21 January 2011 Goodwin Gaidi, Arthur Siko, Simon Ndlovu and Philemon Maepa   Things are pumping in the DWR Distribution cable production line overseen by the remarkable Philemon Maepa. In the last ten months since his appointment, we have manufactured well over 25 000 metres of cable.   Knee deep in

19 January 2011 Thank you Robert Izzett for the photos – Courtesy Vaughn Marti, MJ Event Gear   In preparation for a future event, MJ Event Gear began 2011 by erecting their new MPT Prolyte ground support roof structure.   The primary objective of the exercise was to double check

14 January 2011   At the end of 2010 East Coast Productions took ownership of  their first Prolyte Ground Support structure. Within three weeks of its arrival, the ground support had been used on four different events. Neil Nadauld, “Boss Man” at East Coast Productions, says the structure is one

10 January 2011   Photos with kind courtesy of Pat Bromilow-Downing “Sophie Sheridan” played by Caren Pretorius Denis Hutchinson was the South African Associate Lighting Designer for the punchy production of Mamma Mia! which ran recently at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town and the Montecasino Teatro in Fourways from the

15 December 2010 What a year it has been! Many in the industry were surprised when even after the World Cup the work kept coming. For that we are thankful.   With the Christmas holidays upon us, DWR Distribution would like to extend sincerest gratitude to everyone for your valued

10 December 2010 Courtesy Louise Stickland   The very first batch of the new Robe ROBIN LEDWash 600 LED Wash fixtures off the production line in the Czech Republic were delivered to leading UK lighting rental company HSL, with 40 of them going straight out on JLS’s UK arena tour,

06 December 2010   DNG Sound and Audio Visual are first in South Africa to take ownership of a Prolyte Flat Roof. They built it for the first time for the Proudly Bidvest Charity Walk held at The Wanderers held earlier this year where admittedly it took a nerve wrecking

02 December 2010   The magnificent Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal was the setting for the launch of Volkswagen’s Amarok, held in October where the set, sound, lighting, AV and Power was provided by Strike Productions.     “The client’s brief was that the lighting and set had

25 November 2010 The Vodacom Business NOW-ology  seminar, attended by 1 000 delegates, was held at Vodaworld Midrand at the end of October with the full technical supply by MGG Productions.   “The event demonstrated future technology,” explains Mark Gaylard, owner of MGG. To give an example (quoting from the Vodacom

19 November 2010 … the postcard read, “wish you wer here.”   The best thing about doing a gig in Mauritius is knowing that there is a professional rental company on the island stocked with familiar brands to partner with. No…there won’t be time to let your hair down, as

16 November 2010 Dave Whitehouse and JC du Plessis   It is our privilege to welcome Dave Whitehouse and JC du Plessis, both remarkable individuals, to DWR Distribution.   Dave Dave is an established lighting designer having won various LD Awards. He has also worked as a consultant, but more

04 November 2010   A stunning performance with a lighting display second to none, saw Elvis Blue voted as South Africa’s newest Idol on Tuesday evening, 2nd November. To Joshua Cutts who did an amazing job as LD, and to the technical crew, working really hard behind the scenes to

03 November 2010 MTN’s i-Phone launch   Strike Productions are moving full steam ahead, the company having changed ownership almost a year ago with Leah McCrae at the helm and key players in management ensuring one successful event after the next. Kurt du Preez joined the group three months ago

29 October 2010     Over 50 000 people in four days walked through the doors of Gallagher Estates for the Johannesburg leg of Sexpo 2010. For the second year running, Integrity Promotions provided the full technical supply and support for the show which is scheduled to travel to Cape Town

26 October 2010     Courtesy Louise Stickland Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production to the 2010 Loerie Awards staged at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town, South Africa for the second year running. The event was again produced by H-Factor, with a production and set design by

26 October 2010     After many years of discussion and planning, in October 2009, Neil Cohen and Marcello Di Lello, a fifth generation circus entertainer from a famous Italian circus family, began building their dream  –  Circus  Allegria. This modern take on traditional circus shuns the use of performing

08 October 2010     U2 were not always famous. Go see The Parlotones up close and personal while you can…. we have an inkling they are going to be even bigger. Travis Yeatman, using an Avolites Tiger Touch, is the local lighting designer for one of South Africa’s most

