The refurbishment of the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham features a new front of house lighting scheme controlled by Helvar 458 Series products.
Designed by award winning, London based lighting designer, Light + Design Associates, the scheme ensures the theatre management can set appropriate light levels and scenes to fit in with the variety of events taking place at the venue.
The Everyman was built in 1895 and designed by Frank Matcham, the famous theatrical architect. The £3m refurbishment project included a renovation of the main auditorium and complete remodelling of the front of house (FOH) areas. For the FOH areas, the main requirement was for 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 FOH lights was needed to allow all lights to be switched off from one position when the building is vacated at night.
Project lighting designer, Jim Morse at L+DA specified the Helvar 458 system for its combination of user friendly operation and installation benefits. He said: “We’ve used Helvar lighting control systems for many years and have always been impressed with their simple operation. This made the 458 system ideal for the Everyman where straightforward 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.”
The 458 Series seamlessly integrates with Helvar’s Imagine and DIGIDIM systems. Its unique modularity, and interoperability with common lighting loads and protocols, makes it the perfect architectural lighting control solution. The 458 Series benefits from the company’s renowned build-quality and reliability which sets it apart from comparative products in the marketplace. The 458 also offers a wide choice of user interfaces, including Helvar push-button panels, sliders, LCD touchpanels or third party equipment.