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UK - Patrick Prior and Robert Hyman's Christmas panto production of Red Riding Hood finished its run at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East last week. In what's been described as a terrific 21st century version of the classic fairytale, Patrick Prior's script is anything but tame, with audience members of all ages shouting 'Shout! Shake! Make that Wolfie heave!' in an attempt to release Dame, Red and the three little pigs from the big bad Wolf!

Leading automation suppliers Stage Technologies bought Nick Baren's set to life by providing automation for this production using a four-line winch and Saxis control console. Production manager Richard Eustace needed a cost-effective and simple automation solution to fly in a projector screen, quickly and safely. Stratford East's own m

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Worldwide - DiGiCo celebrated the New Year by announcing a 2004 world demonstration tour of the D5 digital mixing system in conjunction with a Renkus-Heinz PowerNet Series self-powered PA system. The D5 system, which was expanded last October at AES New York with the launch of the D5T theatre version of the console, will be put through its paces at a variety of locations worldwide throughout the year for the benefit of sound engineers, sound designers, rental companies and other clients.

The Renkus-Heinz system will also be used to provide real life audio playback in the DiGiCo factory in Scotland and its head office demonstration suites in the south of England. "We intend to take the D5 system all over the world this year, to rental companies, theatres and even festivals," says DiGiCo marketing director Dave Webster, "and rather than hiring PA systems locally we

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Norway - Oslo's new Rock Bottom live music club, part of the well-established blues club Muddy Waters, has opened for business with a sound system consisting entirely of Harman Pro Audio group products, delivered and installed by LydRommet AS, the Norwegian distributor for JBL, Crown, dbx, BSS and Soundcraft.

Between them, the two venues are expected to host more than 750 blues and rock gigs a year. In the building's basement, Rock Bottom is the larger of the venues: a 300-capacity club with low ceiling height and a PA rig with a delay system, and additional speaker zones to cover two bar areas. The all-JBL speaker cabinets, powered by Crown MA and MT amplifiers, are under the control of a BSS Soundweb, acting as the total system manager and routing unit, programmed with presets for different distribution applications. At front-of-house is a new 32-channel Soundcraft MH3 Series

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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

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UK - Rounding off artistic director Nicholas Hytner's first year in charge of Britain's Royal National Theatre is His Dark Materials, a two-part adaptation of Philip Pullman's acclaimed trilogy of books. Opening at the National's Olivier Theatre just after Christmas to glowing reviews, and already sold out, His Dark Materials proved a challenge to all involved with it - including DHA Lighting's Wyatt Enever.

Enever was brought by the show's lighting designer Paule Constable and the National's lighting staff to help realize the large-format projections required as part of the set design. The aim was to use abstract images created by the show's set designer, Giles Cadle, and video projection designer, Thomas Gray of The Gray Circle, to dress the curved black BP screen used as a cyclorama. The difficulty was that, unlike previous shows that Enever has been involved wi

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Lebanon - With a level of passion that one only finds in the Middle East - a passion that heard one fan shout to their favorite semi-finalist: "With our blood and souls, we sacrifice for you Melhem," Pop Idol fever has swept the Arab world. Superstar, a Pop Idol-style reality entertainment contest broadcast by Beirut-based Future Television International, culminated in the crowning of the Arab Superstar for 2003. The contest lasted 21 weeks, with thousands of contestants from Arab countries reduced to 12 finalists by viewers who voted by telephone, text message and online.