07 October 2010 Black Motion has been on the move with Imizwilili, a SABC 1 programme that highlights youth choirs and presents choral groups in a fresh and exciting manner.     The show, broadcast every Sunday, is shot across South Africa and neighbouring states, with locations including The Voortrekker

07 October 2010     An intimate and tasteful ambience was created at the P & G Awards, hosted at Monte Casino’s Ballroom during September. The event, which saw the global company acknowledge good performers within their group, had the lighting supplied by Black Motion Productions.   The services of

01 October 2010     The sixth season of M-Net’s Idols is well on its way and the show, broadcast from the Teatro in the Mosaiek Church, Fairlands, has been nothing short of spectacular. The stage looks phenomenal, performers are doing a great job and the lighting is amazing –

30 September 2010      (Above): Cosmopolitan Lingerie Show at Upper Eastside  Hotel   Ultra Event Technical Solutions now have 18 Robin fixtures after six new Robin600E Washes were delivered to their premises in Observatory, Cape Town last week. “We use our fixtures regularly” commented Costa Champanis, owner of Ultra

27 September 2010     Story courtesy Louise Stikland and photos by Duncan Riley   Gearhouse South Africa supplied design and technical production – including rigging, lighting, visuals, AV set and audio – to the 2010 Annual Bidvest Chairman’s Awards, one of South Africa’s highest profile corporate events, staged at

27 September 2010   CREW: Lighting Designer: Tom Kenny Produced By: Jess Ignatovich and MTV Set Designer: Florian Weider Gaffers: Mike Grimes and Ronnie Skopac Programmers: Mike Appel and Dan Boland Techs: Jason Livingston and John Ellar EQUIPMENT PROVIDER: Illumination Dymanics VARI*LITE EQUIPMENT: (60) VLX Wash Luminaires (150) VL3000 Spot

23 September 2010   Christiaan Ballot from Blond Productions used LAMP for Big Brother All Stars, 2010     DWR Distribution are pleased to offer the industry LAMP full colour video LED display units. Local rental companies became familiar with the brand three years ago and owners of LAMP include

22 September 2010     Courtesy Louise Stickland Gearhouse South Africa designed and supplied a full technical production package to 94.7 Highveld Stereo’s 2010 Johannesburg Day event (in association with Santam), produced by Primedia and staged at Riversands Farm in the leafy Johannesburg suburb of Fourways. Gearhouse’s project manager Dave

20 September 2010DWR features in L&SI Download PDF The DWR Distribution team (Absent: Nick Britz & Judd Harrison)   A special word of thanks extends to Louise Stickland for the article (as below) which appeared in “Lighting & Sound International magazine, Aug-Sept 2010”. Thank you also to L&SI. Visit: https://www.lsionline.co.uk.

16 September 2010   Denis Hutchinson designed both the set and lighting for The Purr Factory, directed by Alby Michaels, which is the latest family fun-filled rock musical, performed by the UJ Song and Dance Company. We asked Denis to answer a few questions on the show, which runs from

14 September 2010   Renzia Coetzee, who co-ordinates entertainment events at Hoërskool Langenhoven, has taught accounting for the past 18 years. Winds of change have seen the school move from an all white Afrikaans school to a now black English School. More recently the school has opted to purchase their

07 September 2010     South African country music duo, The Campbells, recently purchased 10 Robe Club 250 Scanners and a Le Maitre Hazer. Hardworking brothers, Tony and Harry Campbell, who recently won the SAMA “Best Sokkie Dance Album of the Year” for their CD Mamma Maria, perform 120 shows

27 August 2010   Courtesy Louise Stickland Robe launches a major new green initiative – “Think of the Future – Consider Nature” – at PLASA 2010 to underline its ongoing commitment to developing and producing genuinely cutting-edge, innovative and energy saving products. Using Robe’s latest products, the renowned booth lightshow

10 August 2010 Meet two of the nicest possible people in the industry, the eternal salesman Koy Neminathan and technical mastermind Phil Blue from Avolites, who visited South Africa from the 5 to 15 July 2010.   The lads mistakenly booked their flight to land in Cape Town International, a

29 July 2010   Panjo the missing Tiger has been found, but little does everyone know that 13 others have also been adopted in South Africa. Some are awaiting their permits, having just landed from England, whilst the rest are getting familiar with their new surrounds, lapping up the new

14 July 2010   Courtesy Louise Stickland Robe CitySkape Xtreme LED fixtures were utilised to illuminate what’s been officially declared by the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest soccer ball of them all! The 15 metre high ball currently resides at the Emperor’s Palace Hotel, Casino Convention &

14 July 2010     DWR Distribution is pleased to provide LumenRadio´s CRMX Nova and CRMX Outdoor to the South African market. This wireless DMX, RDM and DALI technology, developed by pioneers of wireless light controls – eliminates long cable runs and is able to provide full reliability in the the most challenging environments.

