The Eternity Playhouse completes renovation with The PA People
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: The PA People was recently called upon to supply the sound, paging and communications systems for The Eternity Playhouse, which itself is the result of a four-year renovation of the heritage-listed Burton Street Tabernacle by the City of Sydney.
In consultation with the City of Sydney and architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Darlinghurst Theatre Company has recently finished transforming the building into a unique, state-of-the-art performance space.
The Eternity Theatre is named for the chalk street art of Arthur Stace, who, inspired by a sermon in the Tabernacle, reportedly wrote the word ‘eternity’ in copperplate on the streets of Sydney an estimated 500,000 times from the 1930s to 1960s.
‘We initially approached The PA People with our installation as they were already familiar with the Eternity Playhouse project,’ said production manager Liz Jenkins. ‘Their competitive quote and attention to detail secured the partnership. They were very considerate of the purpose of the venue and the versatility the sound design required.’
‘The PA loudspeakers are JBL VP Series,’ explained Josh Jones, project manager at The PA People. ‘We used 12-inch units for front of house and 10-inch units for fill. We’ve augmented those with a VP Series 18-inch subwoofer. The mixing desk is a Soundcraft Si Expression 1, which is an ultra-compact digital mixer that will more than cover the audio requirements of the most demanding shows. Signal is fed to a pair of dbx 220i processors that are automated to maintain the system in perfect condition and keep levels within residential requirements.’
The PA People was also responsible for critical paging, stage management, performance relay and the hearing augmentation infrastructure. Working as the Tabernacle was renovated, Mr Jones and his team ran cabling linking the foyer to the performance spaces, and lighting and sound control to the stage. New video cabling supports a performance relay system linked to multiple monitors throughout the venue for reference by stage management, back-of-house and foyer staff.
‘Darlinghurst Theatre Company will continue to present outstanding theatre by local artists,’ enthused Ms Jenkins. ‘We plan to expand our audience in the Darlinghurst area and greater Sydney and establish a strong relationship with the community.’