Crompton Lamps Takes Centre Stage at RADA
Crompton's coloured golf ball lamps have recently been treading the boards at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
They have been used to great effect in the Academy's latest production of Assassins by Stephen Sondheim, directed with Nona Shepphard and with lighting design by Matt Leventhall. Recognised by RADA's technical lighting team as perfect for the production, the lamps have been used on set in vintage festoon and signage illumination.
Assassins is a darkly comic revue-style portrayal of all of the men and women who have attempted – successfully and unsuccessfully – to assassinate various presidents of the United States. The show opened at the Donmar Warehouse in 1992, and subsequently won five Tony Awards after opening on Broadway in 2004.
The scene in which Crompton's white golf ball lamps were used is based around a run-down Coney Island style fairground, with the lamps on the centre piece of the set highlighting the 'shooting gallery' designed by Judith Croft. The company's multi-coloured golf ball lamps were also used for the colourful festoon lighting all over the set. The design incorporated a large overhead string that was on constantly, chasing red, white and blue lamps, all controlled and dimmed by the theatre's main lighting console.
RADA was already familiar with Crompton's golf ball lamps as they were chosen for a previous Son et Lumiere production, using 45 coloured lamps suspended in mid-air on individual pendants with pixel mapped effects across them. Dan Bywater, Assistant Head of Production Lighting at RADA, commented "We have used Crompton lamps on a number of occasions, and have found that Crompton is always consistent with the quality of its products. The lamps are also extremely reliable, which is essential when they are a key production design element".
To recreate the coloured festoon effect, Crompton Lamps have a range of coloured LED filament harlequin lamps with a selection of vibrant translucent colour finishes. The LED lamps have a low energy rating of 4W and can be used outdoors in a suitable IP65 rated festoon fitting.