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A.C. Special Projects delivers technical upgrade for King Alfred Phoenix Theatre

A.C. Special Projects (ACSP) has completed a comprehensive technical upgrade at King Alfred Phoenix Theatre, located at the King Alfred School in London. The theatre serves as a performance hub for drama, music, dance, and community events. It hosts a wide range of theatre performances, educational and public productions that need adaptable and professional-level AV and lighting systems.

The ACSP team worked with the venue’s Technical Manager, Matt Cargill, to install new lighting, audio-visual, projection and communications systems to upgrade the venue’s existing set up. Commissioned to deliver a turnkey solution, ACSP managed the design, supply, installation, programming, and handover of all systems.

The project brief covered: a new dimming and switched-power architecture; a complete LED house lighting and stage lighting rig; a projection and video distribution system; a multi-zone audio show relay and paging solution; show relay video to remote areas; replacement of theatre masking drapes and tab tracks; and a full testing, commissioning and technical documentation package.

All lighting fixtures are powered and controlled by an LSC Unity switched power and dimming system, providing DMX-based control and the ability to configure channels as switched, dimmed, or always-on. The LSC remote management system, Houston X, allows live monitoring of each channel on the Unity rack, with a monitor in the tech booth enabling technicians to change channel functionality from dimmer to switch and to set the DMX address.

The auditorium and house lighting are a combination of Prolights and CLS LED fixtures. Prolights fixtures included: EclProfile FS (key lighting for drama, dance and events), EclFresnel Jr TW (washes with wide zoom range), Jet Spot4Z (moving heads with effects for fast-paced shows), AstraWash7Pix (moving wash units with pixel-controlled colour looks), EclExpo Flood (asymmetric floods), and ArenaCOB (Cyc and stage coverage). CLS Mikas were selected to be used for the house lights; they offer smooth DMX dimming and even beam coverage that bathes the auditorium in a soft 3000 K light.

Part of the brief was to upgrade the DMX distribution, cabling, rigging hardware and suspension equipment to support the lighting fixtures and improve the workflow for theatre productions. This worked hand-in-hand with the new ETC BluesSystem, including the BlueBeam fixtures, which were installed to ensure safe backstage navigation without any distracting spill onto the stage.

The projection system now uses an Epson EB-PU1008B 8,500 lumen laser projector with a short-throw lens, installed to deliver images for the dedicated theatre space while connected via a Kramer HDBaseT network that supports HDMI inputs and switching from multiple locations.

ACSP installed a complete audio show relay and paging system using Cloud Electronics’ Z8 MK4 zone mixer, CA6160 amplifier, RSL-6 remote controls, and PM8 paging microphone, along with Audio-Technica Pro45 hanging microphones. A pre-existing video show relay system was upgraded and sends live stage images to the foyer and green room.

The project also included new Wool Serge masking drapes from J&C Joels and Doughty Six Track & Studio Rail tracking for the auditorium, complete electrical work, testing, commissioning, and detailed operational documentation, including assistance in patching and setting up the existing Vista by Chroma-Q console to the new system. All specialist-installed cables were Belcom (DMX, Cat6A, audio signal), while cables running to the fixtures were custom-made by Tourflex Cabling, with Neutrik connectors.

“This final phase of development continues our long-standing relationship with AC-ET, building on the previous expansion of our foyer”, says Matt Cargill. “It’s been a long process to get to this point, but by investing in backstage spaces, a smarter paging system, a larger tech box and an LX rig, we’ve created a more welcoming and capable environment for visiting companies and a richer training ground for our students.”

(Photos: A.C. Special Projects Ltd./King Alfred Phoenix Theatre/R. Pearson)

www.acspecialprojects.com

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