International News

MANCHESTER, U.K. — An opening screen for entrances and exits and lots of video-driven LED elements played a big role in Simon Kimmell’s over-the-top set design for Peter Kay’s talent show spoof, Britain’s Got The Pop Factor … And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice.

YORK, U.K. —E/T/C London lit the Yorkshire Museum and ruins of the 10th century Benedectine Abbey of St. Mary’s with video, film and still images for the fourth-annual “Illuminating York” event. The 10-day sound and light show, called Accendo, celebrated the illumination achieved by both religion and science.

BLACKPOOL, U.K. — A remembrance show involving video, photos and graphics projected onto the Cenotaph War Memorial has proven popular enough to be extended by three weeks. The tribute to war victims was conceived by Carl Carrington, a member of the Blackpool City Council, and carried out by Blackpool Illuminations using three Robe DigitalSpot 3000DTs.

TAVULLIA, Italy — SGM appointed Marco Galli as area manager for markets beyond Italy. Galli, 38, has 10 years experience as a marketing and business development manager for a major European distributor. He also has a university degree in socio-classical studies.

LONDON — Steam locomotives from the Victorian era weren’t designed to run very well in reverse, so railroads would have turntables at the end of the line. One of these old train-turning sheds, now called the Roundhouse, has itself reversed course, serving as a theatrical and music venue since the late 1960s.

CARACAS, Venezuela — After a U.S. and European tour, The Invisible Friends made a homecoming televised appearance before a live crowd of 6,000, lit by LD Luis Plaza. Plaza’s company, Island Professional Illumination Company, also supplied the lighting gear for the show, including more than 50 moving lights from Robe.

VERONA, Italy — Before taking her Mechanical Dream show from her native Italy to the U.S. and Canada, Elisa performed the show before 20,000 fans at the Arena di Verona, and show designer Mamo Pozzoli used 32 PixelLine 1044s to frame the large, multi-level set, hanging the 1044s side by side in groups of two.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Installers didn’t need squeegees or paste to decorate the studio for Lebanon’s Future TV. Like several other TV studios around the world, the studio has been equipped with Martin’s EvenLED panels to create a dynamic wallpaper effect. Ali Wazani, architect/designer, used a modular system where two vertical columns of five EvenLED panels rise around a video wall.

VIENNA, Austria — An 85-square-meter screen is part of Baz Halpin’s signature look for the Queen + Paul Rodgers The Cosmos Rocks tour, but so is the way the screen and the set move about. That’s accomplished with a 48-way Kinesys automation system with Vector control, operated by Barry Branford. In all, the show has about 30 automation cues.

NYMPSFIELD, U.K. — Lighting designer Andy Webb of Tigz Productions recently lit a production of Goth at Woodchester Mansion, an unfinished Gothic revival structure created by William Leigh but abandoned by its builders in 1870 and now only occupied, according to local legend, by ghosts.

LONDON — With 59 sold out dates and a total audience estimated at 400,000, the Lee Evans Big Tour is measuring up to be the U.K.’s largest comedy tour of 2008, and the laughter from way back in the balcony can be credited at least in part to a very large LED screen.

LEEDS, U.K. — The big Gothic building which opened as the Coliseum in 1885 by England’s Prince Albert has since housed circuses, bingo games and TV studios. Known since 1992 as The Town and Country Club and as Creation Nightclub, the venue re-opened once again as a 2,300-seat concert venue called The Academy, featuring new moving lights, LEDs and an Avolites control system.