15 June 2012
The Roodepoort Theatre, until recently known as Promusica Theatre, have upgraded their lighting system to be on par with other Johannesburg mainstream theatres. The busy little theatre on the Westrand, Gauteng, now has, in addition, a grandMA2 ultra-light, 32 Philips Selecon Rama Fresnels, 2 x LDR Canto followspots, 2 Robins 600E ColorSpots and a LSC DMX infrastructure.
“It has been a long struggle to obtain money for the purchase, and thanks to the City of Johannesburg, the upgrade was able to make progressive improvement to the theatre,” said Loran Robertson, Theatre Manager. Loran joined The Roodepoort Theatre 18 years ago when she was appointed stage manager, partly because she could read music at a time when the theatre mostly hosted operas. The theatre’s lighting equipment existing fixtures were well pass their sell by date and it was becoming more and more difficult to find parts for the necessary repairs.
Loran admits that lighting is not her passion. She prefers other aspects such as decor and production management. However, she knew what the new equipment would mean to her dedicated staff and long term clients. 
Nick Britz (DWR) with The Roodepoort Theatre’s Ralsan Netshitavha and Johannes Mojapelo.
“Johannes Mojapelo is our lighting designer and he is ecstatic,” said Loran. “It’s wonderful to see where our technicians came from and where they are now. Johannes started his career as a stage worker and has wriggled his way up into lighting. To be lighting designer you need to be on top of technology. The move from our ARRI Mirage to a grandMA2 ultra-light is a major step.”
Prior to the tender process, South African lighting designer, consultant and a friend from the past, Denis Hutchinson, gave Lauren suggestion on what gear would accommodate the venue. DWR Distribution’s Dave Whitehouse also made recommendations. “It has always been a friendly theatre and they have always been receptive to new ideas,” commented Dave Whitehouse.
DWR Distribution were very pleased to be awarded the bulk of the tender. “The MA2 ultra-light control desk was very important for the Roodepoort Theatre,” said Dave. “It puts them on the same modern lighting control platform as all the other main theatres like the Johannesburg Theatre, Market Theatre, Soweto Theatre and State Theatre.”
The 32 Philips Selecon Rama 1kw fresnels match the existing fittings. “They give a superbly smooth quality of light, while the two LDR Canto 2000 Watt MSR followspots were a cost effective option with a good light output,” he added. A LSC DMX infrastructure was part of the installation. Prosound supplied two Robin 600E Color Spots.
The installation was carried out by DWR’s Bruce Riley and Gareth Chambers, while Nick Britz provided training on the console.
Loran Robertson, Roodepoort Theatre Manager The Roodepoort Theatre is in the heart of the community and serves all the schools and dance schools in the area, African groups, amateur ballet and three musicals per year. This has changed significantly from formerly being recognized as a mostly opera and symphony venue. “In schools many children are not taught about the arts or music and I always tell my own children how lucky they are to come here,” said Loran. The Roodepoort Theatre regularly give back to the community by inviting children from disadvantaged backgrounds to the venue to enjoy productions like musicals, puppet shows and holiday programs.
With the new lighting in place, the shows can go on. “I have faith in DWR and know if something goes wrong, they are a phone call away,” said Loran.
