The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham is currently undergoing a refurbishment that includes a new ‘front of house’ lighting scheme controlled by Helvar’s 458 Series that enables theatre management to set appropriate light levels and scenes to fit in with the variety of events taking place at the venue.
The £3m refurbishment project included a renovation of the main auditorium and complete remodelling of the front of house areas, which required a simple and cost effective control system that could switch between low energy daytime settings and more elaborate lighting during public and performance times. Alongside this, centralised control of all front of house lights was needed to allow all light to be switched off from one position when the building is vacated at night.
Project lighting designer Jim Morse, from Light +Design Associates, specified the Helvar 458 system for its combination of user friendly operation and installation benefits. “We’ve used Helvar lighting control systems for many years and have always been impressed with their simple operation,” said Morse. “This made the 458 system ideal for the Everyman where straight forward operation of a complex system is paramount. Alongside that, the advantage of being able to separate the chassis and wiring connections (from the dimmers and relays) for the first fix installation ensures the delicate electronic equipment can be safely stored until it is installed and commissioned.”
