Eight Dimmers, Six Locations, Forty Seconds
A community theatre company is producing a 75-minute play in a 90-seat black-box studio with raked seating on three sides. The plot moves through six locations: a kitchen, a police interview room, a hospital corridor, a beach, a bus stop and a final monologue in a void. The venue has eight dimmer channels, twelve assorted fixtures (six fresnels, four LED PARs, two profile spots), no fly tower, a 4m x 4m grid at 3.5m, and only one accessible ladder. The get-in is four hours, there is one technician, and the budget for set and lighting is €600. Scene changes must happen in 40 seconds in full view of the audience. The company wants a 'cinematic' look with deep shadows and isolated areas. Fire regulations prohibit fixing anything to the raked seating and require a 1.2m emergency exit route to remain clear.
1. Propose a lighting plan that uses the eight channels effectively, balancing the company's desired 'cinematic' look with the practical needs of the six locations.
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With eight channels and twelve fixtures, the plan must prioritise what the audience needs to see over a cinematic look. Deep shadows are possible only if the lit areas are sharply chosen.
A workable channel plan:
- CH1: warm general wash (two fresnels) for kitchen and interview room.
- CH2: cool back wash (two LED PARs) for hospital, beach and void.
- CH3: stage-left profile special (police interview).
- CH4: stage-right profile special (bus stop).
- CH5: centre fresnel special (final monologue).
- CH6: floor or low side LED (beach, shadow texture).
- CH7: practical table lamp or hospital fluorescent effect.
- CH8: blue/void backlight or side light for shadow.
Group fixtures on the same channel where they always change together; do not waste a channel on a single decorative unit. Use the profiles for isolation and the fresnels for face light. The LED PARs can change colour without gels, but check dimming smoothness. Because there is one technician and 40-second changes, keep cues few and repeatable: a 'kitchen' state, 'interview' state, 'corridor' state, 'beach' state, 'void' state. Label the board with the six locations, not with cue numbers alone. Test sightlines from all three sides: a strong side light may blind the audience on one bank.
2. Propose a set and prop solution for six locations and 40-second changes under €600.
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The budget and change time rule out realism. The design should use one modular kit that can be re-configured by the actors in view.
- Two sturdy boxes, one table, four chairs and a clothes rail can make a kitchen, an interview room, a bus stop and a hospital waiting area. Add a reversible cloth or card panel for colour or label changes.
- Use hand props and costume pieces as location signifiers: a kettle and tea towel for the kitchen; a file and lanyard for the interview room; a clipboard for the corridor; a towel and sunglasses for the beach; a timetable for the bus stop. The final void strips everything back to one chair and a bare bulb.
- Choreograph the change as part of the action: actors carry, set and strike on specific lines. Rehearse the 40-second changes with a stopwatch and mark every object's home with a photo on the prop table.
- Keep the 1.2m exit route clear: no boxes stored in the route, glow tape on the floor, cables taped down.
- Spend the €600 in this order: safety tape and cable covers, sturdy boxes, fabric, practicals, then decorative detail. A cheap design that changes cleanly looks more intentional than a realistic set that cannot be struck.
3. Identify the top technical and safety risks of this production and explain how you would mitigate them.
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Top risks are not only 'lights falling down'.
- Ladder work: one accessible ladder and a 3.5m grid. Only a competent person should focus from height; use a second person to foot the ladder, inspect it, and schedule all focusing before the get-in crunch.
- Cable and trip hazards: cables across walkways and the emergency route. Tape or mat all runs, keep the 1.2m route clear, and use cable ramps where the audience walks.
- Sightlines and dark changes: raked seating on three sides means some audience will see backstage areas or prop tables. Use masking or low-level work light; rehearse changes in the actual light states.
- Quick changes in low light: glow tape on prop positions and a torch-free 'home' for each item; no running in the dark.
- Electrical load: eight dimmers and LED fixtures must be distributed within the venue's capacity; do not daisy-chain high-load units. A qualified technician should check the patch.
- Fire: no fixing to raked seating, no flammable fabrics near practicals, and a clear exit route. Include a pre-show announcement and a rehearsal of the emergency evacuation.