Cult musical revived with Martin fixtures
February 25, 2015
More than 20 million people have seen Richard O’ Brien’s cult musical, the Rocky Horror Show, since it’s first performance at the Royal Court Theatre in London 40 years ago.
This famous and bizarre story about the prudent, newly engaged couple, Janet and Brad, the mad transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his artificial creature, Rocky Horror, is back on stage for a 6-month tour of Germany.
Lighting designer, David Howe, specified a rig featuring a substantial amount of fixtures from Martin Professional, including MAC Viper Washes, MAC Viper Performances, MAC Auras, MAC 700 Profiles and Stagebars.
Howe said:
“The lighting designer is always the guy who has the crazy ideas. However, rather than creating an overwhelming light show, I wanted to draw the audience’s attention to the story, the characters, and the bizarre atmosphere in Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s house.”
Talking about the fixtures he said:
“It is the 6th time, I am doing this show and I used to specify the MAC 2000 Wash. This time, however, I wanted to try out the MAC Viper Wash and I don’t regret the upgrade. I simply love this fixture! It is blasting colours out on the stage and is perfect for big venues and arenas.”
Howe continued:
“The MAC Viper features beautiful, saturated colours and due to the extreme high output, it really brings power to the lighting design. It is perfect to stage this crazy cocktail of classic rock ’n’ roll hits, eccentric people, broken conventions and a bizarre atmosphere. It is definitely not the last time, that I am working with the MAC Viper.”
Another fixture, which is new on the show, is the MAC Aura. This LED fixture replaces the MAC 401, which Howe used to illuminate the curtains on previous shows. Howe explained:
“Due to the progress in LED technology, the MAC Aura is a much more versatile fixture. It is great for lighting of the faces of the characters on stage. I could never have done this with a traditional LED fixture, but the MAC Aura adds a tungsten-feel which makes the light move in a fluent, natural way.”
However, technology and innovative features are not the only important parameters to Howe. Reliable equipment and experienced partners are also important to ensure a successful show.
German rental company, Showconcept; one of Germany’s leading full-service providers of technical equipment for touring, stage productions and TV-shows, provided the lighting equipment, the rigging and curtains for the show.
About the cooperation with Showconcept, Howe said:
“We are only three people in my team, and the guys don’t have time to concentrate on broken fixtures. I need a professional partner to make sure that the lights are 100% ok so that we can focus on the design. Showconcept has done a fantastic job. You simply feel that this company is experienced and possesses a lot of know-how.”
Technical director on the production, Andreas Rescheneder, continued:
“The equipment must usually endure 8 shows per week as well as rehearsals. If, for instance, I have 100 fixtures in the rig, I can’t risk half of them falling out and having to be repaired. Therefore, I only go for reliable, high quality products, which have been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer.”
Like David Howe, Andreas Rescheneder also underlined the importance of a professional cooperation with his partners:
“There is no ‘me’ on a production. The team is very important and a good cooperation between the designer, the production company, the rental company and the manufacturer is vital for a successful show.”
The Rocky Horror Show is on tour in Germany until the 2nd of August 2015.