01 July 2010   DWR’s Duncan Riley with Alistair Kilbee & Nassim Bismilla from Gearhouse Splitbeam   Courtesy Louise Stickland Philips Vari-Lite’s South African distributor, DWR Distribution has recently delivered 120 brand-new Vari-Lite fixtures to Gearhouse Splitbeam, the specialist theatre lighting division of the Gearhouse South Africa Group of Companies.

29 June 2010   Courtesy Louise Stickland Robe ROBIN 300 Spot and Wash moving light fixtures are making a big impact in the World Cup Broadcast studio for SABC (the South African Broadcasting Corporation), which has been set up in Exhibition 1 at the Sandton Convention Centre, central Johannesburg. All

28 June 2010   A warm welcome to Derek Kruger, Nicolet Britz and Judd Harrison   Courtesy Louise Stickland   Johannesburg, South Africa based DWR Distribution has appointed 3 new staff members – two joining the technical support crew, and one new face for the office and admin team. The company

24 June 2010     Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production for the FIFA World Cup™ Kick-Off Celebration Concert, staged at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg. The show was broadcast to tens of millions of music and football fans worldwide on June 10th, the night before the first match.

23 June 2010   Denis Hutchinson (right) with DWR Distribution’s Dan Riley and Gobo    Distribution recently loaned Denis Hutchinson (Hutch) Robin 300 LEDs and an MMX to use  a production at the University of Johannesburg. We asked Denis for his feedback. 1.    What was the name of the show

21 June 2010 Courtesy Louise Stickland Fusion is the latest destination restaurant/lounge bar/club venue to open in Northampton, UK, and has been an instant success with its blend of accessible international cuisine, elegant interior design and cool energy-efficient lighting. Owners Rochmills initially approached the UK office of leading LED brand

18 June 2010 Courtesy Louise Stickland   Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production for the 2010 Africa Day celebrations in Johannesburg, which moved from downtown to a completely different location in the leafy green environs of Dries Niemand Park in Kempton Park. Gearhouse SA built the 30 metre wide

17 June 2010   Courtesy Louise Stickland   Super talented jazz-pop singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Cullum is on the road again with great flair around the UK and Europe with an equally stylish lighting design by Hadyn Thomas.   The moving lights are all Robe, supplied along with the rest

17 June 2010   DWR Distribution were pleased to supply and install 48 Anolis ArcSource 3 RGBs and an Anolis ArcControl 1024 at Montecasino in Fourways. The LED fixtures are set up in the pit area where the game tables are situated.   Declan Randall from Congo Blue worked closely

10 June 2010     Article courtesy Louise Stickland Johannesburg, South Africa based DWR Distribution has hosted the first Philips Vari-Lite technical training sessions in South Africa, a 5 day intensive course led by Vari-Lite’s technical trainer Todd Kessler from Dallas, USA. The course saw 11 people become certified Vari-Lite

02 June 2010   Story courtesy Louise Stickland   Gearhouse SA were in the “Best” SAMA Production to date. That was the general consensus of opinion apparent to anyone watching the 2010 MTN SAMAs webcast, as countless winners and artists voiced their opinions on the awesome looking stage and set

13 May 2010 Photo courtesy Grant Williams   What a night! Sisters in Song which ran at The Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City Casino, had the audience on their feet and dancing in the aisles. This was a powerful performance held from 14 April to 9 May 2010, lit by

11 May 2010     Story courtesy Marcia Alves from Kilowatt AV and photos thanks to Willem van der Berg Friday 30 April, Klein Libertas Theatre, World Famous Artists, World Famous Technical Support! Yes, that’s right, Die Antwoord are back in S.A and this outdoor venue in Stellenbosch was the

10 May 2010     Survivor South Africa Santa Carolina has been in the limelight. GiGi won the third season of this reality television show which was aired on M-Net and saw South African celebrities compete for R500 000 which they could donate to their charity of choice. Blond Productions provided