Project Profile
Carmen at Royal Ballet and Opera
Custom lighting rig and internally wired bars for a touring production of Carmen
A bespoke lighting grid for one of the world's great opera companies
When Royal Ballet and Opera needed a practical, tidy, and aesthetically impressive lighting solution for their touring production of Carmen, Stage Electrics, working together with CHAUVET Professional, delivered a bespoke grid designed to meet every requirement.
The production runs alongside multiple other shows throughout the year, so the grid needed to be taken on and off stage multiple times a week for storage and rehearsals. It also needed to withstand international travel as Carmen embarks on a worldwide tour. With the minimalist stage design placing the lighting grid centre stage and always on view during the performance, aesthetics were as important as function.
The Challenge
Functional, portable, and built to be seen
Royal Ballet and Opera approached Stage Electrics to create a lighting grid for their upcoming production of Carmen. They needed a solution that balanced functionality with aesthetic appeal, with minimal cable clutter to enhance the visual sophistication of the setting.
The grid had to be easy to lower, manoeuvre, and split into sections for stacking between performances. It also needed to be robust enough for worldwide touring. Lighting designer Alessandro Carletti required a grid capable of dynamic adjustment, essential for the dramatic lighting effects central to this production. When choosing the lighting, aside from price point, the most important factor was a well-calibrated and uniform setup.
The Solution
20 handmade internally wired bars and 100 CHAUVET Professional LED pars
Stage Electrics, Royal Ballet and Opera, and CHAUVET Professional worked collaboratively to engineer a bespoke solution comprising 20 IWBs (Internally Wired Bars) and 100 CHAUVET Professional P56FC Pars.
The handmade IWBs were manufactured by Stage Electrics in the UK, crafted from brushed black aluminium with black socket boxes. Cables are threaded through the bars with sockets placed directly on each one, providing tidy data transmission while also serving as rigging points for the lights.
Typically, Stage Electrics’ IWBs use a copex hinge to enable folding, limiting cable exposure and damage. However, the requirements for Carmen meant a fully bespoke approach was necessary. The grid needed to split into sections and stack between performances, so instead of threading cables through a copex hinge, the team designed four different types of IWB that mirror each other. Data is transmitted through socket boxes, allowing each bar to be unplugged from its neighbour. This resulted in one overarching grid design with four different bar designs, each with varying lengths and outlet orientation.
Stage Electrics demoed multiple lighting options before the Royal Ballet and Opera team chose CHAUVET Professional. The CHAUVET Professional LED lights delivered on value for money and are thoroughly calibrated and uniform in their display.
The Result
From 100 kW to 14 kW, with no compromise on quality
The original plan for the grid comprised 100 tungsten parcans, which would have drawn 100 kW at full power. The solution provided by Stage Electrics, using CHAUVET Professional LED lighting, draws just 14 kW at full power. For a travelling production visiting venues worldwide, this represents a significant saving on energy costs at each stop.
The grid has become a visual element in its own right, an impressive new protagonist in this production of Carmen. Stage Electrics delivered on both functionality and aesthetics, and the original render from the design team looks almost exactly how it looks in real life.
ICC Wales
Client Feedback
We didn't want black aluminium tube with cable on the outside, as the structure is always on view during the performance. We also needed a grid that would be easily and tidily transported worldwide due to the travelling nature of this production of Carmen.
For lighting, we looked for uniformity in colour and brightness at the right price point.
ICC Wales
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