LONDON – Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, known for his character Achmed The Dead Terrorist (and the catchphrase, "Siiilence,… I KEEL you!"), received support from Adlib Lighting and Sound. Dunham has been dubbed as "America's favorite comedian" by Time Magazine, and was the top-grossing standup act in North America for the past two years, according Pollstar.
Adlib's Ian Tomlinson designed the rig around the basic spec that was sent over from the U.S., and Andy Rowe went out and operated on the road.
Since the shows were all about Dunham and his puppets, the lighting requirements were simple, yet precise. It was essential to ensure that Dunham's I-Mag image appeared clearly all the time on the onstage screen with no distractions. The philosophy was similar to that of lighting a TV show.
It ended up being a three-truss rig. On the front were 10 ETC Source Four profiles with 19 degree lenses and 10 Martin Professional MAC 700 Washes. The mid truss had eight MAC 700 profiles and a front projection screen that was flanked by 2 black legs. On the back truss was a full black drape backdrop.
The backdrop was highlighted with nine PixelPAR 90s, sitting on the floor and skimming up the cloth.
Rowe ran everything from a Road Hog console, and was joined by technician Mike Summerfield on the tour and Alan Harrison at the O2, where they flew an extra truss to accommodate a larger screen.
Adlib also supplied two Lycian follow spots. The video elements were supplied by XL Video. Other recent comedy tours and shows supported by Adlib include Frankie Boyle, Jimmy Carr, Lee Mack, Dave Gorman and Russell Howard.
For more information, please visit www.adlibsolutions.co.uk .
