News

Stay up to date with the latest happenings in the live events and technical production industry. From product launches and training sessions to behind-the-scenes stories and project highlights, our news section is where you’ll find it all.

Get the scoop on what’s new at DWR, follow our journey with industry partners, and discover the people and moments that make our community so unique. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, information, or innovation — this is the place to be.

Wolfmother calls for Clarity

14 February 2010     LSC’s Clarity is the console of choice for Lighting Designer Dave Haus, for the current Wolfmother “New Moon Rising” world tour. Haus and his company Prodigy Lighting Design are based in Maryland USA. He is a lighting designer and programmer and owns a number of

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Carols by LSC Clarity

14 February 2010     Australian Lighting Director/Operator, Sam Walters, selected LSC Clarity as his main lighting controller for the IGA Lord Mayors Christmas Carols held at the Brisbane Riverstage in December. Walters commented “I chose the new LSC Clarity system due to the efficiency in the way it handles

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Stage Effects go LED

08 February 2010   If the units were running full time 24 hours a day then these LEDs would last 5.7 years. We are talking about the REDWash 3•192, and Stage Effects have purchased four of the powerful fixtures. “The LED hours may even outlive me,” says Theo, owner of

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Beam me up Stanley

03 February 2010     In anticipation of upcoming festivals and other large scale events, MGG Productions have acquired six ColorBeam 700E ATs which will compliment their existing stock of 52 x 700E wash and spots. Mark Gaylard, owner of MGG (aka Stan or Norm to those who know him

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Robe restructures for the future

02 February 2010 Czech Republic based moving light manufacturer Robe lighting announces a series of new appointments in a planned management restructuring exercise designed to position the company for a new decade of growth and expansion. Robe lighting has a new Operations Director and Sales Director, while LED manufacturer and

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Industry raise R20 000 for kids

25 January 2010   Francois Buys, Gert Jonker and Carine Knouw from Bethany House with DWR’s Duncan Riley (far left) and Cherine Viney (far right) DWR Distribution were proud to hand over a sum of R20 000 to the Bethany House Trust, a place of safety in Krugersdorp for abused and

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8 Robins for Ultra Event

18 January 2010   Cape Town based rental company, Ultra Event Technical Solutions, have purchased eight Robin 300s and expect to order an additional eight during the year.   Costa Champanis, owner of Ultra Event, took ownership of four Robin 300 Spots during December while a further four Robin 300

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Robe hits the spot at Miss World

16 December 2009 Story and pics courtesy Louise Stickland   Lighting designer Tim Dunn used nearly 300 Robe fixtures in his colourful and vibrant design for Miss World 2009, which was staged at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the largest number of Robe fixtures to

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AV Unlimited for Skouspels 10th anniversary

15 December 2009   With a blink of an eye, it’s Skouspel again, almost coming sooner than Christmas and anticipated as much by the South African audience, many of whom were at the first show ten years ago when Carike Keuzenkamp sang “Hoeka toeka” and “Ou ryperd” was performed by

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KZN first to purchase VLX fixtures

13 December 2009   The East Coast Productions Team, Chris Graham, Jennifer Deegan, owner Neil Nadauld, Jacques Marais and Morris Riley.     You know you’re getting old (or perhaps running around with five year olds too much) when people talk about the Matric Rage Festival 2009 and you look all

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University of JHB invests in grandMA

09 December 2009   (Back): JC, Sizwe Muloko, Thabams Thebe (Front): Kenny Longwe, Nic Britz (DWR), Gif Mabaso   Story & pics courtesy Louise Stickland   The prestigious University of Johannesburg Theatre has invested in a new grandMA ultra light console as part of a major lighting upgrade. The 436

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Retro flava for Robe

08 December 2009   R60, an empty Stimorol 3 – piece chewing gum wrapper and a love for retro music, was the only ticket required for a star studded event held at Carfax, Newtown, Johannesburg. Two dance floors grooving to a hip hop beat had staging, lighting, sound and av

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New arrival

04 December 2009   Flights to South Africa have been a little heavier over the last few days and although we can’t elaborate, 13.9 tons of Robe gear has arrived for Gearhouse South Africa. The Gearhouse guys taught the DWR boys how to load a truck but it was all

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Avolites rock with Third Day

03 December 2009     When Christian rock band Third Day came to South African shores in November, they played to a full house at the Wave House in Durban. Insane Sound & Lighting was responsible for the technical requirements using an Avolites Pearl for control.   The show, which

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Cats use MA and Robe

30 November 2009   By Richard Neville and Alistair Kilbee     All photos with kind courtesy of Pat Bromilow Downing Prior to Cats moving off to Artscape in Cape Town, DWR Distribution had the privilege of receiving valuable insight to the production from both Richard Neville, associate lighting designer

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Industry supports children

29 November 2009   You have been amazing! So far R17 750 has been donated to the Light Relief Children’s Project where the aim is to make a difference this Christmas to the lives of 63 children at Bethany House. The team at DWR Distribution have been bowled over by

