Melbourne’s Marriner Theatre Plaza Ballroom, known for its elegant art deco styling and long-standing role in the city’s event scene, recently received a full lighting upgrade courtesy of Clearlight Shows Pty Ltd. With a rich history of theatrical performances, live broadcasts, and corporate functions, the venue required a solution that balanced visual quality with modern efficiency. Clearlight, a trusted partner of the Marriner Theatre Group, turned to Highlite’s Infinity and Showtec fixtures to bring the Ballroom’s rig up to date with today’s technical standards.
Clearlight founder John McKissock explained that the client specifically requested Infinity products for this upgrade, having hired them on several previous occasions. The venue’s lack of natural light meant the team had to be especially mindful of colour temperature, refresh rates, and how lighting would impact everything from food presentation to live camera work. These requirements made Highlite’s product offering a strong fit for the job.
Initially intended as a partial update, the project quickly evolved into a complete redesign of the lighting system. Clearlight introduced several Infinity and Showtec fixtures during an extended trial period, and the client was impressed enough to shift away from their original rig of mostly Fresnel and PC fixtures. McKissock noted that the Showtec Performer Profile Zoom 150 Q6, in particular, exceeded expectations once installed: ‘They were pleasantly surprised once it was in the air.’ The success of these trials ultimately led the venue to embrace a profile-heavy approach for its new lighting design.
The final setup included a mix of fixtures tailored for flexibility and high performance:
• 12x Infinity Furion S201 Spot Moving Heads—Known for precision optics and rich colours, ideal for tracking and subtle movement effects.
• 20x Infinity iW-1941 RDM RGBW Wash Lights—Offering excellent colour blending and zoom capabilities for ambient and accent lighting.
• 8x Infinity TF260C7 7-Colour Fresnels—Delivering soft beams and accurate colour rendering for stage and display use.
• 18x Infinity TS260C7 Profile Engines—With lens adaptors for their existing Selecon lenses, saving on budget and reducing waste.
• 40x Showtec Performer Profile Zoom 150 Q6—RGBACL LED profiles that impressed both the venue and Clearlight with their output and flexibility.
• 2x Showtec Phantom 1220 Zoombars—RGBW moving bars used for animated overhead effects.
• 2x Showtec ACT Par 200W RGBAL—High-output indoor spots with barndoors for focused control.
Clearlight had previously invested in the full Infinity Signature Theatre fixture line and Furion moving heads for its hire stock, and McKissock said their reliability made them a natural choice for this project. He added: ‘Most customers who use Infinity products for the first time are amazed by their performance and output, particularly the Furion fixtures. The fine, slow movements achievable with the Infinity Furion fixtures allow theatre designers to track with slow-moving rotating gobos and movements that most competitive products in their price range cannot achieve.’
The shift to profiles and LED-based fixtures also brought major benefits in energy efficiency and maintenance. With many Australian venues now looking to phase out tungsten lighting, McKissock sees Highlite’s product range as perfectly positioned to support this transition. ‘Currently, there’s a strong push to transition from tungsten to LED in theatres across the country. The ability to offer an extensive range of quality options at affordable prices puts us in a good position to support this shift.’ He noted that the Australian market, while geographically challenging, values durable and cost-effective technology—something Infinity and Showtec consistently deliver.
Looking ahead, Clearlight has several major installations planned for 2025, with hundreds of Highlite fixtures already specified. While project details are still under wraps, McKissock said the response to recent additions—like the IP65-rated Furion fixtures introduced in January—has been very positive.
Among the many fixtures available, McKissock highlighted the Infinity iW-741 and S201 as personal favourites, citing their power, compact size, and excellent beam sharpness. He also praised the iFX-640 for its dramatic aerial effects and called the Infinity TCYC7 ‘the best LED cyc fixture I’ve seen in this category.’
Through Clearlight’s expertise and the capabilities of Highlite products, the Marriner Theatre Plaza Ballroom is now equipped to meet the technical demands of modern events, while maintaining the style and presence it’s known for.
