LEICESTER, U.K. — Curve Leicester, a theatre designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, has been equipped with new gear including Robert Juliat’s followspots, long-throw profile lanterns and fresnel- and pebble-convex lens spotlights and the Robert Juliat Lutin with interchangeable lenses. Curve Leicester has two auditoriums: a main auditorium with 800 fixed seats and a smaller, more versatile space with 400 seats. Steel walls weighing 32 metric tons separate the stage from the foyer and can be lifted out to make the stage visible from street level. The theatre will host touring productions and also produce its own work.
The open plan foyer is enclosed by a glass façade offering views onto the café, bars and across the stage. The resulting transparency reflects the concept behind the design, which is to make the arts accessible to the public at every level.
“This is, in effect, a theatre turned inside out,” says Graham Lister, Capital and Projects director, “designed with the express intent of celebrating the craft of theatre making. There are times when the public can witness fit-ups as they happen, which wouldn’t normally be possible in a standard theatre.”
A group called the User Consultation Group, headed by production electrician Ian Moulds, programmer/LD Rob Halliday and LD Chris Ellis, long associated with Leicester Haymarket, chose the Robert Juliat instruments and other lighting gear used in the Curve Leicester.
With variable configurations of performing space, it was important that lighting equipment perform as it gets moved around the building and put to a variety of uses. Chris Flux, technical manager of lighting, and his crew operate the equipment.
The final installation for the main auditorium includes 20 Robert Juliat 710SX2 10/25° 2.5K profiles, 40 Robert Juliat 329HPB 2.5K pebble-convex and 10 RJ 329HF 2.5K fresnels, each with rotating barn doors with Robert Juliat’s individually rotating leaves. The followspots include three Robert Juliat Aramis 4.5° – 8° 2.5K HMI followspots and two Robert Juliat 1200W HMI Super Korrigan 7° – 14° followspots, each with DMX dimming control.
A total of nine Robert Juliat Jalousie digital dimming shutters are used for mechanically dimming the 4K HMI discharge units and custom beam-light followspots used in the main auditorium.
For the foyer and the smaller auditorium, there are 70 Robert Juliat Lutins 1K spotlights, with 30 fresnel and 40 pebble-convex interchangeable lenses allowing for flexibility.
All Robert Juliat equipment was supplied the company’s U.K. dealer, White Light.
“It was not a particularly difficult choice,” said Moulds. “When it comes to large profiles, all roads lead to Robert Juliat. As for the followspots, we chose the workhorse Aramis and Super Korrigan units after their years of proven use in the touring field. I wouldn’t go for any other followspot at this range.”
For more information, please visit www.robertjuliat.com.
