Rob Halliday

Don't think so, no. Why........?

Hey Allie, Looking forward to seeing everyone there! You're welcome to help answer questions..... 😉 Rob.

Always interested, not always room.... send pics!

Hey Alister, It's the same stuff, with a few additions, but just much more beautifully arranged and presented! And with better explanatory signs.... when I finish writing them! 😉 Rob.

Sorry for the lack of notice. It all came together in a bit of a rush, for various reasons. But the collection is there full time now and I'm sure you're welcome any time to have a look - WL are just figuring out a booking / 'tour guide' system now... Rob.

So popular was the 'Classic Gear Live' stand at PLASA last year, that I thought you might all be interested in another chance to explore some lighting history. We're calling this one the 'Old Technology Showcase'. It's at White Light in Wimbledon, this coming Friday (16th Feb), 2-5pm. This is really the 'launch event' for the beautifully organised new museum space that White Light created over Christmas, to showcase the collection of classic gear that they hold for the Backstage Heritage Collection, Jim Laws and others. Why not come along and see, in no particular order: From Strand: Light Console; System CD; Chromolux (the invention of colour libraries?), the Glyndebourne console, IDM, DDM, MMS, Duet, M24, Richard Pilbrow's Lightboard for the National Theatre, Lightboard M (which is something entirely different!), Gemini, Galaxy, 500-series. From others: Alderham, Arri, Avo, Colortran, ETC, Zero88 including the cartridge-based 'effect engine' system. Fixtures from Patt 23 to 264, Sil 30, Altman Leko and assorted others, including the Patt 252 projectors and effects discs the likes of which you've probably never seen before. Moving lights because yes, these are old enough to be considered 'classics' now. Not quite confirmed yet, but there might even be a guest appearance from a VL1... And a bunch of lovely people who built, used or rented all this stuff all here to reminisce and swap stories and memories (including me!). It'd be great to see you there. If you're planning on coming, WL just ask that you sign up at the link below so they have an idea of how many people are going to show up!! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/old-technology-showcase-tickets-815100847577?aff=oddtdtcreator See you there? Rob.

Quick reminder: the Kickstarter for this ends TONIGHT, 11.59pm. 26th December 2023. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asot/a-sense-of-theatre Go look now whether you want to buy the book or, particularly, want to become part of the book.... Thankyou - and Merry Christmas one and all! Rob.

I am extremely sad to have to report to you all, the passing of Richard Pilbrow yesterday evening (Nov 6th). While not a surprise, it is nonetheless a shock, and feels like the passing of an era rather than just the passing of a life - though that is perhaps a reflection of just how much Richard crammed in to that life. Theatre Projects have a good page up about this now: https://theatreprojects.com/richard-pilbrow-remembrance/ Rob.

Hey Bryson, Shipping to Canada is interesting because we haven't actually specified that anywhere, so some Kickstarter pixies are doing that calculation all on their own, or it's defaulting to the 'rest of the world' price which is really based on some places that really are a long way away, particularly Australia/NZ. Let me investigate because as you say, there should surely be a better price for where you are. However just to note that there's a lot of book in this book 500+pages, hardcover, which makes it quite heavy... and of course, good value once you get it... 😉 Rob.

Hello All, For the last eight years, the lighting designer and theatre consultant Richard Pilbrow has been working on a book about the National Theatre. What started off as an attempt to explore what he's always perceived as the challenges of the National's two main theatres has blossomed into rather more than that - a history of the National company from its creation in 1963, the remarkable meetings of the great-and-good of the theatre of the day trying to define exactly what the National building should be, the planning of the building itself and the remarkable equipment designed and built for it, the struggles to get all of that cutting edge gear working, and the building open, and then the history of the building and company since, including the thoughts of some of the key people who have worked there over the years. The book is called 'A Sense of Theatre'. You can't get it just yet.... but as of today, if you want to help support it via Kickstarter, by just buying a copy or in a number of other ways, you can. Please do take a look... https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asot/a-sense-of-theatre I've been helping Richard on this and so am lucky enough to have read it. It is a unique perspective on the National Theatre, from perhaps the last person standing who was part of helping to bring the new building to life.

(This is a blatant repeat of something I put on LinkedIn - sorry if you've already seen it there!): If you're a lighting fan and a music fan of a certain (how shall we put this...?) 'vintage', you will immediately recognise the rig shown in the drawing above - part of Marc Brickman's iconic lighting design for Pink Floyd in 1994. It was casually dropped on to the Artisan by Mike ‘Oz’ Owen, the Vari-Lite programmer for that tour and so much more besides, when he came to hang out with us on the Classic Gear Live stand on the last day. The conversations it provoked were fascinating. And it was also wonderful just to watch him reach out to the console and start gently using it, just as it had been three days earlier when Andy Voller said 'I haven't used this for twenty years' but then you saw the muscles in his hands remember just how to work it, like a piano player coming back to their instrument after decades away, slowly at first then faster and faster as if they'd never been apart. There are many reasons why I love exploring the history of what we do, but moments like these are some of the best. Thanks to everyone who was part of this, in particular the wonderful students who helped set it up, take it all down and guarded the gear as if it were their own during the show: Allie, Annie, Gee, Jacob, Oscar and Zihaire; Jim Laws the keeper of the theatre lights, Dik Welland the keeper of the Vari-Lites and Autograph, keeper of the Cadac; Philip Parsons at Steeldeck for giving us a place to put everything; Chris Hewitt for his world of rock and roll sound; Andy Voller for being there way longer than he'd perhaps expected to be, and all of the other guests who came to share their expertise, memories and stories: Oz, John Wright, Don Hindle, John Schwiller, Paul Johnson, Mike Walker, Alan Luxford, Marco van Beek and so many of the VLPS London gang - and all involved in getting it there and back particularly Sam and the gang at White Light. Plus everyone who came to visit - thankyou. We've been asked to do it again next year. There are already so many ideas. (the best of which, so far, might be 'Classic t-shirt'...) See you there?

😉 Some views from today... joined by a bunch of lovely people some expected, some wonderful surprises. And for anyone in the area on the last day (Tues), a special treat - Vari-Lite programming legend Mike 'Oz' Owen, of Pink Floyd, Genesis and so much more, is coming to be re-united with the Artisan, VL2 and VL4. There will, I'm sure, be stories told... Rob.

Hey Gareth, Same modules plus a few more- labels show some are from Chichester, some from the Piccadilly. Sadly this is the only bit of the exhibit that isn’t alive, in part because we don’t have the frame for it, in part because I’m not brave enough John Wright was doing good work explaining it to people today, though, and it was all attracting great interest from visitors of all ages… Rob

Last bit of temptation...

Some more teasers from the load in yesterday. And there's a confirmed line of up of visiting 'experts' now, with a few more still to come: https://www.lsionline.com/plasa-show-2023-classic-gear-live-meet-the-experts A tour you say? What a fine idea.... but for now, if you're at PLASA, come say hi! Rob.