HSL is supplying a variety of lighting equipment to four separate performance spaces and the bar in the main C venue at the heart of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
“C” is the largest of four different sites containing a total of 11 venues at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. During the three-week festival, they will host over 180 different shows representing approximately 10% of the Festival’s creative output – a mix of dance, drama, comedy, physical theatre, musicals, film, cabaret, events, and workshops. HSL first became involved in Edinburgh Fringe last year, when they kitted out four stages at the venue’s electric site.
“HSL has a great attitude,” production manager Richard Williamson says. “They provided two excellent technicians, Rupert Reynolds and Chris Cunningham, for the get-in and tech period. They communicated with and worked alongside our own technical staff, some of whom were relatively inexperienced, having joined the crew to improve their technical knowledge and practical experience.”
Equipment supplied includes 12 Robe 250AT moving light fixtures (six washes and 6 spots), 48 ways of Avolites ART2000 dimming, over 150K of fresnels across the four theatres, 20 Source Four Juniors, 50 Source Four PARs, and a wide selection of PAR 64s. All controlled by ETC Expression and Strand 300 consoles. Six Robes were each deployed in the two largest spaces, three washes at the back and three Spots at the front.
The site-wide lighting design across all the venues was a collaborative effort by director Hartley Kemp, James Whiteside, Phil Bentley, and Richard Williamson. With up to 10 shows a day, five to 10 minute changeovers, and each venue staging about 20 different productions across the festival, the lighting had to work for every type of performance, from a monologue to a 40-cast musical.
Head of lighting Dom Martin is coordinating and overseeing the Festival’s day-to-day running. He comments, “Much of the gear HSL has supplied was brand new, and all of it was exceptionally well prepped. It’s proving extremely reliable and their service is excellent.”
