Rob has just finished lighting the Royal Academy of Music's summer musicals, this year Working, directed by Kimberley Sykes, and Sweet Smell of Success, directed by Hannah Chissick.
Rob has been a regular at the Academy over the last nineteen years, lighting a remarkable range of shows including A Catered Affair, A Little Night Music, A... My Name Is Alice, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, City of Angels, Into The Woods, Jane Eyre, Oh What A Lovely War, Promises Promises, Sweeney Todd, Sweet Charity, Tommy and others.
However, this year was the opening year of the Academy's new Susie Sainsbury Theatre, built in the same space as the previous theatre and connected to the same (though enlarged) stage - giving the somewhat unusual experience of sitting in a completely new auditorium looking at a very familiar stage (and, in particular, a very familiar, very distinctive theatre back wall!).
Designer Basia Binkowksa took full advantage of the opportunities offered by the expanded stage, however, and the lighting made use of the latest technology purchased as part of the refurbishment, including ETC's Lustr2 LED spotlights and Martin's Mac Encore LED moving lights.
Rob was supported by RAM's fantastic technical team of Michal 'Skip' Francis and Anthony Hannah, by the technical students from Rose Bruford (particularly production electricians Liam Rudd and Stephen 'Legs' Carter and programmers Jonny Myers and Josh Musgrave), and was delighted to be working once again alongside sound designer Mike Walker and his team, and with RAM's Musical Theatre Company Manager Katie Blumenblatt, Events Manager Gilly Schofield, and of course by the Head of Musical Theatre Daniel Bowling.
It was a pleasure to be back, and to be involved in two such fantastic productions.
Working
Royal Academy of Music, 2018
Director: Kimblerley Sykes
Choreographer: Aline David
Designer: Basia Binkowska