The final competition was held on a huge industrial-style stage at Future TV studios. The set comprised multi-platforms and staircases of metal lattice, which lighting designer and director of photography Samer Kaddoura dressed using 97 moving lights, flown and floor-positioned. The rig

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USA / India / Nigeria - Sussex-based LM Productions report a string of recent international projects. Firstly, continuing its 'Live It, Love It' campaign, the Hong Kong Tourism Board contracted LM Productions LLP for their first StratoFantasia event in the USA. The event took place in San Francisco over two days with the main focal point of the multimedia show being LM Productions 50ft (15m) diameter StratoSphere, with a new internal blackout dome, which allows the StratoSphere to be used as a venue with internal projection during the day. This is made possible by the blackout dome being inflated inside the StratoSphere, thus providing a cover from the light outside. The event contained elements of live performances from musicians and dancers as well as full dome video and laser effects inside the StratoSphere. There was a steady stream of people viewing the shows, which started e

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UK - One of the Home Counties' most well-established sports centres, Gosling Park in Welwyn Garden City, has completed an extensive upgrade of its audio systems with the installation of an EV ceiling speaker system in its gymnasium. Darren Hughes, from installer Prosonic Systems, says: "Although well over 50% of our installs are done with ElectroVoice products, we had never used the larger C8.2-sized EVID ceiling speakers before. They were absolutely tailor-made for this project, and the results have been so impressive, I am now keen to use them in other applications as soon as I can."

Gosling Park is a substantial and well-equipped sports centre featuring a ski slope and athletics track as well as its indoor facilities, including a sizeable gymnasium and several sports halls. In the past, users of the gym had to make do with the sound from the television sets themselv

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UK - Birmingham based glowshop.com announced the launch of their brand new range of 'invisible paints' - white in colour, translucent when dry, they are invisible until exposed to UV blacklight, when they will glow brightly in vibrant colours of blue, yellow, red, green and orange. (The artist paints under UV blacklight).

These innovative photo luminescent materials enable the production of UV special effects artwork including trompe-l'oeil and 3D. Dual Images can be created like day to night scenes created using a combination of conventional and invisible/UV revealing paints. Under normal light the viewer sees the day scene, the nighttime equivalent appearing when the image is exposed to UV blacklight. Applications range from the obvious to the not so obvious some including special effects, scenic effects and promotion and advertising.

The paint is a quick drying, matt finish

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Eire - The Society of Light & Lighting (SLL) is holding a three-day International Symposium on Workplace Lighting at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Dublin, 1-3 April 2004. The event is jointly organized with the Lighting Industry Federation (LIF) and supported by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).

The two-day technical programme will cover all areas of workplace lighting including: energy efficiency, visual comfort and health, standards, design and installation. Over 20 of the world's leading experts on lighting will be speaking at the event.

On the morning of the third day there will be a colloquium (debate) to formulate SLL policy recommendations for lighting in the workplace. This will provide a unique opportunity for delegates to have their say on lighting issues, in particular the latest EU standards. The results will be fed into a joint SLL/LIF task group on the be

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Germany - EVI Audio's in-house fair, the Hausmesse, ran from the 23-25 January 2004 in Straubing. What started 17 years ago as a cosy get-together has developed into a major annual pro audio event, the company reports. This year, the EVI Audio team, led by managing director Wolfgang Kruse, whose first Hausmesse this was, welcomed 700 national and international business partners, representatives of the media, and friends of the company to its in-house trade fair.

Martin Traut, Christian Glück and others put EVI Audio's latest products through their paces for the assembled information-hungry visitors, with enthusiastic responses to products such as the new Dynacord PowerMate, Electro-Voice's SxA360, SbA 760 and Plasma, the Midas Verona and Klark-Teknik's DN100.

The traditional Saturday evening party was another success, the company reports. This year, for the first time, the e

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India - Hyatt Regency New Delhi has completed a major programme of refurbishment to reopen its nightclub venue, Djinns, with a brand-new sound system that has made it the place to be seen in the Indian capital city.

