White Light Supports West End Heroes

	West End Heroes

The annual West End Heroes show took place this last at the Dominion Theatre in London. The event unites the country's top military musicians with the biggest stars of the West End in a dazzling showcase of show-stopping numbers, stunning choreography, and unlikely song mash-ups. The event was held to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity and White Light once again donated the lighting equipment for this important fundraiser.

Help for Heroes is a charity that provides better facilities for British servicemen and women who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty. The donations it receives are used for individual support, rehabilitation centers and its recovery programs. David Pearson, general manager of the Dominion Theatre, states: "This is a truly unique event as it brings together the very best in West End entertainment in order to support a great cause. Every time we host the evening it simply grows in magnitude and we are extremely lucky that so many individuals and organizations, such as White Light, are willing to donate their time and resources."

Similar to its role on last year's show, White Light is once again sponsored the lighting equipment for the occasion. This included Clay Paky Sharpys, Philips Vari-Lite VL1000AS ERS, PAR 64s, and JB Lighting's VaryLED A7 Zooms. Tim Soden from Yellow Events, who was lighting designer for the show, comments: "As there is currently no production on at the Dominion Theatre, this meant there is no lighting rig hence we had to rely heavily on White Light's equipment and recommendations. Fortunately, I was able to specify my requirements for such a busy and varied show and they were able to provide me with a solution that matched my brief."

In what has been an extremely busy year for the complete production solution specialist, White Light has worked on several charity projects, whether this was the Macmillan Cancer Support Tug of War event at Westminster College Gardens or the Royal Navy and Royal Marine's Children Fund Fundraiser Day at Leadenhall Market. Jedd Hamilton, White Light's hire manager, comments: "This is the second fundraising event we have worked on in a West End theatre this year, following on from the one-off TheatreMAD performance at the Criterion Theatre. We realize that, although we are donating equipment, these showcases are for really worthy causes and each production is performed to the highest standard -- hence the equipment we supply must match this."

The line up for this year's West End Heroes featured the cast of ELF the Musical, Memphis, and Phantom of the Opera. Also on stage was one of the finest military bands in the UK, The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, supported by The Band of HM Royal Marines, The Band of the Army Air Corps, and The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals. There was also a special performance by the West End Heroes Dancers and the West End Heroes Choir, both of which consist of people working behind the scenes in the West End.

Last year the event raised a staggering £78,243.01 -- a figure that organizers are hoping will be surpassed with last night's event. Pearson comments: "We are really excited for this year's West End Heroes event. The line-up was one of the biggest ever and we're really hope we raised a significant amount for such an important charity. White Light has been extremely supportive and helpful, not only this year but on previous occasions, and it's the understanding and generosity of organizations such as them which make events like this possible."