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Integrity shine at Tiens

12 November 2009   Arriving in taxis, buses and cars, some 2 500 people from across South Africa attended one of the highlights of their year, the Tiens Annual Convention and Elite Gala Dinner, held on the 7th and 8th November 2009. Tiens offer a range of natural herbal products

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New Mandela Museum in Mthatha

11 November 2009   Many Joburgers have already seen the stunning Mandela exhibition which the Apartheid Museum created to coincide with Madiba’s 90th birthday. The exhibition resides in the temporary exhibit space at the Apartheid Museum and consists of larger than life high resolution text and image panels combined with

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Gearhouse at 2009 MAMAS

26 October 2009   Courtesy Louise Stickland The Gearhouse South Africa Group of companies supplied rigging, lighting, audio, LED screens and power distribution for the 2009 MTV African Music Awards, staged at the Kasarani Gymnasium at the Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. The project entailed air freighting 55,000 Kgs

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New Robe technology for Brothers in Blood

22 October 2009   Denis Hutchinson designed both sets and lighting for Brothers in Blood at the Market Theatre using the new Robe DT 3000s – a first for South African theatre – as well as a grandMA full size console. DWR Distribution will attempt to capture all Hutch had

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PLASA 2009 Review

20 October 2009 Photos courtesy Louise Stickland     Craig Killian (CES), Mike Jones (MJ Event Gear), Steven Chambers (DJ Steve), Alex Cowan (Thomas), Dylan Bridle (CES) and pictured in front, Robert Izzett (DWR)     PLASA 2009 has come and gone, but we thought you may be interested in

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Sisters of Africa Conference

11 October 2009      Very often the ones most fulfilled are the givers. The mystery lies in that no matter how much you give or serve, it always comes back to you. It was therefore refreshing to see that God was at work when Rivers Church hosted their ninth

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Impression for COP 15

09 October 2009     1000 GLP Impressions to shed light on COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark One of the most talked about political events on the global stage right now is COP 15, also known as the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will gather 192 nations in Copenhagen,

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Congratulations to the newly weds

09 October 2009     Congratulations to Simon King and Mooky (Mokgadi) Mabala, who exchanged wedding vows at an intimate gathering on Sunday, 4th October 2009 at Nt Shonalanga, Hennops Valley. For once Simon, who is the Head of Lighting at the South African State Theatre, Pretoria, had the spotlight

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Gearhouse supplies South African Tattoo

18 September 2009 Story courtesy Louise Stickland Gearhouse South Africa supplied all technical production – including, sound, lighting, power and structures – plus audience seating for the hugely popular 2009 South African Tattoo, staged at Montecasino, Johannesburg, ZA. The extravaganza featured over 600 local and international performers, blending the traditional

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Nod of approval from overseas suppliers

10 September 2009 We asked our overseas guests and suppliers who attended Mediatech to write a sentence or two in regard to their visit to South Africa and feedback on the show.     Bruce Riley with Harry von den Stemmen at Mediatech    “South Africa continues to be a gateway

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Robe at PLASA 2009

03 September 2009 Robe launches several exciting new products at PLASA 2009 in anticipation of a busy year ahead.   The R’n’D department has been extremely focused, developing Robe’s amazing new generation of ROBIN products, the first in the world to utilise the revolutionary plasma lamp technology.   The new

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Gearhouse flies high with Emirates

11 August 2009 Story and pics courtesy Louise Stickland Gearhouse South Africa’s Durban and Johannesburg branches combined resources and skills to provide all technical production – including rigging, sound, lighting, AV and sets – required for the high profile launch of Emirates Airline’s new non-stop service between Durban and Dubai.

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Seven out of Seven

25 June 2009     DWR Distribution would like to congratulate seven companies who now own either an Avolites or GrandMA console.   The State Theatre, Grand West Casino and a television studio have purchased new GrandMAs, while Sounds Ideal, Insane Sound, the Sound Corporation and Modanso have bought Avolites Pearl

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MA training at DWR

15 May 2009     Story & pic by Louise Stickland   MA Lighting’s South African distributor DWR Distribution ran the first of a series of grandMA Level 1 and 2 training events. The 3-day session took place at DWR’s HQ in Johannesburg and was attended by working LDs and

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The new MVS Hazer

14 May 2009   The Multi Venue System (M.V.S.) Hazer is the most recent addition to complement Le Maitre’s range of hazer machines, using Le Maitre’s patented system. It is now available in South Africa from DWR Distribution. The MVS has a variable high output haze with whispers to 80cc/hr,

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Welcome Zoey Izzett

29 April 2009       DWR Distribution’s Robert Izzett and his lovely wife Charlene are the proud parents of Zoey Ann, born on the 9th April at 05:45. Zoey weighed 3.1kg and was 48cm long. We pray that little Zoey will bring much joy all the days of her life

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Le Maitre at DWR

28 April 2009     Due to an ever increasing demand, DWR Distribution have included the Le Maitre range of haze machines to our stable. “The units are road proven,” commented Duncan Riley from DWR. “Le Maitre were one of the first to create smoke machines. We will provide haze

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Black diamonds of the industry