The 4000sq.ft club features a dance floor and a live stage, equipped with a new JBL sound system, consisting of four AM6200/95, two ASB6118, 10 x Control 25 AV, and four Control 24C. Powered by Crown MA amplifiers, the whole system is controlled by BSS 3088 processors. Audio consultant Mr Sarangan of IHD Designs drew up the specification for Djinns, equipment was supplied and installed by Hi Tech Audio Solutions of New Delhi. BSS processing has been chosen to control the DJ turntable and mixer and the front-of-house desk, with level and EQ settings for the band, DJ and background music selectable through the turn of a knob. "This processor control was badly need

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UK - Northen Lights is a new exhibition to celebrate the pivotal role Michael Northen played as one of Britain's first lighting designers. Drawn from his personal collection, generously donated to the Museum by Robert Camac, and other sources, it illuminates Northen's illustrious career, which spanned six decades.

Michael Northen (1921-2001) began his career as a stage manager at the Q Theatre in 1938, where he met designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch, interrupted by his wartime service in the RAF, including a tour of India as stage manager for the Gang Show. Post-war he worked as production assistant at the Royal Opera House on many ballets and operas including The Queen of Spades whose décor he supervised in the absence of the designer Oliver Messel.

Northen gained credit as the first lighting designer in the British theatre to receive billing as such in Gielgud's 1950 Kin

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UK - Robe UK has supplied The Willows Variety Club in Salford, with a large Robe moving light rig - including the first Robe Spot 1200s to be installed in the UK. This makes The Willows arguably one of the best-equipped social club in the UK.

John Wilkinson OBE, chairman of Salford Rugby League Club, owns the 700-capacity venue and although sited adjacently, the two are run as completely different enterprises. The Willows has recently invested substantially in the latest production technology.

As the name implies, 'variety' was the operative word when it came to looking for new lighting. They needed a rig that could deal with every type of performance, from comedians, magicians and single performers to duos, dance troupes and large live bands of all genres - and that could also double as a disco/dancefloor system. The venue's general manager Dave Bell and lighting technician/o

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UK - After "hunting for someone special" to head up its UK operation for the past six months, PASO, the Italian sound system manufacturer, has announced the appointmentr of industry stalwart Bob Harrison.

Having served a total of 17 years with Beyerdynamic, Harrison is one for long stretches and is now looking forward to doing time with the Milan-based company. He cpmments: "People may be surprised, but it had to be the right opportunity to entice me to leave Beyer and this role with PASO fits the bill perfectly. It is a challenge, but one with a respected and experienced manufacturer with a brand name that is associated with quality throughout the world. Just take a look at some of the recent installations that have used PASO products and you'll know why I was more than happy to be hunted down."

PASO are already well positioned in the marketplace in terms

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USA - Pro audio industry veteran Tim Schaeffer has been appointed director ofsales for Allen & Heath USA. The company was established in 2002 by NAPA to provide US distribution for the British audio mixing console manufacturer.

Schaeffer has over 20 years' experience in the pro audio business and a successful track record in sales management, business development, and strategic marketing. For the last two years he was vice-president of the Public Address Business Unit at Klotz Digital America in California, where he was responsible for all sales and marketing management of the newly established business unit.

Prior to that, Schaeffer was general manager, western region, for AMX Corporation. He joined AMX in 2001 following five years at Otari Corporation, where he rose to the position of vice-president.

Beginning his career in 1979 with several years in pro audio retail sales

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The Netherlands - Alcons Audio's VR12 is a 2-way compact multi-purpose loudspeaker, for both portable and permanent applications. Featuring the Alcons RBN601 ribbon driver (multiple patents pending) the VR12 is aimed at applications where high output, high fidelity sound reinforcement is needed. Its specifications exceed Hi Fi standards, say Alcons.

The VR12 features a 6" pro-ribbon driver with 'Real-90' horizontal dispersion for MF/HF and a 12" mid/bass driver for LF. The frequency response is 60Hz up to 20kHz (+/-3dB), with a peak power output of 134dB. Maximum flexibility was the main design goal, according to Alcons; the asymmetrical enclosure and the 90° resolvable wave-guide make the VR12 suitable for a compact FOH system, an in-fill cabinet or a (high-power) floor monitor. In installations, this also offers flexible (ceiling/wall) mounting. The cabinet is equip

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UK - In one busy period over the Christmas break - a schedule designed to minimize the disruption - three London sites received substantial updates and upgrades to their dimming and lighting infrastructure provided by White Light Projects.

