Intense Lighting is a rental company based in Botany, Sydney, Australia. It is owned and operated by founder Ian Garrard, who started it in 2017, having previously worked in a variety of other industry roles and with some high-profile theatre/performance companies.
Coming from this background, he saw a sector ripe for high-quality rental and dry hire products that are rider-friendly, coupled with outstanding service focused on the needs and demands of theatre and dance productions.
Under his leadership, Intense Lighting’s success and reputation have blossomed and grown, and one of the ways leading the company forward has been investment in products that are innovative and offer longevity and reliability.
This led him recently to Robe FOOTSIE2 Slims.
Twelve were purchased midway through 2025 to service a remount production for Queensland Ballet’s “Trilogy” season in Brisbane. This is a highly successful triple bill of three stand-alone short works by three acclaimed choreographers – Cathy Marston, Jack Lister, and Christopher Bruce. The season was lit by LD Matt Marshall and director Alex Berlage.
FOOTSIE2 Slims provided a great solution for what Matt and Alex wanted in terms of a low-profile footlight luminaire, bringing all the advantages of quality LED illumination to that specific shadow-eliminating position around the front of the stage … almost invisible to the audience.
“FOOTSIE2 was properly designed for theatre and is a newer and better option than products we were previously using for this style of effect,” Matt commented.
Ian could also see how useful this product could be for theatrical and dance shows generally, where sightlines are always challenging. The FOOTSIE2 Slim is also IP rated, so great for outdoor shows, in addition to taking up minimal stage space and being very discreet.
Since that first production, Intense Lighting’s FOOTSIE2 Slims have been out on a steady stream of other shows.
Ian has been aware of Robe for many years and also had some good previous experiences with the products after the company purchased 32 x Spiider LED wash beams in 2021. These were for general stock and because they appear frequently on riders.
“Lighting designers like them a lot, the moonflower effect is great, making it more than a standard LED wash fixture, and they are one of our hardest working products,” he revealed, adding that the Spiiders are out all but three or four weeks of the year – exactly as a busy rental company would want!
He thinks Robe has a solid reputation for quality, invention and manufacturing longer-lasting products with excellent value and ROI.
Over a typical month, Intense Lighting will supply around 70 different projects of varied sizes and complexities, including dry hires and crewed productions. Currently, Ian works alongside six full-time staff and a regular pool of around 30 freelancers who keep all this activity flowing smoothly and efficiently.
Ian has been an industry professional since the age of 18, when he started at the famous Sydney Theatre Company and worked his way up the ranks there, and also at the Queensland Ballet. He is well connected in theatre and performance circles, and his smart, forward-thinking, contemporary approach to lighting rentals in this sector has played a big part in Intense Lighting’s growth.
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