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Avolites at the Regal, Oxford
An Avolites Pearl Expert has been specified and installed to control all lighting in the main room at The Regal, Oxford's new 1000 capacity multi purpose venue.
Technical director Kieran Hayes has been the driving force behind the Regal project over the last three years, which has seen the Grade II listed former cinema, opened in 1927, restored to its original Art-Deco splendour, and enjoying a new lease of life as an entertainment hub.
Situated on Oxford's vibrant Cowley Road, the venue is already hosting a variety of dance nights, tours and live bands.
When it came to lighting, Hayes consulted Dave Parry of Most Technical and asked if he could help them with specifying and procuring a cost effective lighting rig that would give the requisite quality and dynamics.
Parry suggested that flexible control was a key element in accommodating the Regal's lighting production requirements, and spec'd an Avolites Pearl Expert for the task.
"It was a case of it being absolutely the most appropriate console for the job," says Parry.
It was the first time that Hayes - who operates lights on several of the five-nights-a-week The Regal is currently open - has used an Avo product, but he's very pleased with the results. "Dave gave me some basic training," he explains, "After which I picked it up extremely quickly. I've still only scratched the surface in terms of its power and capacity, but I am looking forward to getting to know it a lot better."
Hayes also specifically wanted a console that was equally as good for operating dance nights and for live band lighting, and also a machine with which visiting LDs were likely to be familiar. "Most professional LDs will know how to operate a Pearl," he says.
Currently the main room's lighting is arranged on a box truss around the dancefloor and on a goal post truss over the stage, offering a decent 10 metres of headroom.
The Pearl is controlling 12 High End Systems' Cyberlights, six Martin Professional MAC 250s, 40 PARs, four Robe LED Blinders, eight ETC Source Fours and three Martin Atomic strobes.
Most of the generics are concentrated around the stage, while the moving lights are used for swooping across the dancefloor and also for highlighting some of the room's very cool architectural features.
The Regal is a unique venue in Oxford, and production values were always high on the agenda says Hayes, "Things like having the right kit really add value to the space for all those using it."
The Regal is hosting a diverse range of events including salsa, live bands, community dances and leading dance nights from Ministry of Sound, Cream and top international DJs.
In picture: Regal technical director Kieran Hayes with the Pearl Expert console
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