FROM TUNGSTEN TO LED
Changing from traditional to LED lights follows an industry-wide shift following changes in manufacturing regulations.
“Due to EU regulations, the traditional Tungsten and Discharge sources (lights-CUT) are gradually being phased out, some quicker than others so they’re getting prohibitively expensive to replace when they fail and their relative fragility has always made that a risk,” says Kevin.
“The new LED lights have a much longer life and are generally more reliable. For example, a Tungsten lamp needs to be replaced every 350-400 hours, whereas an LED lasts between 40-50,000 hours, so this investment will have a long term return for us.”
Kevin, who has previously overseen a similar scale refit at the English National Opera - of the dimmers and control systems - also highlights the benefits for lighting designers and technicians in the future:
“Having this new rig will allow creative teams a much wider array of lighting states to play with, to allow us to continue making world-class theatre and creatively ambitious productions for our audiences.