First Robe LEDWashes in South Africa

Robe's South African distributor, Johannesburg based DWR, supplied the first batch of Robe ROBIN LEDWash 600 fixtures in the country to the South African State Theatre in Pretoria.

The 16 initial LEDWash 600 fixtures were specified by the venue's head of lighting Simon King, following an in-depth demo from DWR's Duncan Riley.

King was looking for a more flexible and cost-effective replacement for the theatre's old 2K PC stock, and was immediately struck by the small size, light weight, and silent running of the LEDWash 600.

King remarks, "Apart from all the practical advantages, in creative terms, the new fixtures open up numerous possibilities. The brightness and the (15-60 degree) zoom are amazing."

The theatre already owns some Robe ColorSpot 700E ATs, purchased a couple of years ago.

The South African State Theatre works all year round as a busy producing and receiving house staging a wide range of shows, from comedy and live music to drama, opera and dance productions.

The LEDWashes are in the main auditorium lighting rig. The product's stated ability to produce a proper white in a range of different color temperatures from 2,700 - 8,000 degrees is another great plus point for any theatrical environment.

Simon King concludes. "We're really happy with the purchase, and I am sure we will be adding to it soon. To top it all, the service and support from DWR has been outstanding as always."

A recent major production on which they were used was Opera Africa's Carmen directed by James Marvel, with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by American conductor Timothy Myers. The set was designed by Steven Capone and lighting by King.