South Africa based television lighting specialist Blond Productions supplies technical production for a slew of popular reality TV shows which have included several iterations of Big Brother over the years. There was much anticipation this year when the South African version – Big Brother Mzansi – returned for the first time since 2016 produced by Red Pepper and broadcast on Mzansi Magic.

The UK panto season is back with a BIG bang after waiting in the wings during 2020 as the country squared up to Covid-19, reigniting all things panto like slapstick comedy, toilet-brow innuendo, gawdy sets, psychedelic vibrance and total craziness for which it’s known and appreciated, with lighting designers around the country delighted to be back working on this peculiarly English and highly expressive genre of performance.

Cirkusrevyen (Circus Review) is hugely popular and the longest-running review performance in Denmark, with a 6-month season kicking off every year since 1935 except for 1945 (due to fire) and 2020 (due to you know what!). Staged in a purpose-built big top tent in Klampenborg, Dyrehavsbakken north of Copenhagen, known and loved for its incisive and hilarious style of political satire … the 2021 season was lit for the first time using Robe ESPRITE moving lights.

There have been many updates to the software of Robe devices adding new features to enhance functionality and improve their behavior. We have also published new and updated documentation including user manuals, technical bulletins and certification documents. See the article for all details.

Mellow Yellow Entertainment, producers of South African music games show “Musiek Roulette” wanted a new look for the 2021 season, so called on the services of Ryan Lombard, head of show lighting at Blond Productions and Michael Gill, owner of Michael Gill Designs to design lighting and set respectively.

Estonian rental company Strikken supplied the lighting design and production design and equipment for the Power Stage Live TV podium, which welcomed the 2020 winners of Rally Estonia event – part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) – and was set up close to the final stage finish line, near Rally Estonia’s HQ in Tartu.

An exciting new collaboration between Robe and the acclaimed The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College Dublin sees a quantity of Robe moving lights – including T1 Profiles and T1 Fresnels, LEDWash 300 LEDs and ParFect 150s – made available on long term rental, which were used to great effect for The Lir Academy’s 2020 Gradfest event.

Robe UK partnered with Clearsound Productions, Venue Lab and Broadwick Live to support #LightItInRed and PLASA’s #WeMakeEvents national call to action on 11th August – to draw attention to the live entertainment industry and its need for sector support from the government to survive the coronavirus crisis.