Theatre LED Lighting Rig

Rigging for Events: Part 4

Today, I'll be extending my "accidental" Rigging for Events series—though at this point, it's less of an accident and more of a saga. For those eager to backtrack through this thrilling journey, my previous posts await your perusal right over here!

Today's adventure takes me into the dazzling world of LED lighting, right in the heart of where I feel utterly at home—the theatre. There's something about theatres that casts a spell on me, whether I'm soaking in the spectacle as an audience member or weaving the enchantment backstage. It's like stepping into a realm where every light bulb has a secret and every spotlight holds a story.

It's worth mentioning that this post is my third take. Initially, I was all-in for the ETC range of fixtures, but a deep dive into research had me cosying up to Robe. However, just as I was dotting the i's and crossing the t's on my Rig Renders, Ross's article on the Nairn Little Theatre's lighting makeover shone a light on some wallet-friendly alternatives that caught my eye.

I might circle back to the ETC and Robe fixtures down the road, but after diving into the specs Ross laid out and giving his advice a good listen, I'm leaning towards this path for those of us keeping an eye on the purse strings. Hats off to you once more, Ross.

The Theory of (Lighting) Everything

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of theatre fixtures, let's take a moment to shine a light on my Theory of (Lighting) Everything. It's time to illuminate our minds with a refresher on the most common fixtures that grace the stages of theatres. From the dramatic spotlights that follow the divas to the strobes that give us that disco fever, let's explore the luminaries that make every theatre production a bright idea.

Fresnel

Fresnels are the superstars of stage lighting, often taking centre stage in the world of illumination. They're the go-to fixtures for painting the stage with light, and if you ask me, having a duo or—even better—a trio of these luminous wonders for each section of the stage is the secret recipe for a visually stunning performance.

Upstage Right	Upstage	Upstage Left
Stage Right	Center Stage	Stage Left
Downstage Right	Downstage	Downstage Left

When it comes to traditional halogen bulb fixtures, the numbers can skyrocket faster than a cat chasing a laser pointer. You've got your base wash, typically the L103 Straw, which is like the vanilla ice cream of lighting. Then, you pile on more washes than a toddler's paint set for each colour your show decides to throw into the mix.

But here's a clever trick: just add three more washes to your lighting sundae—L116 Medium Blue-Green (the cyan that thinks it's too cool for school), L113 Magenta (the diva of the spectrum), and L101 Yellow (sunshine in a gel). Mix 'em up like a DJ with his tracks, and voilà, you've got the perfect hue for your scene's mood.

Ever pondered the mystery of assigning two or three lights per stage area? It's all about that dramatic flair! The dynamic duo of lights on opposite ends creates that oh-so-important cross-lighting, ensuring our star doesn't end up looking flat like a pancake. And that third wheel? It's the secret sauce for that behind-the-scenes glow, giving our performer's hair that heavenly halo effect so they pop out rather than blend into the background.

Profile

Profiles are the divas of stage lighting, always ready to steal the show with a dramatic entrance or a fancy gobo pattern dance. They're armed with internal shutters, so you can shape the light just like you're sculpting a masterpiece.

Let's not forget the focus and zoom lenses—they're like the magic wands of lighting, turning your spotlight from a laser-sharp beam to something as soft and indistinct as the latest EastEnders storyline. For an encore, throw in an extra profile or two to ensure that particular spot is as evenly lit as a British summer day (you know, that brief time just before it rains).

Profiles are also the unsung heroes of stage lighting from the Front-of-House (FOH). They can cast their beams across vast distances, which is quite handy when you'd rather not have bulky lighting fixtures dangling precariously directly in your audience's line of sight. It's all about keeping the drama on the stage, not in the seating area!

Wash

Wash lights do exactly what their name suggests—dousing the scene in a deluge of light. Without the nifty addition of barn doors, you're pretty much at the mercy of the beam's wild whims. But slap on those doors, and voila! You're the beam's master. These luminous wonders are perfect for illuminating vast expanses, like a cyclorama (cyc) lounging at the stage's rear, or for some dramatic uplighting when placed at the stage's edge. It's like giving the stage a nice, warm bath of light.

