Perth’s Regal Theatre has been given a new lease of life with a renovation of the art deco-style venue. Seats have been replaced, the stage lighting upgraded and interior paint scheme restored.
The Regal is one of the few venues not subsidised by the State Government and depends on ticket sales and community support for its survival. So when new follow spots were required, the theatre’s technical staff turned to Frontier Lighting for a long-term rental.
Barry Brody, technical manager at the Regal Theatre, decided upon a couple of Robert Juliat Super Korrigan 1200w HMI followspots that offer a light output which out-performs Xenon followspots of higher wattage. These models offer the option of DMX dimming control for perfect synchronisation of fades and blackouts.
“We went from the Selecon Performer to the RJ Super Korrigans which is quite a quantum leap!” said Barry. “The optics on the Super Korrigan are exceptionally good as are the control features on the unit which are easy to use. The rolling dowser is fantastic and they’re a very well balanced unit.”
Mick Rippon, head LX at the venue, said his favourite feature was the fully closing iris and he describes the Super Korrigan as ‘one hell of a unit’!
“The balance on them is superb for our angle,” he added. “The bases are perfectly balanced with the nice wide yoke turn on them and they’re a dream to work with.”
The guys have a large pool of follow spot operators to draw from and fortunately the city’s other major theatre, His Majesty’s, also use Super Korrigans so the operators are familiar with the product.
Used widely in theatre environments where the combination of a high output, instantaneous re-ignition and compact dimensions is a real advantage, these units also benefit from silent magnetic PSU.
