Martin MAC TW1 for Royal Shakespeare Company

One of the world's best-known theatre ensembles, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), recently completed the purchase of 10 Martin Professional MAC TW1 80 V Tungsten fixtures with narrow lenses. Specified for King Lear / The Seagull by lighting designer Neil Austin (designer for both productions), the RSC also bought 8 Atomic 3000 strobes.

The RSC attracts audiences and artists from around the world to its three theatres (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Swan Theatre and Courtyard Theatre) in Stratford-upon-Avon, the town where William Shakespeare was born and died. Currently, King Lear and The Seagull are performed in repertoire at the 1500 seat Courtyard Theatre. King Lear and The Seagull make up the last of the RSC’s 'Complete Works' season after which the productions will embark on a world tour that includes stops in Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and the East and West Coasts of America before returning to the UK. The remainder of the tour will be played over an eight week run in London at a venue yet to be confirmed.

The Martin fixtures were supplied by White Light, via account handler Roger Hennigan who worked with Simon Spencer, Senior Lighting Technician at the RSC. Simon comments, "Jessica Allan at Martin and Roger really pulled out all the stops to ensure we got the fixtures in time for the production.”

Covers all the bases
LD Neil Austin first saw and used Martin MAC TW1 Tungsten wash lights at the National Theatre’s Cottesloe and Olivier Theatres in London, the latter in his design for "Man of Mode" which is still running. Neil was impressed by their output and mechanics and comments that the fixture’s internal modularity makes it very easy to maintain and is subsequently popular with the crews and technicians.

When it came to King Lear / The Seagull, Neil insisted on using TW1s. After reviewing the lighting budget for the production’s RSC run and follow-up tour, it became apparent to Simon Spencer that the most efficient and cost-effective way of giving Neil the lights he wanted was to buy them.

Neil comments that the Tungsten wash lights have always been a favorite tool for theatre designers, but that there’s never been a perfect fixture to date. The TW1 combines all the best Tungsten wash attributes however. "The 16 bit color mixing is brilliant and the dichroics have been really carefully chosen to give you ANY color - and I mean any color,” says Neil. “The mechanical repeatability of the functions and colors is excellent, and I like the tight beam. The fixtures (at the Courtyard) are rigged 13 meters away from the stage at the Courtyard, and the beam is still really tight. And it goes wide enough as well.

“You can also create a perfect blue with it using the dimmer shutter, ensuring the color temperature remains constant - even at very low levels – by using the mechanical dimmer, which is ideal. All bases are covered with these fixtures." He adds that the unit's silent operation is also vital for any type of theatre production.

The perfect wash light for theatre
The TW1s are used for a myriad of functions in King Lear and The Seagull, from one person specials to the lighting of full scenes, proving the dynamics and flexibility of the unit. Martin subjected the TW1 to months of intense field testing before releasing the production model which Neil describes as "the perfect wash light for theatre.”

Production manager Simon Ash will be looking after the touring production. Martin offers worldwide support in all territories that the tour visits. "We looked at all aspects of buying these lights before we committed," explains Spencer, “and everything we asked for Martin delivered.”

RSC Head of Lighting, Vince Herbert, adds, "We finally have an ideal moving light for theatre.”

Lighting for the King Lear / The Seagull RSC run and tour is being operated by Matt Peel. King Lear / The Seagull are directed by Trevor Nunn. The stunning set - a derelict decaying theatre - is designed by Christopher Oram.