London's Free Open Air Theatre Season at Scoop sponsored by the product solution provider White Light adopts SGM lightings that delivers accurate and vivid lighting effect. (All Photo Courtesy of Shelia Burnett and Diana Jarvis)

This August saw complete production solution specialist White Light once again sponsor London’s Free Open Air Theatre Season at The Scoop in Central London. The season offers a programme of free shows, with the incentive being to introduce new audiences to theatre. Not only did White Light supply the lighting equipment for the occasion but they also sponsored this year’s programme.

Craig Bennett, White Light’s Business Development Manager, explains: “We have worked on London’s Free Open Air Theatre Season in the past and it’s a fantastic event to support. It aims to remove the barriers people may face from going to the theatre by performing shows in such a central location and making them free of charge. Its main focus is to make theatre accessible to all, which is something we are also keen to encourage”. This cause is one of particular importance to White Light, with the company having started life in the theatre industry.

The two plays which were performed during this year’s season were Captain Show-Off and Women of Troy, with Phil Supple acting as Lighting Designer on each. From White Light’s extensive equipment range, he opted to use the SGM G-Spot moving head and the SGM RGBW P-5 wash light.

SGM G-Spot moving head and the SGM RGBW P-5 wash light were selected for their weather resistent and energy saving features that are ideal for outdoor theater that has limited power supply. (All Photo Courtesy of Shelia Burnett and Diana Jarvis)

Six of each of the SGM LED luminaire were specified, due to their IP65 rating. It should come as no surprise that the summer weather in London can be fairly unpredictable, therefore the fixtures had to be able to endure whatever the outdoors might offer.

The fact that the SGM products are LED based also proved to be a huge advantage. Phil comments: “The power supply at The Scoop is severely limited, so the low power consumption of these units - particularly on standby - was really useful. The P-5s were used as a backlight colour wash - providing a great range of colour and atmosphere for the theatre season”. 

 “The LED units and moving heads delivered colour and a series of effects which complimented the stage design and action of the plays, with an additional dimension added by the uplighters. The P-5s delivered both a real depth of colour and great blending for slow fades, transitions and unusual hues, whilst the G-Spots were super bright and ran virtually silent thanks to a series of fan mode settings”.

“Both types of fixture worked really well. They were very bright, energy efficient and proved extremely reliable throughout the run - something which the entire team were very grateful for”, concludes Phil.

White Light is also very pleased with their SGM rental fleet, with the products they stock matching the market requirements. Craig adds: “We find ourselves working on more and more unique events, and the summer is an obvious time for several of these to take place outdoors. The range of kit we now have means we can help lighting designers such as Phil get the most out of their projects – something which is extremely exciting for us as a company”.

London’s Free Open Air Theatre Season was once again a great success. Growing each year, it continues to make the world of theatre available to all, inviting a whole new generation to become engaged with the arts.

Photo credit: Shelia Burnett and Diana Jarvis