HSL is once again supplying C Venues with lighting equipment for its seven main venues incorporating 17 theatre spaces at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
C Venues is presenting over 200 shows performed by 140 companies from all over the world across the three-week festival period. It’s the largest theatre program on the Fringe Festival, representing a vibrant mix of all types of performance genres including dance, drama, comedy, physical theatre, musicals, film, cabaret, events, and workshops.
HSL’s Mike Oates project managed, working closely with C Venues’ production manager Julie Rawlins.
The supply has included over 350 lighting fixtures, desks, dimmers, and several kilometres of cable.
It’s the third year running that HSL has supplied C Venues at Edinburgh. Mike Oates says, “We’re really pleased to be involved with C-Venues and the Fringe Festival again. HSL has a history of working with all types of theatre shows, and it’s great to support all the energy and enthusiasm—not to mention some cutting-edge performances—of the Fringe.”
Each C Venues space has a “standard” rig comprised of a basic fresnel wash cover, a selection of Source Four profiles with different lenses and assorted PARs, and depending on the size of venue, the average lamp count is 30/40 for the smaller spaces and 60/60 for the larger ones.
The key to designing lighting for each of these spaces lies in it being multi-functional and offering plenty of options. With up to 10 shows a day, often with only 10 minute changeovers, and with each venue staging about 20 different genres of production throughout the festival period, the lighting rigs and designs have to work for every type of performance, from a monologue to a 40-cast musical.
Three venues: C-1, C+3, and C2 each have six Robe ColorSpot or ColorWash 250 E AT moving lights at their disposal. This adds another layer of flexibility and options to the various incoming lighting designers. “Robe 250s were chosen for their compact size and excellent features,” says Oates, as space is at a premium on most stages.
For control, HSL is supplying several Zero 88 Jester desks, a Strand 520 for C+3, and a Strand 300 for C-1. Dimmers for each of the spaces are a mix of Avolites ART 2000s and Jands.
C2 (C-squared) is located in an atmospheric Masonic temple so nothing can touch the ceiling or walls. HSL has supplied a small mini-beam trussing ground support structure to provide lighting positions.
A variety of “specials” have been supplied to C Venues to cover specific requests from some companies for their shows.
Korean B-Boy ensemble Soulgang Co & Siwall Network utilized several of these for their foot-tapping, break dancing Spin Odyssey, including PAR 46 ACL battens (upstage on the floor), strobes, and a smoke machine.
Others use the house rigs exactly as they are. For some shows, like the Cho-In Theatre’s intensely physical The Angel & The Woodcutter (LD Colin Dieck), lighting is a completely vital element of the performance, taking on the role of another actor
Two HSL crew, Chris Cunningham and Gary Cooper, went to Edinburgh for the fit up and technical period and worked closely with the C Venues staff.
Julie Rawlins has been impressed with the HSL service. She comments, “They really pulled out all the stops to deliver the kit on time, with little lead-time once the budgets were approved to needing the gear on site. The kit was delivered well prepped and in excellent condition.”