The lighting design at the 1,100-capacity Lyric was devised by Denis ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson, who has since utilised the Robe fixtures on the venue’s debut production, a run of the musical Hairspray. Particular features singled out for praise by Hutchinson include the zoom function on the 700 Series (“it’s so much better than having to rely on diffusers to control beam size”) and the source of the ColorWash 750AT Tungsten.
“They give a brilliant shaft which is great for specials, especially because the tungsten source is so much more flattering to skin tones than any current discharge source,” said Hutchinson, who has also used the ColorWash 750AT Tungsten units for proscenium boom position cross washing.
Speaking to II, DWR Distribution’s Duncan Riley said that features of the Robe 700 Series that made it suitable for the Lyric Theatre included “the quietness at which the fixture operates, the fast CMY colour bumps, the reliability of the unit, and the complete package – from the relationship with Robe to the happy customer at the end of the day.”
Riley adds that DWR has not received a service call since the lights were installed in August last year.