Parcan

The Parcan, akin to a floodlight's less disciplined cousin, bathes an area in light with its distinct oval-shaped beam. Fancy a change in scenery? Just give the bulb a physical twist in its housing to rotate the orientation of the beam. They are perfect for splashing vibrant colour across a space or conjuring up beams of light that cut through smoke or haze like a lightsaber through butter!

If you take a trip down memory lane and watch some vintage concerts, you'll be dazzled by the on-stage spectacles crafted entirely from parcans. They're not just lights; they're the rock stars' trusty sidekicks, basking in the glory of the performance. For a blast from the past, feast your eyes on Queen's Live at Wembley—it's a shining example of parcan artistry in action!

The Venue

I've whipped up a cozy little theatre space in Blender, a sort of Frankenstein's monster of various theatres I've tinkered with over the years. It's on the petite side, but then again, I've always had a soft spot for snug venues where you can practically feel the actor's breath—it's like being wrapped in a warm, dramatic blanket. Maybe it's just my preference, but I believe the smaller the stage, the bigger the impact.

Imagine a space tailored to the scale of The Spa Theatre in Bridlington:

• Stage: 16 metres wide by 12 metres deep.
• Proscenium Arch: 8 metres wide by 4 metres high.
• Fly Tower: Soaring at a majestic 12.5 metres (where stagehands might feel like Jack on his beanstalk).
• Auditorium: 18 metres wide.
• Stalls: Stretching back 15 metres, escaping the balcony that looms overhead to bring the total room depth to 25 metres.
• Ceiling Height: A towering 15 metres high.

Layout Concepts

Alright, let's dive into the kaleidoscope of colours that is my venue design plan:

• Green: Represents the venue infrastructure itself—walls, floors, architectural boundaries.
• Pink Line: The showbiz equivalent of a red carpet, marking where the cyc, star cloth, or video wall will glam up the back of the stage.
• Red Lines: The veins of the stage—lifelines for set pieces or backdrops to hang from during the show (and those thick red lines are the masking legs/borders, hiding the lighting and stage wings).
• Blue Bits: The trusty hanging points and trusses for our fixtures.

Now, brace yourself for the front-of-house rig—it's a bit like a Russian nesting doll with two square trusses nestled inside each other. This brainwave hit me while reminiscing about one of my first gigs at a refurbished theatre. They had a similar setup, and though it initially had me scratching my head, I soon realized its genius. It's not just about having a few hanging positions parallel to the stage; it's the perpendicular bars that are the real game-changers, especially when you're playing hide-and-seek with projector hanging points. Plus, they're a ticket to a dazzling audience lighting array, making every spectator feel like they've stepped into the spotlight.

And don't get me started on the truss at the back of the auditorium, just shy of the ceiling. It's a must-have for that front-of-house wash, ensuring that performers don't look like they're part of a shadow puppet play for the balcony crowd.

But wait, there's more! These hanging points are ready to pull a Houdini with special effects. I'm itching to channel my inner Rammstein and bring out the big guns with a crossbow rocket effect.

To top it off, every hanging point is hitched to a motorized winch, making maintenance a breeze and letting us play musical chairs with the lights during the show. Who said rigging couldn't be fun?

The Fixtures

Now that we've got the lowdown on the types of fixtures and the venue, it's showtime for choosing our actual gear.

Cue the drumroll, because every single one of our lighting stars will be LED and DMX-controllable. That's right, no more massive central dimmer racks, which means the theatre's infrastructure wiring can take a breather.

Instead of laying down a golden path of thick, pricey DMX cables everywhere, we're going to get tech-savvy. Imagine ethernet cables strutting out of the lighting desk and waltzing into DMX Nodes located locally at each hanging position, utilizing the Art-Net protocol to distribute data.

For power, it flows from a distribution fuse box into Socapex sockets, then leaps onto an internally wired bar (IWB) on each truss with the grace of a Socopex cable. With six circuits in each multicore cable, it's like having a power party at every hanging position. And since LED fixtures are drastically more power-efficient than their older, hungrier incandescent relatives, we can easily daisy-chain them. In the UK, we're talking a hefty 3.68kW available per circuit.

