runs until the end of 2009.
Photos: Copyright: – Paul ColtasTechnorati
Leave a Reply