Alpha Beam adds control to War Horse in China
Published: ASIA
CHINA: Clay Paky fixtures are illuminating the Chinese production of the successful stage play, War Horse. Taking place in Beijing, the production is part of a cultural exchange programme between the National Theatre Live in London and The National Theatre of China that aims to bring more productions to China with the support of the British Council. The manufacturer’s Chinese distributor, ACE, supplied all of the fixtures for the Beijing performance.
Lead lighting designer, Paule Constable, opted to deploy Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700 fixtures having used them on the same production in the US. ‘We first tried the Alpha Beams for the US tour version of War Horse and they worked really well, giving us added control,’ he explained. ‘In China, they are proving to be a great augmentation to the show – I love the narrow, parallel beam which can also be softened effectively.
‘They work really well in a show which is all about darkness and light in haze,’ he continued. ‘The Alpha Beams are used as fingers of light, to highlight moments in the harsh environment of the second half. They are used to make moments more dramatic.’
Following the Beijing run of War Horse, it is hoped that the show will also be staged in Shanghai and Guangzhou.