Although still
only in the initial phase for Fredericia Theatre’s production of Disney’s The
Little Mermaid – The Musical, production designers Anders D. Jensen and Jens
Frausing already had their eyes on SGM’s LB-100 LED Balls. Lighting designer
Christian Vigsø had introduced them to the IP65-rated RGB pixel strings at one
of his designs for the Kolding Light Festival — set in a much different outdoor
environment. The production team was keen to use them in their attempt to
reinvigorate theatre scenography, and once implemented, the result has lived up
to all their expectations.
648 LB-100 – each measuring 0.85m and
containing seven RGB semi-transparent LED balls – are driven by 18 SGM TLD-612
A, run by a Hippotizer Rackoon and suspended from the roof as a curtain wall in
different lengths with a maximum of 6 meters. Decorated with small pieces of
cloth, the strings resemble seaweed for the show’s Under the Sea scenes. “We chose the LED Balls for this act of the
show to bring life into the seaweed elements. And as the act evolves, we are
able to animate them and broaden the colour spectrum from green shades to
multiple colours, making them transfer into a show light. Normal LED strips
would not be able to create the same effect for us,” Frausing
explains.
Another 216 LB-100 have creatively been
built into a volcano setting for the villainous character Ursula, where they
pulse underneath a linen simulating a flow of lava. “It was awesome to have a product that we were able to animate to
provide this pulsating effect while at the same time changing colours,”
says Frausing.
As these balls, with a 360° viewing angle,
form part of the decorative effect lighting, the task was in the hands of the
production designers rather than the lighting designers. Anders D. Jensen
explains: “The stage setup is
constructed around massive LED screens, and the use of LED Balls makes it
possible for us to blur the transition from graphical to physical elements through animation, bringing life and
depth into this underwater setting.”
The two production designers are always
looking to be inspired by new elements that can be adapted into their settings
to revitalise the art form of theatre and continue to astonish the spectators.
Fortunately, Vigsø Light & Show Design supplied exactly that element with
the SGM LB-100.
The production by Fredericia Theatre has
been extremely well received. It opened by playing one month at The Royal Opera
House in Copenhagen and then to have its revival premiere at Fredericia
Theatre, where its running time has now been prolonged well into the fall.
Already it has been declared the most-watched theatrical performance in Denmark
in 2014, exceeding 90,000 sold tickets.
“We have
received much positive response for our visual efforts; a lot of credit is also
due to this product [the LB-100] that has enabled us to create an unprecedented
space and an environment for this show production,”
Frausing concludes.