26 March 2009   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

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Robe for Drawing the Line

24 March 2009         24 Robe units feature in the second series of Drawing the Line, the televised game show on SABC 2. Blond Productions, who also did the first series, supplied all the lighting and trussing for the show. The thirteen episodes were shot over one and

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grandMA & DigiSpots for Juanita

23 March 2009 grandMA & DigiSpots for Juanita         Three thousand fans filled the Big Top Arena at Carnival City to be part of Juanita Du Plessis ten year Platinum concert which was recorded for DVD on 28 February 2009 and run by a grandMA full size. It

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Strong User Review

18 March 2009   The Strong family has proved in South Africa, as everywhere else in the world, that they are dependable, have the punch and are robust units. DWR Distribution spoke to Black Coffee, MJ Event Gear and Sound Stylists for their feedback on the units. (Above) Strong Radiance

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Training and Feedback from MA

12 March 2009       (Left) MA International is located within this building; (Right) Snowy conditions prevailed while Nick visited MA   There was an air of excitement as DWR Distribution’s Nick Britz arrived at MA Lighting for training at the end of February. He knew that he would get

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DWR to distribute LSC

01 March 2009   The DWR Team (Back) Easy Moeketsi, Bruce Riley, Robert Izzett, Nick Britz, Simon Ndlovu and (front) Dan Riley, Duncan Riley, Dumi Nkosi and Cherine Viney DWR Distribution is pleased to be the new LSC Lighting Systems agent in South Africa. These well priced consoles and dimmer units will

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Gearhouse in Top Gear for MPH Show

19 February 2009 Story Courtesy Louise Stickland   Gearhouse South Africa supplied technical production – including rigging, lighting, projection/media and audio, plus seating via Havaseat to the 2009 MPH Prestige & Performance Motor Show in Johannesburg.   Hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Sasha Martinengo, MPH’s Top Gear Live

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Audi Joburg Fashion week

06 February 2009             (Pic Left) by Robert Izzett; (Right) Courtesy Simon Deiner    The familiar expression, “Many hands make light work” rang true for the successful Audi Joburg Fashion Week. Requested at the eleventh hour to cater for the technical requirements of this event, Shattered Glass had to

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grandMA 2 for The Baxter

03 February 2009   Photos courtesy Patrick Curtis   The Baxter Theatre is the first in South Africa to purchase a grandMA 2, but while they await delivery, a grandMA full size has been set to work on the phenomenally successful production of The Tempest, which has been playing to

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Miss World goes digital with Robe

08 January 2009       Article and photos courtesy Louise Stickland Lighting designer Tim Dunn used 12 Robe DigitalSpot 7000DT digital moving lights and 32 REDWash 3Ÿ192s in his stunning design for the 2008 Miss World Pageant, which was held at the Sandton International Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South

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Robe Roadshow in South Africa

10 December 2008   Article and photos courtesy Louise Stickland     Robe’s “The Future Is Digital” hit sunny South Africa on penultimate stop of 2008. Robe’s favourite Roadshow double act of Harry von den Stemmen and Gerald Heise joined Robe distributors DWR, who’s Duncan Riley had arranged sessions in

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Sweepslag, a must see

03 December 2008     If you’ve ever stumbled onto SABC 2 on a Friday night at 19h30, it’s very likely that you didn’t change channels for the next hour. The lighting and effects on the musical series titled Sweepslag are absolutely phenomenal and combined with a live performance of

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Danie De Jager

      09-11-1969 to 20-11-2008 It has been our intension to include Danie De Jager on Industry Legends for quite some time now. This passionate man had a colourful and vibrant story to tell. We are sorry that it’s at this sad time of saying good-bye that we finally

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Impro-Vision choose Robe

27 October 2008   Durban based Rental Company, Impro-Vision, set their new Robes to work at the annual Spar Conference held at Sun City’s Superbowl. Spar retailers from across the country attended the two day event held during September which included a gala dinner. Leon Nel, who founded Impro-Vision in

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Industry Maverick, Dan Riley, joins DWR

22 October 2008     – Courtesy Louise Stickland Dan Riley joins leading South African professional lighting sales specialist DWR Distribution’s ever expanding sales team! Riley, a bit of a lighting industry legend in South Africa, brings over 30 years of experience in the field, a colourful personality, massive amounts

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Too good not to eat

14 October 2008     DWR Distribution has always been proud to have passionate individuals making up the team. The icing on the cake, however, was when Robert Izzett celebrated his birthday in September, and arrived at the office with this beautifully baked MA console! Made lovingly by his wife

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DWR takes on Vari*Lite Distributorship in SA

06 October 2008     – Story courtesy Louise Stickland   DWR Distribution has been appointed as the official VARI*LITE distributor for South Africa. VARI*LITE had been scouting South Africa for some time, and Bob Schacherl, VP of Sales visited earlier in the year with the objective of identifying a

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Another Loerie success for Gearhouse

28 September 2008   Margate, a holiday village on the South Coast of South Africa, becomes a bustling attraction when the Loeries comes to town. While the Loerie Awards were first held in 1978 in an attempt to encourage television advertising, it now focuses on every possible form of brand

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