70 APRIL 2020 • WWW.LSIONLINE.COM
THEATRE
future versions, and there are certainly
plans afoot - but I don’t think I am
allowed to say where or when just yet!”LIGHTING AND VISUALS
Sharing the roof and truss space with
the audio hardware is, of course, the
MM!TP lighting rig, courtesy of Patrick
Woodroffe. As there is no stage-left and
-right at this venue, the design relies on
north, south, east and west to delineate
the rig. The centre of the taverna boasts
a circular water fountain, a natural focal
point for much of the evening’s show. To
the east is a slightly smaller circular truss
that sits above the most densely-tabled
dining area. The reason becomes very
clear as the show moves up a gear or two
and tables are magically transformed
into staging for both the cast and then
members of the audience. East of that
area is what can be described as the
central performance area - when the cast
are not intermingling with the audience
around and about the fountain.As with the challenges faced by audio,
the lighting design has to accommodatea variety of scenic looks: static lighting
to create the ambience of a summer
evening in a Greek taverna for the dining
audience; flexible looks that can follow
the cast and players wherever they
choose to roam; atmospheric lighting for
some of the more theatrical and fantasy
moments in the narrative (including the
almost inevitable sequence that involves
water, the fountain and suspended
acrobatics); a full-on ‘70s ABBA stage
show with all the trimmings and pretty
much everything in-between.It is immediately clear that Woodroffe
was acutely aware of the differentiation
required to give MM!TP the variety of
looks required. He explains: “The show
is very similar to Stockholm in terms of
the story, the songs and indeed the set
design. Our main concern after seeing
the Stockholm show was to try to hide
as much of the technology as possible,
both in the lighting fixtures themselves
and the rigging associated with them. Set
designer Bengt Fröderberg used a lot of
foliage and trees to mask this equipment,
and that meant the fantasy of being ina Greek taverna became much more real
for the audience - which is a primary
objective for the production to work.”The task of staying true to the style of
the Stockholm set, yet simultaneously
giving the London show a fresh look
and feel, was aided by the support
from production. “The creative team of
designers, directors and producers were
involved as a group in every aspect of the
show. For Björn Ulvaues, not only one
of the producers but as one of the two
music-writing members of ABBA, this
was a special project for him and we very
much involved him in our process.”The fixture choices in the design clearly
signpost the breadth of scope in the
rig. GLP impression S350s dominate as
the moving head LED luminaire on all
four of the straight trusses, the extra
truss above the performance area and
the circular truss, while Claypaky Axcor
Wash 300s are rigged on the second
circular truss and join the S350s on the
little performance truss. A signpost to
where the full-on end of the night party
takes place is given away by the addition
of several Ayrton’s ‘Magic Balls’, the
CosmoPix-R: a new LED fixture based
on the concept of the double-rotational
spheres that used PAR36s back in the
1980s - perfect for that ABBA-esque look.To address the issue of tracking cast and
players that mingle with the audience,
Woodroffe is using the Zactrack system.
“As with any piece of musical theatrical
production, MM!TP is run as a cued and
programmed show, courtesy of Chris
Hirst. The Zactrack system allows us to
pick out the performers very accurately
and so light the show itself with real
subtlety. Without this system, the only
option is to light the piece much more
generally to make sure the actors canPhoto: Luke DysonPhoto: Luke Dyson