The cast and crew
All photos courtesy of The Baxter Theatre
A Robe MiniMe starred alongside Scrooge, played by Marc Lottering, in Lara Foot’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol held at the Baxter Theatre, which forms part of the University of Cape Town.
On a visit to Johannesburg, Patrick Curtis, Production Manager at the Baxter Theatre Centre, enquired about a fixture that would assist him to create a phantom effect. “I asked Rob Izzett from DWR Distribution what I could use to project a ghost-like image that could move around the set,” explained Curtis. “He suggested the MiniMe which at that stage had not yet arrived in South Africa.”
Curtis felt this was a very well-priced moving head projector compared to the larger, more powerful units already in the Robe armoury.
Patrick Curtis
The unit arrived days before the set-up, and with the assistance of Gerda and Philip Kruger, lighting designers and technical directors from Philip Kruger Consulting – who had only months prior conveniently relocated to Cape Town – the project was up and running in no time.
“We were very impressed with the brightness of the image projected, considering the quite low lumen rating quoted in the specs,” said Curtis.
Although he originally had ideas of using video clips of the actor playing the ghosts, he eventually settled for some very simple hand drawn black and white images that faded in and out on various parts of the scenery.
“This suited the style of the production and was very successful despite its very limited application,” said Curtis. “Because it was a new product, Robe are still developing the software, DWR were quick to load the new software as it arrived.”
With a story filled with romance, fantasy and generosity, and, with artists such as Shaleen Surtie-Richards, Andrew Buckland, Christo Davids and a full children’s choir, the Cape Town audience lapped up the nostalgia and beatify of a classic story brought to life.
Curtis is looking forward to using the MiniMe again, this time utilising more of the tantalising features available.