For the core ensemble, I've handpicked a medley of fixtures from the eLumen8 Virtuoso range—the budget-friendly maestros of LED fixtures from ProLight's professional lineup. Opting for a uniform brand for all main fixtures using identical light engines guarantees a consistent colour spectrum across the board. This means you can bid farewell to the tedious task of tweaking custom RGB settings on individual fixtures to achieve a matched white balance. Plus, with a Colour Rendering Index (CRI) of 90 or higher, these fixtures look stunning on camera and skin tones alike.

As Ross McKillop eloquently put it in his write-up:

"These provide a good quality, high CRI, light that works well on skin tones and performers look natural as they would under incandescent lamps (not 'lifeless' as some of the budget LED products I've used in the past have!)"

I couldn't have said it better myself, and I'm not about to take a bow for words that aren't mine! Let's break down the selections:

Fresnels: eLumen8 Virtuoso 2000 Fresnel

• Light Source: 220W five-colour COB LED spotlight.
• Beam Angle: Adjustable from a sharp 15° spotlight to a broad 45° floodlight.
• Performance: High CRI (>90) with an adjustable colour temperature ranging from a warm 2,700K to a cool 8,000K.
• Control: Refresh rate selectable from 1.2kHz up to a flicker-free 25kHz (perfect for video). Smooth 0–100% dimming (8 or 16-bit) across four selectable dimming curves (Linear, Square Law, Inverse Square Law, and S-Curve). Includes RDM functionality.
• Connections: powerCON in/out, 3-Pin & 5-Pin XLR data connections.
• Cost: Found online via suppliers like 10 Out of 10 for £732 (inc. VAT). Adding the essential matching barn doors (£45 inc. VAT) brings the grand total to £777 per fixture.

Profiles: eLumen8 Virtuoso 1000 Profile

• Light Source: 250W five-colour LED Array (RGBAL).
• Beam Angle: Ranges from 5° to 50° depending on the selected lens barrel (fully compatible with industry-standard Source 4 optics if upgrading an old rig).
• Performance: Seamless colour temperature adjustments from 2,700K to 8,000K, internal framing shutters, and crisp gobo projection.
• Cost: The base engine is a steal at £750 inc. VAT. Zoom lenses (15-30° or 25-50°) run for £366, while fixed lenses (19°, 26°, 36°, or 50°) can be snagged for £162 a pop. Optional Gobo holders (£8.40) and Iris units (£48) complete the setup.

Cyclorama & Footlights: eLumen8 Virtuoso 700 CYC IP HEX

• Light Source: 180W six-colour LED (RGBALC) producing an ultra-wide 70° wash.
• Features: IP65-rated rugged exterior casing, an integrated 'eyebrow' for precise beam shaping, 48 preset colour macros, and a silent convection cooling system.
• Cost: £612 inc. VAT via 10 Out of 10.

Floodlights: eLumen8 CYC600 Cyclorama Wash

• Light Source: 150W quad-colour (RGBW) COB LED.
• Features: Exceptionally wide field angle, 16-bit dimming, integrated eight-leaf barn doors with a built-in gel frame, and full RDM support.
• Cost: £498 inc. VAT.

Moving Heads: Chauvet Professional Maverick Force S Profile

Moving head fixtures are the life of the party in any theatre rig, bringing dynamic twirls and custom textures to the stage. Keeping an eye on the budget, I've opted for a solo act in my moving lights department: the Maverick Force S Profile. Why go for multiple niche spot/beam/wash fixtures when one lightweight rockstar can handle it all?

• Light Source: Lightweight but punchy 350W LED engine.
• Features: Fully featured CMY colour mixing system, a fast colour wheel, precise internal framing shutters, zoom optics (4.5° to 41.6°), an iris, a 5-facet prism, frost filter, and two independent gobo wheels (one rotating, one static).
• Protocols: Reads everything you throw at it: DMX, WDMX, sACN, Art-Net, and RDM.
• Cost: £5,676 inc. VAT per unit.

The Rig Design

With the theory, venue, and fixtures all sorted, it's time to get creative and map out our layout across the spaces.

Front of House (FOH)

We'll kick things off at the very back of the auditorium on LX1, hoisting the truss up flush with the ceiling. Here, we mount six Virtuoso 1000 Profiles equipped with 15-30° zoom lenses. This gives us clean, primary key-light coverage across both the downstage and centre stage performance areas.

