When it launched in 1992, the ATG had a mere two theatres - the Duke of York's in the West End and the New Victoria Theatre in Woking. Twenty-four years later, the company now oversees an additional 43 venues, from the 250-seat Donmar Warehouse to the 2000-seat Sunderland Empire. With such a huge range of theatres, not to mention more than 11,000 performances each year, ATG needs to ensure that the lighting equipment in each venue is maintained to the highest standard possible.
Therefore, they call upon WL's Technical Service team who visits the various venues up and down the country, ensuring their technical requirements are fulfilled. Each venue receives an annual service to ensure that the equipment is not only working but safe to use. WL's role includes covering show-critical equipment, such as desks and dimmers, along with being responsible for any emergency response or out-of-hours work.
The Installations and Technical Service Team is led by Sara Hogan, who comments, "We have a fantastic relationship with ATG and their huge list of theatres means we get to work in a really interesting range of venues. By having a service contract with us, ATG can call upon our services at any time. We are there to fully service every single one of their venues, regardless of the location or situation. Despite every venue being owned or operated by ATG, they all vary immensely. Therefore whatever service we offer is bespoke to each individual venue."
With WL being an authorised service centre for top lighting brands such as Clay Paky, Coemar, ETC, LSC, Martin Professional and Philips Vari-Lite, this means that those using the company's technical services can be assured that their equipment will be checked and, where necessary, repaired by a fully-qualified, expert team.
Alongside ATG's theatres, WL offers annual services to a whole host of other venues. This includes Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden where WL oversaw the original lighting installation. Sara comments, "With Warner Bros., the studio is constantly hosting tours, seven days a week, hence this needs to be maintained on a regular basis. As a result, we send a team in once a month for an overnight visit and are also on hand for emergency contact."
Over the past 12 months, WL has also had service contracts renewed with Chichester Festival Theatre, English National Opera, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall and Southbank Centre.
Sara adds, "We certainly have an eclectic list of venues that we work with. This continues to grow and thankfully we have more than enough resources and experienced staff to continue servicing every single one, ensuring they are all maintained to the highest standard possible."
(Jim Evans)