The Royal Academy of Music's Sir Jack Lyons Theatre is a versatile 200-seat venue used for opera and musical theatre productions and also as a teaching room. Discussions between the theatre's technician Jake Wiltshire and White Light's technical sales manager Roger Hennigan led to a project that involved installing 144 ways of ETC Sensor dimming, new Andolite outlet boxes on the flyfloor and at stage level featuring both Socapex and 15A outlets, and new internally wired bars overhead, these now ladderbeam-style for added rigidity. The plugging boxes and internally wired bars also carry Ethercon outlets for distribution of Ethernet lighting dat

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China - Panyu Chime-Long Night Zoo is a unique night time safari attraction located in Panyu, a district in the city of Guangzhou, China. With thousands of outstanding color effects and wild animal attractions, Panyu Chime-Long Night Zoo is said to rival anything Las Vegas has to offer.

Within its walls, a 10,000 seat capacity domed amphitheater is home to Galaxy Stars, a space-themed Las Vegas-like circus show. The unusual zoo attraction has invested in more than one hundred Martin intelligent lights, making it one of the largest Martin installs in China. Galaxy Stars is named in recognition of China's emergence as a space-faring nation and features unique human and animal acts. An important aspect of the redesign is a new intelligent lighting system used to highlight the central stage/center ring, backdrops and acts. The show has been completely restaged by a tea

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USA - VLPS Lighting Services announced recently that it has relocated its Nashville shop to a new facility, built to VLPS' specification and has more than 22,000sqft of office space and warehouse. Rusty Brutsché, chairman and CEO of VLPS remarked: "We are pleased to be expanding our operations in Nashville with this beautiful new facility and we look forward to enhancing our service and rental inventory for our clients.

"We are moving for the simple reason that we're out of space," explained Arthur Smith, general manager of VLPS Nashville. "We are growing with the industry and needed a bigger facility to accommodate our clients' requirements." A grand opening ceremony is tentatively scheduled for mid-March. The company's new address is: 8351 Eastgate Blvd., Mt. Juliet, Tennessee 37122, USA.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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New Zealand - The new Pacific Followspot from Selecon delivers the same cool beam and incorporates all the other operational advantages of Selecon's Pacific heat management technology. Ideal for smaller theatres, schools, churches and clubs, one of the many benefits of the compact followspot is the ability to choose from a wide variety of light sources to meet differing throw requirements.

For example, the Pacific Followspot is efficient in the smallest school drama room or rehearsal space using the regular 600W tungsten halogen lamp (1000 lux at 18.5m) as it is in a medium-sized theatre, using the 80V Power System (1000 lux at 23m). It can also deliver the output necessary for a church or auditorium using the MSR hot restrike 575W lamp (1000 lux at 39m) with its flicker-free operation. Other lamp choices are the 800W tungsten halogen (1000 lux at 20m) and the 1000W tungsten hal

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UK - Corporate audio specialists Audio Alliance recently held a demonstration day to show current and new clients just why the company is rapidly becoming one of the UK's leaders in its field. The Manchester based rental supplier provided clients with a chance to experience first hand the technology behind the shows.

Audio Alliance director Oliver Driver, who strongly believes that showing clients what is available and how it is used benefits all parties, organized the event. The day allowed for a range of Audio Alliance's rental stock to be demonstrated, including digital systems, with ProTools providing surround sound playback, supported by a Sony DMXR100 mixing desk and a Yamaha DME32 processor.

An analogue system was also set up with an Allen & Heath ML series desk and XTA processing, while a smaller console, the Midas Venice, was being demonstrated with Shure DFR22 proces

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