Entertainment lighting specialist White Light is enjoying a busy spring-to-summer season supplying new theatrical productions, as the West End defies the predictions that it would suffer in the run up to the 2012 Olympics. Recent openings include Long Day’s Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre, starring David Suchet and Laurie Metcalf with lighting by Mark Henderson; two acclaimed transfers from the Chichester Festival Theatre, Sweeney Todd also lit by Mark Henderson and the double bill of South Downs and The Browning Version lit by Neil Austin; the Neil Simon comedy The Sunshine Boys starring Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths at the Savoy Theatre, also lit by Neil Austin, and The Duchess of Malfi at the Old Vic, lit by James Farncombe. The Old Vic’s production of Noises Off has transferred to the Novello, lit by Paul Pyant, while the Royal Court’s acclaimed Posh has transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre, lit by Charles Balfour, and the RSC’s Written On The Heart has transferred to the Duchess, lit by Tim Mitchell. Hay Fever, lit by Mark Henderson, is at the Noel Coward Theatre, while at the Vaudeville, Masterclass, lit by David Lander, has ended its limited season and been replaced by What The Butler Saw, lit by Johanna Town, while the season of The King’s Speech at the Wyndham’s, lit by Mark Henderson, has also just ended. Finally, the new musical Top Hat (pictured) has arrived at the Aldwych Theatre after a successful UK tour; the show is lit by Peter Mumford. These shows join the many other West End productions also using lighting from White Light, including Matilda, War Horse, The Wizard of Oz, Shrek, Billy Elliot, Chicago and Les Misérables. “This remarkable array of new productions shows that theatreland will be alive and kicking during the Olympics, despite some of the pessimistic predictions we’ve been hearing,” comments White Light’s managing director, Bryan Raven. “Though we now supply events and productions of all types, we are as committed to theatre as we have always been, and are delighted that our hire stock is big enough to be able to supply these shows even as we head into a busy summer of events – sporting and otherwise.” Photography by Alastair Muir www.WhiteLight.Ltd.uk
