International News

DUBAI, UAE – Al Laith Event Services constructed three massive mobile scenic horses' heads, which were an integral part of the closing parade of the 2011 Dubai World Cup horseracing event at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai. Working for the show's producers and designers M-IS, Al Laith was commissioned to engineer and develop the superstructures and movement systems for the 3 heads. Each measured 20 metres high, 19 metres long and were 3 metres wide.

LONDON – Philips Entertainment Lighting promoted Amber Tomlin to the position of key account manager for the U.K. For the past five years Tomlin has been the company's demonstration and training manager for Philips Strand Lighting's range of Palette consoles.

FE Belimlight recently rigged the huge Minsk Arena (home rink of ice hockey stars HC Dinamo) with moving heads from PR Lighting to enable an audience of 12,000 people to experience the full dynamic of Swedish pop music duo Roxette. The atmosphere produced by a combination of 38 powerful XL1500 Wash and 46 XL1500 Spot lights were further enhanced by audience blinders and haze machines. All lighting was under the control of a Wholehog III desk.

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – One of South Africa's biggest stage equipment distributors is supporting the lighting designers of the future by donating a Philips Strand Lighting 200 Plus lighting console to a local lighting school. DWR Distribution, which has been the exclusive South African distributor for Philips Entertainment brands Selecon and Strand Lighting since December 2010, made the generous gift to the Moonbox Theatre – a 40-seater venue and lighting laboratory at the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria.

LISBON, Portugal – Working once again with designer Mark Fisher's studio, Stufish, Brilliant Stages has supplied three inflatable puppets and a circular projection screen for Roger Waters The Wall Live tour. The company provided both the puppets and automation representing the Teacher, the Wife and the Mother for the tour. Each is over 9 meters tall, and equipped with inflatable skins from Air Artists.

LONDON – Three Phantoms brings popular West End and Broadway musicals such as Phantom of the Opera to U.K. musical theatre fans, and Complete Production Solutions (CPS) has included PR Lighting fixtures in the rig for the shows, which are being performed in venues seating between 1,000 and 2,000 people.

FRANKFURT, Germany – Clay Paky brought a variety of products to Prolight+Sound, including its compact Sharpy fixture, with nearly 60,000 lx at 20 meters; the Sharpy Chrome; the Alpha Profile 700, which features a framing system; the Shotlight Wash, which features Xenon strobing; the Mirage QC, featuring a cable-free quick-connect system and IP65 rating for outdoor use; the Dyna-Cue-Creator, a new tool for quick fixture adjustments; and Roxter Case flight cases.

SAN FRANCISCO – Wohler Technologies launched a European version of Wohler Mobile, a showcase-on-wheels for the company's new audio, video, data monitoring, and captioning solutions. The European vehicle, a stretch, high-roof van, showcases how Wohler products can help with networks and outside broadcast (OB) workflows.

LONDON – HSL supplied lighting equipment and crew for Alexandra Burke's UK tour for Production North, All Night Long. It was Burke's first solo headline tour, and Phil Wiffin provided the lighting design, working with Helena Spencer's video content, Sisco Gomez' choreography and Burke's energetic performance.