Moving forward to the square trusses:

• LX2 (Outer Square): Mounts four Maverick Force S Profiles taking centre stage for automated texture effects and spotlight tracking, flanked by four Virtuoso Profiles (split two-by-two) targeting downstage left and right.
• LX3 (Inner Square): Holds another four Virtuoso Profiles pointing directly inward to bathe Center Stage in crisp illumination. All eight of these square-rigged profiles utilize versatile 25-50° zoom lenses to maximize flexibility.

The Stage

Moving past the proscenium arch and over the stage:

• LX10 & LX12: Simple, robust wash bars. Each features a trio of Virtuoso 2000 Fresnels. The centre fixture shoots straight downstage/upstage along the centerline, while the outer two cross-focus to the opposite sides of the stage floor. This cross-lighting technique keeps performers looking three-dimensional.
• LX11 & LX13: The twin titans of moving air effects. These copy the base Fresnel layouts of LX10/12 but pack a massive punch by adding six Maverick Force S Profiles per bar (arranged symmetrically with three on each side of the central Fresnel). I love using odd-numbered fixture configurations; they look beautifully balanced on a rig line. The Fresnels on LX13 are flipped around to point downstage, filling gaps seamlessly.
• LX14: Positioned right in front of the back wall. This bar hangs a baker's dozen (13 fixtures) of the Virtuoso 700 CYC units. This creates a completely seamless, uniform wall of colour from edge to edge across the cyclorama drop.

Ground Package

To round out the design, we bring some fixtures down to earth. I'm doubling up on the cyclorama coverage by placing a secondary line of footlights right at the downstage edge. It's an excellent way to soften chin shadows or inject eerie, vintage low-angle theatrical mood lighting.

Finally, we erect matching vertical boom trusses at the stage wings. Each side tower mounts five Virtuoso 2000 Fresnels firing directly across the deck. Side-lighting is the ultimate secret weapon for dance, ballet, and live music—it sculpts the performers' bodies perfectly out of the background and truly makes the production pop.

Cost Analysis

Ah, the moment of truth in rig design—the dreaded budget spreadsheet! Note that this covers the pure fixture costs alone; it doesn't account for underlying infrastructure elements like network switches, data/power cabling, clamps, or safety bonds.

Product	Cost (ea.)	Qty	Total
eLumen8 Virtuoso 1000 Profile	£750.00	14	£10,500.00
eLumen8 Virtuoso 1000 Profile 15-30° Zoom Lens	£366.00	6	£2,196.00
eLumen8 Virtuoso 1000 Profile 25-50° Zoom Lens	£366.00	8	£2,928.00
eLumen8 Virtuoso 1000 Profile Gobo Holder	£8.40	14	£117.60
eLumen8 Virtuoso 1000 Profile Iris Diaphragm	£48.00	14	£672.00
eLumen8 Virtuoso 2000 Fresnel	£732.00	62	£45,384.00
eLumen8 Virtuoso 2000 Barndoors	£45.00	62	£2,790.00
eLumen8 Virtuoso 700 CYC IP HEX	£612.00	13	£7,956.00
Chauvet Professional Maverick Force S Profile	£5,676.00	16	£90,816.00
Total			£163,359.60

£163,359.60 might sound like you're funding a small moon landing mission, but for building a modern, highly capable venue infrastructure from the ground up, it's actually not too bad!

If you wanted to trim the fat and drop the bill down significantly, you could look at reducing the count on those premium Maverick moving heads. Removing all 16 automated fixtures entirely drops the core rig down to a much more palatable £72,543.60 for an incredibly solid base setup. You could experiment with cheaper moving heads that lack LED colour mixing engines, but honestly, you'd likely end up paying for that choice later down the line with higher power draws and maintenance costs.

I'm all ears for your thoughts! If you had the keys to renovate a mid-sized local theatre space, what changes would you make? Would you completely rearrange the positions? Ditch the automated fixtures entirely for a massive army of fixed optics? Or swap the brands out entirely? Let me know your creative ideas in the comments section below or on the social feeds!