70 THEATRE AND STAGE
This domino effect is familiar to anyone working in live production. Every solution creates new questions. Given the physical constraints, fixture choice became critical. Noise, size and output all had to be carefully balanced to preserve intimacy without sacrificing impact. The rig included Martin Mac Encore Spot units, GLP Impression X5 washes chosen for their ‘bright output and fantastic colours’, GLP bars used as backlights to fit into the tight ceiling spaces and Ayrton Kyalami fixtures that deliver laser effects in a standout scene. Each fixture was selected not just for what it could do, but for how quietly and efficiently it could do it. One of the most exciting technical developments to emerge from Paddington The Musical is a bespoke lighting solution that was created specifically for the show. Working closely with GLP, Austin helped develop a special prototype fixture that met the production’s exacting requirements: the GLP X5 Dot. “We worked with IP65-rated prototypes running at around 15W offering perfect colour mixing and an integral zoom lens that shifts smoothly between 10° and 40° without changing the unit’s length.
small. He does not dominate scenes physically, so the lighting must gently but decisively guide the audience’s focus, ensuring that he always feels present and emotionally readable. With over 1100 lighting cues and a score that ‘rarely pauses for dialogue’, the show demands extraordinary precision. The Savoy Theatre added another layer of complexity. Its ceilinged set and compact stage placed strict limits on the amount of space available, forcing the creative and technical teams to think laterally. Austin says: “We had to fight hard for space to integrate a rig that could deliver the impact the story deserves. One of the biggest challenges was dealing with the theatre’s bright, silver-leafed walls, which reflected everything on stage. Our first step was to cover them with a backdrop of London’s night sky in order to create the right atmosphere.” To further increase flexibility, the crew lengthened the stage over the orchestra pit, a bold but necessary move. “We also extended the stage over the orchestra pit to gain extra space, but that introduced new hurdles like limiting the front lighting positions, which made the design challenge even more complex.”
or exaggerated movement, but restraint. Paddington doesn’t leap or gesture wildly. Instead, he breathes. He pauses. He looks. Tiny shifts of his posture and head angle convey curiosity, confusion, joy or concern. Crucially, the technology never draws attention to itself. Much like the directing style and broader AV approach of the production, the engineering behind the bear is deliberately invisible so that the audience does not think about the robotics. They think about whether Paddington is nervous, hopeful or happy. That is no small achievement, especially in a large West End house where every movement must read from the back row. LIGHTING PADDINGTON One of the most significant contributors to that ‘invisible magic’ described by Sheppard is the lighting design done by multi-award-winning Neil Austin. “Paddington is a diminutive character, so I had to make sure he didn’t blend in,” Austin explains. “Sculpting him with light was essential to making him feel three-dimensional and alive on stage.” That challenge sits at the heart of the show’s visual language. Paddington is
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