With Christmas right around the corner, we have officially reached “panto season”. From large theatre venues to smaller local spaces, pantomimes are an important part of winter tradition here in the UK. But to make sure that your panto is a showstopper, regardless of size, you should consider professional pantomime stage lighting. Here at Light Design, we are leading event lighting professionals. From fashion shows to live music and festivals, to award ceremonies, we can provide a range of professional lighting solutions for any live event. And this is our guide to what you can expect from working with the professionals.
What does professional pantomime stage lighting include?
If you opt to work with a professional lighting team for your pantomime stage lighting, you can expect:
Eye-catching background lighting – pantomimes are fun, extremely entertaining and a little over the top. The background lighting is expected to capture this feeling with bright colours, strong beams cutting through haze, and impressive colour changes, just at the right moment. This is something that a professional lighting team can create perfectly.
Brightly front lit stage – this is an important technical aspect of pantomime lighting, especially for slapstick humour and physical jokes where the audience needs to see specific details, while others are kept hidden in the shadows.
Lighting that adds sparkle – for song and dance numbers, ballroom scenes and magical themes, sparkle is important throughout a pantomime. A professional lighting team can bring this to your performance with the perfect combination of moving lights, gobo projections and filters, and colour wash lighting. This can also be effectively timed, to be delivered at just the right moment.
Lighting that increases tension – pantomimes cover so many themes throughout the performance that the stage needs to be able to jump from magical and romantic, to spooky and sinister in just one scene. As does the lighting. Professional lighting teams can use the perfect lighting solutions to create the intended effect, including gobo washes and projection.
Performance spotlights – follow spotlights that are installed to follow the lead performers around the stage are crucial for the audience to see what is going on, and to help the foreground stand out from the background. This also helps to illuminate the faces of the actors, so that the audience can form a connection.
How important is professional pantomime stage lighting?
Working with a professional team for your pantomime lighting can bring a number of advantages, including:
Creating an immersive stage setting – for your pantomime to be believable, the experience needs to be fully immersive. The right lighting can ensure seamless scene changes and dramatic mood switches at just the right the time. This helps draw the audience into the show.
Keep the timings right – the timing of the show, the queues and the scene changes need to be times to perfection. Working with professional lighting experts can ensure that your timings are perfect, throughout your performance.
For more information or advice, get in touch with the team today, here at Light Design.